The Final Link to President John Tyler’s Legacy Has Vanished—What This Means for History

So, picture this: John Tyler, the 10th president of the United States, born way back in 1790, stepping into the Oval Office in 1841 after William Henry Harrison’s untimely death. Now here’s the kicker—Tyler’s last living grandchild, Harrison Ruffin Tyler, only just passed away in 2025 at the ripe old age of 96. Yeah, you read that right. Not a great-great-great-grandchild, but a straight-up grandson, keeping the presidential bloodline alive well into the 21st century! How on earth did this happen? Spoiler alert: the Tyler men had a penchant for fathering children at ages that’d make most people do a double take. It’s a family saga that’s part history lesson, part “no way, that’s wild!” If you’re curious about how a 19th-century president’s legacy stretched into modern times through some seriously late-in-life parenting, buckle up—you’re in for a fascinating ride. LEARN MORE

John Tyler, the 10th U.S. president, was born in 1790. He took office in 1841, after William Henry Harrison died. And his last living grandchild, Harrison Ruffin Tyler, just passed away, on May 25, 2025, at the age of 96.

Not great-great-great-grandchild. Harrison’s dad was President Tyler’s son.

1. How Is this Possible?
2. On the Case

How Is this Possible?

The Tyler men had a habit of having kids very late in life. Lyon Gardiner Tyler, one of President Tyler’s 15 children, was born in 1853 when the former president was 63 years old.

Elected to Virginia’s state legislature in 1887, Lyon Gardiner Tyler arranged for the restoration of the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, which had been neglected during the Civil War, and became its president in 1888. He also published books and magazines about Virginia history and promoted the significance of Jamestown in the story of the United States’ founding.