Monday is President's Day. When I was growing up, we had two school holidays in February honoring Presidents; on February 12 we celebrated Lincoln's birthday and on February 22, Washington's. I don't remember exactly when the two holidays became one or why. Maybe someone thought that taking two holidays in the already-shortest month was encouraging indolence. I'm certain I could Google the answer but it does not matter that much. We have one day when we celebrate all 44 Presidents (actually 43 people, because one fellow served non-consecutive terms and gets counted twice.)

I have biographies and/or autobiographies for 34 of those gents. My only published book is about American Presidents. My Ph.D. dissertation is about President Eisenhower. To say that I am interested in the Presidency is understatement.

Americans accept that the President plays more differentiated roles than similarly titled offices in most of the rest of the world. Some roles, such as Head of State and Head of Political Party can be at odds with each other at times. I am intrigued by how the 43 have come to be President, how each has reacted under the demand to play many roles, how each has responded to the pressures of the job and how history regards the legacy of each man.

The facts suggest that the American public takes more interest in Presidents than in any other public office; though the percentage of eligible voters actually voting is appallingly low for a democracy, more people vote in a Presidential election, on average, than in any other kind. The media obviously thinks Presidents are important and that readers want to know about them. For most of our history, newspapers have seldom published a daily issue without one or more stories involving the President. I daresay TV and internet media follow suit.

People seem to enjoy trivia about Presidents, like the first President to use the radio, to fly, to use television, to wear for his inauguration only clothes made in America. People seem interested in finding out which was the President whose lengthy inaugural address delivered in freezing winter conditions without his wearing an overcoat led to his death before even two months of his Presidency had passed. People treasure Presidential mythology like the story of one who led the American Army on a charge up a hill in a key battle in a little war, even when the story plays loose with the facts. We like the idea of our Presidents as heroes. Honest, too; don't most Americans know that there was a cherry tree chopped down in Mr. Washington's orchard?

It has often been written that American Presidents are expected at key moments to find the words, backed up with actions, that connect with the aspirations of citizens or reassure them in times of peril. Perhaps you can recall such moments in your own lives. Certainly, one such moment came in 1933 when Americans were reminded that "the only things we have to fear is fear itself." Or in 1974, when we were assured that "the long national nightmare" was over. Some Presidents have been calming in an avuncular or grandfatherly way. Others have seemed like the smart and personable guy you know with whom you can identify, or even imagine as a buddy on the golf course. Some of the Presidents have connected with voters better than others. But all have connected well enough to win the most votes in the Electoral College at least once!

I like them all, though some, in my opinion, have been better at the job than others. I believe every one of them has done his level best to serve the interests of the nation as he is given to see that interest. They ran for office because they believed that they could make a difference. For each, I see a commitment to public service as well as personal glory. They share personal courage, too. Assassins or would-bes have shot at nine Presidents (more than 20% of them), killing four. Over the years, law enforcement has foiled additional plots, generally arising from super-heated political passion demonizing the President in the minds of the plotters.

The day after Barack Obama became President-elect, I was at a meeting with Jim Scott, President of Punahou School. I noted that the difference in age between Punahou and IPA meant that we had 160 years to catch up with Punahou by having an alumnus or alumna elected President. I hope an IPA Navigator becomes America's Chief Navigator before that much time has elapsed. I can be equally proud as our youngsters grow up knowing the history of their homeland, see that they can make a difference, even without becoming President of the United States, and choose a life of service--maybe even public service for some.

President's Day is a good time to remember that none of the 43 started out life with their election to the Presidency assured, or perhaps even imagined, but that their education, experience and effort produced that result. Let's celebrate the fact that, in our system of government, anybody who meets the Constitutional requirement, can dream of being President and leading the country. In human history, that is rare.