No. 1 First

In your February issue’s fine article about FDR, who’s a hero to me, too, the estimable William E. Leuchtenburg tells us that “in the most recent survey of historians, [FDR] moved past George Washington to be ranked as the second greatest President in our history, excelled only by the legendary Abraham Lincoln.”

This makes me wonder what in heck historians read. It’s no knock on either Mr. Roosevelt or Mr. Lincoln to say that without Mr. Washington there would have been no unity, no independence, no nationhood. The survey was about Presidencies, not men, I know, I know. But had another man than George been the .first President, would there have been a second?