9. James Garfield
Photo: Brady-Handy Photograph Collection, Library of Congress / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
James Garfield was the 20th US president, serving for less than a year before he was assassinated in 1881.
A graduate of Williams College, Garfield had an IQ of 148, according to Simonton’s estimates. Although his presidency was short, Garfield had a big impact. He re-energized the US Navy, did away with corruption in the Post Office Department, and appointed several African-Americans to prominent federal positions, according to White House records. He was shot by Charles J. Guiteau on July 2, 1881, and died of his wounds on September 19, 1881, about 200 days after taking office.