Obama is Related to Scott Brown and 7 Other Presidents
From The Boston Herald
It probably shouldn’t come as a big surprise that both President Obama and U.S. Sen.-elect Scott Brown can count a politician among their ancestors.
But the same one?
It’s true. Genealogists said the Democratic president and the Bay State’s Republican senator-elect are 10th cousins. They both are descendants of the same 17th century Massachusetts selectman.
The New England Historic Genealogical Society said Obama’s mother, Stanley Ann Dunham, and Brown’s mother, Judith Ann Rugg, both descend from Richard Singletary of Haverhill.
“I’m glad to be in such distinguished company,” Brown said.
Singletary died in 1687 at the advanced age of 102. Good genes! Earlier, he served as a selectman in Salisbury and Haverhill.
David Allen Lambert, the society genealogist who co-discovered the connection with colleague Chris Child, said the work was aided by prior research about Obama, as well as Brown’s cooperation with the society when researchers first contacted him in December.
In 2008, the society discovered that Obama is related to seven prior presidents, including George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford, Lyndon Johnson, Harry S. Truman and James Madison. They also learned he was related to actor Brad Pitt.
Also, George Stephanopoulos of ABC News’ “Good Morning America” has learned he is likely related to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Stephanopoulos underwent DNA testing to promote “Faces of America With Henry Louis Gates Jr.,” a four-part series on family histories airing Feb. 10 on PBS. Gates said Stephanopoulos is “very likely a maternal cousin with Hillary Clinton.”
“Sorry, Secretary Clinton,” Stephanopoulos said. “I did not set this up.
Related posts:
Sign up to receive all new posts delivered daily to your inbox.