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South Tampa Presidential History Buff Is 9 Years Old

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By KRISTA KLAUS | News Channel 8

Published: January 19, 2009

TAMPA - While Barack Obama puts the finishing touches on his presidential cabinet, a 9-year-old South Tampa boy is busy filling his cabinet with presidential memorabilia.

Third grader Houston Britain is a presidential history buff. In a corner of his family's Hyde Park dining room, a cherry curio no taller than Houston himself is loaded with stuffed JFK dolls, miniature Ronald Reagans, and even a bobble-headed Barack Obama.

"There's all the presidents from the beginning to Obama," Britain said of his miniatures collection of the presidents. Britain's collection includes sample ballots from recent elections and official presidential mugs.

The student at John B. Gorrie Elementary is a virtual encyclopedia of executive branch trivia. He even brings his passion to his schoolwork. For Thanksgiving, Britain created a construction paper turkey fashioned after Abraham Lincoln. The character then delivered the "Gobblesburg Address."

Britain said for as long as he can remember, he has studied presidential history. He can tell you the oldest president (Reagan), the youngest president (Theodore Roosevelt), the tallest president (Lincoln) and the shortest president (Madison).

His favorite president is Lincoln because he "freed the slaves."

His least favorite president is Richard Nixon because "he did Watergate."

The president he considers the most interesting is Grover Cleveland because "he got married in the White House."

Britain has an uncanny way of tying the presidents together. Take for example America's 23rd president, Benjamin Harrison: "He came right after Grover Cleveland. He was the grandson of the ninth president, William Henry Harrison. He was just slightly taller than the shortest president, James Madison."

Britain can name each assassinated president, and the order in which they were killed: "The first one was Lincoln, then Garfield, then McKinley, then Kennedy."

He can also tell you about noteworthy inauguration day speeches. Franklin Delano Roosevelt's "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself" and John F. Kennedy's "Ask not what your country can do for you" speeches are his favorites.

The most interesting inauguration day story, Britain says, belongs to William Henry Harrison: "He died just after his inauguration. It was so cold he got a cold and pneumonia. He also made the longest speech, it was like 2,000 something words."

Although he spends much of his spare time learning everything he can about the presidents, Britain can't explain his fascination.

"I don't know," he shrugs. "I just like to study it."

He may have gotten his interest from his dad, who is a history buff.

With a new president in office, Britain is pledging to study everything Obama, for the next four years. He already has an Obama bobblehead pin and a life-size Obama figure.

"He's the first African American president. He was born in Hawaii. He moved to Illinois," Britain rattled off. "I really like Obama."

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