"I think Martin Van Buren makes us special because of all the things he has done. Martin Van Buren was an intelligent man who knew a lot about people and politics. One of the reasons he was so intelligent was because he had the experience of working and living in a tavern near the main road from Albany to New York City.

Many people came in and talked about a lot of important things. Martin listened and learned from them. I am only nine, and he was fourteen when he graduated from the Kinderhook Academy. He became a lawyer and tried his first case when he was fifteen.

Martin Van Buren is most famous because he was the eighth President of the United States, from 1837 to 1842. But he had many other jobs in our government, such as Governor of New York, a United States Senator, Secretary of State, and Vice President under Andrew Jackson. He also was a good father. Martin Van Buren livesd at Lindenwald after he retired.

If you haven’t visited Lindenwald, you should because being in the former President’s house is a wonderful experience everyone should share.

Happy Birthday to Martin Van Buren from all the kids at Martin Van Buren Elementary School!"

This speech was delivered by Stephen Griffen, a student at Martin Van Buren Elementary School on December 5, 1998, as part of the school’s annual visit to his grave site, commemorating the 8th president’s birthday.