Today, The Daily Heller answers the quiz from Friday and offers a brief anecdote about beards.

The bard—or, more accurately, the historian of at least one famous beard—is Susannah Koerber, chief curator at the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites, which holds one of the country’s most important collections relating to Abraham Lincoln and his times. She reports that a precocious11-year-old girl from New York State named Grace Bedell had persuaded the future president into growing his iconic facial tuft. Bedell wrote to then-candidate Lincoln on Oct. 15, 1860: “I have got four brothers, and a part of them will vote for you anyway, and if you will let your whiskers grow, I will try and get the rest of them to vote for you. You would look a great deal better, for your face is so thin,” she implored with wisdom older than her years, then added, “All the ladies like whiskers, and they would tease their husbands to vote for you, and then you would be president.”

Such a deeply held conviction convinced Abe, and “By January 13, 1861, the [newly elected] president was bearded up,” states Koerber. The rest is hairstory. For eons, beards have had political, cultural, religious, aesthetic and, of course, pragmatic reasons for being. Follicle factoids are numerous, but I will resist the temptation to recite them and simply reveal, as promised, the answers to last Friday’s matchup. They are …

**Ted Cruz** caused some bearded speculations at *The Cut* when he began sporting this furry friend in 2018. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, Pool)

When former Republican (Tea Party) Speaker **Paul Ryan** left office, *The Atlantic* speculated on his stubble—the first time a Speaker had a beard in 100 years.

**Al Gore** grew a beard while in Europe after his election concession and promised he’d shave it before returning to the United States. He did not do it right away but he’s been clean-shaven ever since.

General **U.S. Grant** was the first president to wear a full beard (compared to Lincoln’s “chinstrap”).

**Eric Trump**‘s beard may be revolting to his dad. Stephen Colbert covered Donald Sr.’s aversion to facial hair here.

**J.D. Vance** is the first VP candidate since 1880 to wear a full beard. It suits him. If only he stuck to his Never-Trump morals, he’d be welcome in the bearded community.

**Donald Trump Jr.**‘s beard does nothing to positively accentuate his neckline, so says a fashion critic at *Esquire*.

**George Clooney**, known for his stubble, has stumbled into a full facial hairpiece, so says Beardaholic.

How’d you do?

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