Memorizing The Presidents

Memorizing The Presidents
To Improve Your Total Recall
Adapted From Ron White’s (Guinness
Memorizing Record Holder) “Improve
Your Memory, Double your Sales”
By James Maginnis
Organizational Kinetics
Copyright 2008 - 2010

Why?
• We would all agree that our lives would be much
worse with worse memory – and better with more
– Similarly, improving our memory can improve our sales
• Sales is the rare profession where we’ll never
know how much we might make as our incomes
increase in direct proportion to us getting better…
– This is why we work to hone our presentation skills, for
which a crucial ingredient is… our memory, in order to
recall not only product and competitive information but
also names and faces for stronger client relationships
• Just as sales can be learned, so can memory!
– These techniques shown to help prevent Alzheimer's

Agenda
• How does memory work?
– Emotions and sight are more important than our
hearing, touch, or other intelligences for remembering
• E.g.: Ron Clark’s “Presidents Song” fails for most students
• We’ll learn three basic tools for better memories
– Humorous Pictures with e-Motion in a familiar Place
• We’ll use these to memorize the U.S. Presidents
– Anyone can learn the first 20 in less than half an hour.
And, continue to know them even six months later.
– We will take about an hour for everyone to learn all 44
– Same method can be used to better recall anything

How Does Memory Work?
• We are all visual, auditory, and kinesthetic but we
tend to use one sense more says Dr. Carl Jung
– “I can’t see what your saying, show me how you did it!”
– “I hear you loud and clear; sounds like a great idea!”
– “I can’t put my finger on it; so, let’s explore it deeper!”
– Howard Gardner identified 7 types of intelligence (later
adding an 8th while others have identified 1,400 more)
• But, Neuroeconomics shows emotions are key to
memory and that simple pictures are the best as
sight is processed 25 times faster than hearing
– Esp. funny moving images in familiar surroundings:
“That image reminds me of a funny story at home…”

Thinking of an Elephant…
• Doesn’t produce an
image of letters (or
notes of a song)
• Recall produces a
picture seen of an
actual elephant
• Easier if made vivid
by being humorous
• For more “brain training,” see
http://www.pbs.org/saf/1402/

Basic Tools for Better Memories
• A Picture, converting abstract
words or ideas into sound-a-
like pictures, especially if we
create them ourselves
• With Motion, especially
something funny or odd
• In a Place, which then
provides a “filing cabinet” for
sequencing items to help in
recalling them in proper order

For An Example…
• Let’s work to memorize the 44 U.S. Presidents
• First, pick 5 items in 4 rooms (for 20 locations) at
home for places easy to remember… such as:
– Bedroom: closet, bookcase, dresser, lamp, bed
– Bathroom: shower, towels, toilet, sink, cabinet
– Kitchen: refrigerator, toaster, stove, dishwasher, table
– Living room: stereo, fireplace, chair, end table, couch
• You need to visualize standing in the middle of
each room and seeing your items in order
– Create images of your own actual home – not these!
• Review after learning each room’s presidents

Create Your Filing Cabinet
• This is no small task to complete before starting
• You must make your own personal filing cabinet
(can be used for any future memorization tasks)
• Pick any four rooms in your home (from bedroom,
bathroom, kitchen, living room, garage, family or
Arizona room, office, library, garden, game room)
• Pick any five items in each room, IN ORDER…
looking around each room in your mind from left
to right, pick five unlikely to be moved items: like,
– bedroom: closet, bookcase, dresser, lamp, and bed

First Room: Bedroom
• Has a closet, bookcase, dresser, lamp, and bed
– Draw five items in the order found in your first room
• Close your eyes and recite your five items…

Second Room: Bathroom
• Has a shower, towels, toilet, sink, and cabinet
– Draw five items in the order found in your second room

Third Room: Kitchen
• Has a frig, toaster, stove, dishwasher, and table
– Draw five items in the order found in your third room

Fourth Room: Living Room
• Has a stereo, fireplace, chair, table, and couch
– Draw five items in the order found in your fourth room

Make Nine (9) Room Drawings
Quickly
make
two (2)
drawings
for each
of your
four (4)
rooms
and one
more of
the first
room…

Let’s Begin
• We can later use these rooms and items to help
us remember any list of words, or even numbers
• For learning the presidents’ names, we first need
to see an appropriate amusing image on each of
our familiar items (positioned in order) around the
four rooms of our home: draw them as we go.
• I’ll suggest pictures for the presidents only for the
purpose of teaching you this memorization trick;
in the future, you’ll create your own images…
which will further build your ability to recall lists.

Washing Machine
• There’s a washing machine in my bedroom closet!
Can you hear the
sloshing of the
machine and feel
the vibrations
through the floor?
Can you make it as real as possible in your mind?

Damn
• There’s a damn on my bedroom bookcase!
Can you hear the roar
of the water coming
through this damn?
What did you say?
The thundering damn
is so loud, I can’t hear you!

Thermos
• There’s a thermos on my bedroom dresser!
Can you smell the
hot soup in the
steaming thermos?
Doesn’t it make
you hungry?

Medicine
• There’s medicine falling off my bedroom lamp!
See an open medicine
bottle break open and
spill pills all over –
they’re everywhere!
(gonn’a need a broom
to clean up this mess)

Man rowing
• There’s a man rowing in my bedroom bed!
Hear the sound
of the oars in
the water, which
is splashing all
over the room!
(gonn’a need a mop)

Let’s Review
• Washing machine sloshing in my closet!
• A Damn thundering on my bookcase!
• Thermos steaming on my dresser!
• Medicine falling all around my lamp!
• Man rowing splashing in my bed!

Eyes Closed
• Then, let’s everyone say the list of items together
with our eyes closed: “washing machine, damn,
thermos, medicine, man rowing.” That’s great!

Let’s Use Those Images
• Now, we’ve stored 5 images (washing machine,
damn, thermos, medicine, and a man rowing)
into our five items or locations of our first room
(closet, bookcase, dresser, lamp, and bed)
– Can you visualize standing in your first room and
seeing the five items around you with the five silly,
moving, “real” images we’ve created on top of them?
• Let’s use those five images to help us remember
the first five presidents of the United States…
• Who was the first President of the U.S.?

1. George Washington (1789-’97)
• Washing machine (Bedroom: closet)
Can you hear the
sloshing of the
machine and feel
the vibrations
through the
floor?

2. John Adams (1797-1801)
• A Damn (Bedroom: bookcase)
Can you hear the roar
of the water coming
through this damn?
What did you say?
The thundering damn
is so loud, I can’t hear you!

3. Thomas Jefferson (1801-’09)
• Thermos (Bedroom: dresser)
Can you smell the
hot soup in the
steaming thermos?
Doesn’t it make
you hungry?
Thermos image from http://www.popgadget.net/2006/03/lipstick_thermo.php

4. James Madison (1809-’17)
• Medicine (Bedroom: lamp)
See the open medicine
bottle break open and
spill pills all over –
they’re everywhere!
(gonn’a need a broom
to clean up this mess)

5. James Monroe (1817-’25)
• Man rowing (Bedroom: bed)
Hear the sound
of the oars in
the water, which
is splashing all
over the room
(gonn’a need a mop)

How To Review
• First, think to yourself your five items: such as
the closet, bookcase, dresser, lamp, and bed
• Read out loud while visualizing the five images
with action: such as a washing machine sloshing,
damn thundering, thermos steaming, medicine
falling, as well as a man rowing who is splashing
• Then, read the five names: such as Washington,
Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe
• Try closing your eyes and recite the five images
• Then, trying to keep your eyes closed (look if you
have to) and call out the five President’s names

Presidents 1-5 (Bedroom)
• Closet: Washing mach.
• Bookcase: A Damn
• Dresser: Thermos
• Lamp: Medicine
• Bed: Man rowing
• Washington
• Adams
• Thomas Jefferson
• Madison
• Monroe

6. John Quincy Adams (1825-’29)
• Q-ball damn (Bathroom: shower)
This damn isn’t
holding back water
but billiard q-balls…
it’s a q-ball damn!
Look out,
this is gonn’a hurt!

7. Andrew Jackson (1829-’37)
• Jack (Bathroom: towels)
See the bright red jack.
Oil is getting
all over father’s
new towels!
He’s gonn’a be mad!

8. Martin Van Buren (1837-’41)
• Van burning (Bathroom: toilet)
There’s a burning
van crashing into
the toilet! Flames
and smoke are
going everywhere –
hear the water sizzling!
Burning car image from http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/06/dude_torch_my_r.php

9. William Harrison (1841)
• Hairy (Bathroom: sink)
It’s Chewbacca
pitching in Boston.
He’s Hairy!
There’s gonn’a
be a lot of hair
in the sink!
Chewbacca image from http://bostondirtdogs.boston.com/Headline_Archives/2005/09/chewbacca_shoul.html

10. John Tyler (1841-’45)
• Tie (Bathroom: cabinet)
See Dad’s shinny
new tie – he left it
hanging over the
medicine cabinet…
don’t get your
toothpaste on it!

Presidents 6-10 (Bathroom)
• Shower: Q-ball damn
• Towels: Jack
• Toilet: Van burning
• Sink: Hairy
• Cabinet: Tie
• John Quincy Adams
• Jackson
• Van Buren
• Harrison
• Tyler

Presidents 1-10, Eyes Closed
• Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe
• John Quincy Adams, Jackson, Van Buren,
Harrison, Tyler

11. James Polk (1845-’49)
• Polka dots (Kitchen: refrigerator)
There polka dots
everywhere!
Everything is covered
in polka dots!
Even the ice!

12. Zachary Taylor (1849-’50)
• Tailor (Kitchen: toaster)
A tailor make suits…
he or she measures and
then sews it to fit just right.
Is something burning?

13. Millard Fillmore (1850-’53)
• Fill more gas (Kitchen: stove)
The car is empty…
it’s time to fill it
with more gas.
Is that safe to do
in front of a stove?!?

14. Franklin Pierce (1853-’57)
• Pierced earring (Kitchen: dishwasher)
Imagine an earring
that is pierced right
through the door
of the dishwasher.
Now, the door won’t close!

15. James Buchanan (1857-’61)
• Buick, canon (Kitchen: table)
That old Buick car
has a cool way to
pick up speed…
a Buick Cannon!
BOOM! Zoom!

Presidents 11-15 (Kitchen)
• Refrigerator: Polka dots
• Toaster: Tailor
• Stove: Fill more gas
• Dishwasher: Pierced earring
• Table: Buick, canon
• Polk
• Taylor
• Fillmore
• Pierce
• Buchanan

• Polk, Taylor, Fillmore, Pierce, Buchanan

16. Abraham Lincoln (1861-’65)
• Ugly bearded man (Living room: stereo)
Lincoln once joked, “If I
were two-faced, would
I be wearing this one?”
After becoming president,
a 6-year old girl hinted to
him that his face might
look better with a beard!
Photo of Lincoln taken by Alexander Gardner, November 8, 1863.

17. Andrew Johnson (1865-’69)
• Ants drawing (Living room: fireplace)
There’s hundreds of ants
all over the fireplace…
and, they’re drawing!
One is whistling.
They are all marching.

18. Ulysses S. Grant (1869-’77)
• College campus (Living room: chair)
There’s a college campus
in my living room. All of
the students are in class,
so it’s very quite now.
Many received grants
to help pay their bills.

19. Rutherford B. Hayes (1877-’81)
• Haze, smoke (Living room: end table)
That dirty pipe is making
so much smoke that I
can’t see in here…
there’s such a haze…
Ow, I stubbed my toe!

20. James Garfield (1881)
• Garfield, the cat (Living room: couch)
Look at that big cat…
and, that big smile…
it has to be…
Garfield!

16-20 Presidents (Living Room)
• Stereo: Bearded man
• Fireplace: Ants drawing
• Chair: College Campus
• End table: Haze, smoke
• Couch: Garfield
• Abraham Lincoln
• Andrew Johnson
• Grant
• Hayes
• Garfield

• Polk, Taylor, Fillmore, Pierce, Buchanan
• Lincoln, Andrew Johnson, Grant, Hayes, Garfield

Congratulations!
• You now know the first 20 presidents! You can
go home and impress your family and friends!

21. Chester A. Arthur (1881-’85)
• Author, book signing (Bedroom: closet)
There’s a woman
signing books from
inside my closet…
she must be
a famous author!

22. Grover Cleveland (1885-’89)
• Wristband (Bedroom: bookcase)
See the poster of
two arms wrestling…
one arm is wearing a
large red wristband.
Is it a Colbert Wristband?
Adrien Grenier

23. Benjamin Harrison (1889-’93)
Hot dog bun image from http://wvhotdogblog.blogspot.com/2007_08_01_archive.html; hair
from http://www.photoshopsupport.com/elements/tutorials/extract-hair/select-hair-start.jpg
• Hairy hot dog bun (Bedroom: dresser)
Invented to hold a hot dog – this
one’s gonna’ tickle going down!
Do you like your chili topping with
sauerkraut or coleslaw? No one
has ever been able to figure out
why buns are sold in a different
number as hot dogs (8 vs 10)!

24. Grover Cleveland (1893-’97)
• Grover, the Muppet (Bedroom: lamp)
That’s Super Grover
leaping off my lamp
to fly away! Below,
Grover is sitting with
my son Barrett
(when he was
five) and me.
Super Grover image from http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Super_Grover

25. William McKinley (1897-1901)
• Thick and thinly (Bedroom: bed)
I like to eat sandwiches
made from bread sliced
thick and meat sliced
thinly while in bed…
do you?

• Closet: Author, signing
• Bookcase: Wristband
• Dresser: Hairy hot dog bun
• Lamp: Grover, the Muppet
• Bed: Thick & thinly
• Arthur
• Grover Cleveland
• Benjamin Harrison
• Grover Cleveland
• McKinley

26. Teddy Roosevelt (1901-’09)
• Roses of felt (Bathroom: shower)
See the Teddy Bear
with a bouquet of
felt roses. Ahhh!
They are very soft.

27. William H. Taft (1909-’13)
• Taffy raft (Bathroom: towels)
That raft is made
candy taffy! And, it’s
all stuck to the towels.
First they were oily and
now they’re all sticky. Dad
may want to just throw those towels out!

28. Woodrow Wilson (1913-’21)
• Wood rowboat (Bathroom: toilet)
That man is in a
wood rowboat.
He is huffing as he
rows with all his might…
what is he rowing from?
From going down the toilet!

29. Warren G. Harding (1921-’23)
• Hard ring (Bathroom: sink)
There’s a ring on my
sink that’s so hard…
I bet it would cut glass.
Now, that’s a hard ring!

30. Calvin Coolidge (1923-’29)
• School fridge (Bathroom: cabinet)
The refrigerator from
the school’s lounge is
behind my cabinet!
Can you pass me
the chocolate cake!

Presidents 26-30 (Bathroom)
• Shower: Roses of felt
• Towels: Taffy raft
• Toilet: Wood rowboat
• Sink: Hard ring
• Cabinet: School fridge
• Teddy Roosevelt
• Taft
• Woodrow Wilson
• Harding
• Coolidge

• Arthur, Grover Cleveland, Benjamin Harrison,
Grover Cleveland, McKinley
• Teddy Roosevelt, Taft, Woodrow Wilson, Harding,
Coolidge

31. Herbert Hoover (1929-’33)
• Hoover vacuum (Kitchen: refrigerator)
That Hoover vacuum
has such suction that
it sucked all the food
out of the freezer!
What’s for dinner now?

32. Franklin Roosevelt (1933-’45)
• Tank spin (Kitchen: toaster)
That tank is
spinning around
on my toaster!
Look out, it’s
going to fire!

33. Harry Truman (1945-’53)
• Hairy blue man (Kitchen: stove)
There is a hairy
blue man in my kitchen!
Won’t you stay for dinner?
(What do you feed a
hairy blue man?)

34. Dwight Eisenhower (1953-’61)
• Bright in sun power (Kitchen: dishwasher)
The power of the sun is
really bright! I can turn
it to electricity and run
my dishwasher as
Arizona is especially…
bright in sun power!

35. John F. Kennedy (1961-’63)
• Hen knee tea (Kitchen: table)
I’m having some
Hen-knee tea.
The kettle is whistling…
Would you like some?

31-35 Presidents (Kitchen)
• Frig: Hoover vacuum
• Toaster: Tank spin
• Stove: Harry blue man
• Dishwasher: Bright in sun
power
• Table: Hen knee tea
• Hoover
• Franklin Roosevelt
• Harry Truman
• Dwight Eisenhower
• Kennedy

• Hoover, Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman,
Dwight Eisenhower, Kennedy

36. Lyndon Johnson (1963-’69)
• Twin dungeons (Living room: stereo)
Two doors
leading to
twin dungeons.
Which one will
you take? Ha ha!
Dungeon door from http://www.gifs.net/image/Everything_Else/Doors_and_Gates/Dungeon_door/7976

37. Richard Nixon (1969-’74)
• Six sons (Living room: fireplace)
This family has
six sons!
I think the boy
looking through
the telescope might
be too close to the fire. Ow!

38. Gerald Ford (1974-’77)
• Bare gold sword (Living room: chair)
This 16-carot
bare gold sword
balances quite well
on my living room chair.

39. Jimmy Carter (1977-’81)
• Cream of tartar (Living room: end table)
Cream of tartar is an
acid salt (first made
7,000 years ago in
Iraq) used in cooking
(like cakes) as well as
to clean brass and
copper cookware.
Season image from
http://www.mccormick.com/Products/Herbs-and-
Spices/Spices-A-to-Z/Cream-of-Tartar.aspx

40. Ronald Reagan (1981-’89)
• Ray Gun (Living room: couch)
I like to play with
a ray gun in the living
room or the park…
it’s especially fun to
shoot it in the dark!
ZZZAP!

Presidents 36-40 (Living Room)
• Stereo: Twin dungeons
• Fireplace: Six sons
• Chair: Bare gold sword
• End table: Cream of tartar
• Couch: Ray Gun
• Lyndon Johnson
• Nixon
• Gerald Ford
• Jimmy Carter
• Reagan

• Hoover, Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman,
Dwight Eisenhower, Kennedy
• Lyndon Johnson, Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy
Carter, Reagan

41. George H. Bush (1989-’93)
• Burning bush (Bedroom: closet)
In the Bible, the
burning bush is the
location at which
Moses was told by
Yahweh to lead
the Israelites
out of Egypt.

42. Bill Clinton (1993-2001)
• Thin nun (Bedroom: bookcase)
A nun is a woman who
has taken special vows
committing herself to
a religious life.
This nun is very thin!

43. George W. Bush (2001-’09)
• Large W (Bedroom: dresser)
There is a “w” on
my dresser – it is
a very BIG “w!”
Do you think we
could move it? It
seems quit heavy.

44. Barack Obama (2009-’13)
• Rack-o pajama (Bedroom: lamp)
That boy must really like
to play the Rack-o card
game since he has
Rack-o pajamas.
Would you like to
play a game of Rack-o?
Pajama image from http://www.kidspyjamas.co.uk/acatalog/Kids-Pyjamas.html

• Closet: Burning Bush
• Bookcase: Thin nun
• Dresser: Large W
• Lamp: Rack-o Pajama
• Bush
• Clinton
• George W. Bush
• Barack Obama

• Bush, Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama

Congratulations!
• You now know ALL 44 presidents! You can go
home and really impress your family and friends!

1. George Washington (1789-1797) Washing machine (R1: _____ I1: _____)
2. John Adams (1797-1801) Damn (R1: _____ I2: _____)
3. Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809) Thermos (R1: _____ I3: _____)
4. James Madison (1809-1817) Medicine (R1: _____ I4: _____)
5. James Monroe (1817-1825) Man rowing (R1: _____ I5: _____)
6. John Q. Adams (1825-1829) Q-ball damn (R2: _____ I1: _____)
7. Andrew Jackson (1829-1837) Jack (R2: _____ I2: _____)
8. Martin Van Buren (1837-1841) Van burning (R2: _____ I3: _____)
9. William Harrison (1841) Hair, lots (R2: _____ I4: _____)
10. John Tyler (1841-1845) Tie (R2: _____ I5: _____)
11. James Polk (1845-1849) Polka dots (R3: _____ I1: _____)
12. Zachary Taylor (1849-1850) Tailor (R3: _____ I2: _____)
13. Millard Fillmore (1850-1853) Fill more gas (R3: _____ I3: _____)
14. Franklin Pierce (1853-1857) Pierced earring (R3: _____ I4: _____)
15. James Buchanan (1857-1861) Buick, canon (R3: _____ I5: _____)
16. Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865) Bearded man (R4: _____ I1: _____)
17. Andrew Johnson (1865-1869) Ants drawing (R4: _____ I2: _____)
18. Ulysses S. Grant (1869-1877) College campus (R4: _____ I3: _____)
19. Rutherford Hayes (1877-1881) Haze, smoke (R4: _____ I4: _____)
20. James Garfield (1881) Garfield, the cat (R4: _____ I5: _____)
21. Chester Arthur (1881-1885) Author, book signing (R1: _____ I1: _____)
22. Grover Cleveland (1885-1889) Wristband (R1: _____ I2: _____)
23. Benjamin Harrison (1889-1893) Hairy Hot Dog Bun (R1: _____ I3: _____)
24. Grover Cleveland (1893-1897) Grover, the Muppet (R1: _____ I4: _____)
25. William McKinley (1897-1901) Thick & thinly, sliced (R1: _____ I5: _____)
26. Teddy Roosevelt (1901-1909) Roses of felt (R2: _____ I1: _____)
27. William Taft (1909-1913) Taffy raft (R2: _____ I2: _____)
28. Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921) Wood rowboat (R2: _____ I3: _____)
29. Warren Harding (1921-1923) Hard ring (R2: _____ I4: _____)
30. Calvin Coolidge (1923-1923) School fridge (R2: _____ I5: _____)
31. Herbert Hoover (1929-1933) Hoover vacuum (R3: _____ I1: _____)
32. Franklin Roosevelt (1933-1945) Tank spin (R3: _____ I2: _____)
33. Harry Truman (1945-1953) Harry blue man (R3: _____ I3: _____)
34. Dwight Eisenhower (1953-1961) Bright in sun power (R3: _____ I4: _____)
35. John F. Kennedy (1961-1963) Hen knee tea (R3: _____ I5: _____)
36. Lyndon Johnson (1963-1969) Twin dungeons (R4: _____ I1: _____)
37. Richard Nixon (1969-1974) Six sons (R4: _____ I2: _____)
38. Gerald Ford (1974-1977) Bare gold sword (R4: _____ I3: _____)
39. Jimmy Carter (1977-1981) Martyr (R4: _____ I4: _____)
40. Ronald Reagan (1981-1989) Ray Gun (R4: _____ I5: _____)
41. George H. Bush (1989-1993) Burning Bush (R1: _____ I1: _____)
42. Bill Clinton (1993-2001) Thin nun (R1: _____ I2: _____)
43. George W. Bush (2001-2009) Large W (R1: _____ I3: _____)
44. Barack Obama (2009-????) Rack-o Pajama (R1: _____ I4: _____)
Make a 44 American Presidents
(with memory keys) Review List

Memorizing The Presidents

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