<P> Franklin D. Roosevelt spent the months leading up to the 1940 Democratic National Convention refusing to state whether he would seek a third term . His Vice President, John Nance Garner, along with Postmaster General James Farley, announced their candidacies for the Democratic nomination . When the convention came, Roosevelt sent a message to the convention, saying he would run only if drafted, saying delegates were free to vote for whomever they pleased . The delegates issued 946 votes for Roosevelt, 72 for Farley, and 61 for Garner; they replaced Garner with Henry A. Wallace as the vice presidential nominee, and Farley resigned as postmaster general . In the 1940 general election, while Republican Wendell Willkie received six million more votes than the previous Republican candidate (Alfred Landon) had in 1936, Roosevelt still won decisively, taking 38 of 48 states . His supporters cited impending war as a reason for breaking with precedent, while Willkie had run against the principle of a third term . Roosevelt was the first president elected to a third term, and remains the only one to exceed eight years in office . </P> <P> Four years later, in the election of 1944, Roosevelt defeated New York governor Thomas E. Dewey to win an unprecedented fourth term . While he effectively quelled rumors of his poor health during the campaign, Roosevelt's health was in reality deteriorating . On April 12, 1945, only \ days after his fourth inauguration, he suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and died . </P> <P> Near the end of the 1944 campaign, Thomas Dewey announced support of an amendment that would limit future presidents to two terms . According to Dewey, "four terms, or sixteen years (which is what Roosevelt would have served had he lived until 1949), is the most dangerous threat to our freedom ever proposed ." The Republican - controlled 80th Congress approved a Joint resolution "proposing an amendment to the Constitution relating to the terms of office of the president". in March 1947; it was signed by Speaker of the House Joseph W. Martin and acting President pro tempore of the Senate William F. Knowland . The ratification process for the 22nd Amendment was completed on February 27, 1951, 7003143900000000000 ♠ 3 years, 343 days after it was sent to the states . The new amendment's 2 - term limit did not apply (due to the grandfather clause in Section 1) to the incumbent president, Harry S. Truman . He remained eligible for election to more than two terms . </P> <P> On November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated while riding through Dealey Plaza in downtown Dallas, Texas . Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson, who was also in the motorcade, three cars back, was unhurt . Upon Kennedy's death, Johnson became the nation's 36th president, and served out the remaining 7002425000000000000 ♠ 1 year, 59 days of Kennedy's term . Under the terms of the 22nd Amendment, Johnson, who ran for and won a full four--year term in 1964 was eligible to run for another full term in 1968 (as he had served less than two years of Kennedy's term). He chose not to do so, announcing his intentions with a Shermanesque statement in a March 31, 1968, speech to the nation, saying, "I shall not seek, and I will not accept, the nomination of my party for another term as your president ." Had he done so and won, and served the full term (through January 20, 1973), the total length of his presidency would have been 7003334700000000000 ♠ 9 years, 59 days . </P>

The constitutional amendment limiting the president to only two elected terms is the