WSMV Channel 4 Bulger's Beat: Whiz kid displays presidential knowledge

A second grader in Murfreesboro that was featured on Channel 4 News last month is in Hollywood this week and will be featured on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno on Friday night.

H.L. McCullough is just 8 years old but he belongs squarely as a Presidential historian. We all know Lincoln and Washington, and surely remember Reagan and Clinton. But how about Fillmore and Pierce, Taft and Tyler?

If you ask H.L. to name the presidents, you'd better have a minute.

"George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison," he begins.

McCullough is a White House whiz. He can name each of the 44 presidents from memory, and much more.

"James Buchanan, Abe Lincoln, Andrew Johnson, Ulysses S, Grant," he continues.

And behind every presidential man, there's a woman. McCullough can name each of the First Ladies as well.

"Mamie Eisenhower, Jacqueline Kennedy, Lady Bird Johnson, Pat Nixon," he said.

McCullough is a proud product of Mrs. Morgan's 2nd Grade Class at Wilson Elementary School in Murfreesboro.

"I know more stuff than a computer knows sometimes," he said. "William Henry Harrison was the first president who died in office."

McCullough credits reading for his presidential prowess.

"Looking at books made me think, 'Wow, I wish I was the president,'" he said.

Not only that, he wishes he was just like Millard Fillmore, the 13th president and H.L. McCullough's favorite.

"Because he was handsome and well-mannered, like me. Kind of," he said.

This youngster is handsome, well mannered and un-stumpable.

And maybe it's a coincidence, but the kid with all the presidential knowledge sure has a name that befits a president. 'H.L.' is short for Hubert Laws, which makes him Hubert Laws McCullough.

Of course, he is only 8, so he has to wait 27 more years before he is eligible to run for president.

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