The predecessor of Garfield was Rutherford B. Hayes, the 19th President of the United States. He served from 1877 to 1881 and was the first president to have a telephone in the White House. He was also the first president to have a typewriter. Hayes was a Republican and was known for his commitment to civil service reform and for ending Reconstruction. He was succeeded by James A. Garfield, the 20th President of the United States.