Emphasizing the dedication with which Rutherford B. Hayes (1822-92) labored to achieve advancement in American public education, the biography discusses the historical and political events which highlighted his career. Describing Hayes as a man who stood above party politicking in his years in the White House (1877-81), the biography maintains that at the core of his interests was pacification of the country after the Civil War through provision of free public education to whites and blacks in both the North and South. The document is divided into six sections which describe Hayes' political life as Governor of Ohio, member of the U.S. House of Representatives, holder of numerous trusteeships in higher education, and which deal particularly with the Presidential years. Source materials for the biography included published secondary works on Hayes and unpublished dissertations. A chronological listing of important events in Hayes' life is presented in the appendix. (Author/DB)