On September 20, 1881, at 2:15 A.M., Chester Alan Arthur took his oath of office as 21st president of the United States upon the death of President James A. Garfield, who was killed by a disgruntled office seeker. Garfield's death stirred nationwide civil service reform, and on January 16, 1883, President Arthur signed the U.S. Civil Service Act, ending the spoils system and creating the American Civil Service. The house was later occupied by publisher William Randolph Hearst.