He met his wife in the college

While attending Geauga Academy in Chester, Ohio, in 1849, James Garfield and his future wife had their first encounter. When she was a student at the Western Reserve Eclectic Institute in Hiram, Ohio, and he was a professor of ancient languages, they started dating two years later. The future First Lady excelled in school and made a strong impression on audiences. She studied ancient languages and literature while attending Western Reserve, where she also served as the literary society's president and the magazine's editor.

On November 11, 1858, James Garfield and Lucretia Rudolph married. Five of their seven children made it past infancy. Though he had studied at Hiram, he soon registered to read law at the Cleveland office of attorney Albert Gallatin Riddle. Mrs. Garfield, affectionately referred to as "Crete" by her loved ones, was appreciated for her independence of thought, style, and poise. She won particular praise for the dignity and grace she showed in the wake of her husband's passing.