In discussing the Third Term Tradition, I have tried to compile a. history of the precedent rather than an argument for or against it. From Washington to Franklin Roosevelt many different viewoints and arguments have been advanced. Out of the wealth of material which is available I have attempted so far as possible to select impartially representative utterances on both sides of the question. In our national history there have been several presidential elections in which the third term question was a major issue. That is especially true of the campaign (1940) which is now being fought. However, this paper in no way touches on the present situation, but is a historical treatment of the precedent itself up to and including Calvin Coolidge. The work abounds in quotations because the subject is not treated in a controversial manner, but rather strives to establish the historical background of the third term precedent from a variety of sources, including as many of the original sources as possible.