Why a presidential term limit got written into the Constitution – the story of the 22nd Amendment

No president other than Franklin D. Roosevelt has held office for more than two terms. Walter Leporati/Getty Images

Only one person, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, has ever served more than two terms as president of the United States. This is for two reasons.

First, prior to Roosevelt’s election to a third term in 1940 there was a longstanding American tradition that presidents not serve more than two terms.