It's Madison, Not Monroe

Factual Error:

In a tribute to the late Senator Jesse Helms (R-N.C.) in Tuesday's Washington Times, Ed Feulner of the Heritage Foundation writes:

On the Fourth of July in 1826, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson - Founding Fathers and presidents - both died. On the Fourth of July in 1831 James Monroe - primary author of the Constitution - died.

He's correct about the dates and the men who died on Independence Day in 1826 and 1831. He's wrong about James Monroe's claim to fame.

The primary author of the Constitution was James Madison, who went on to become the fourth President of the United States. Monroe, who succeeded Madison to the presidency in 1817, was not even present as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787. (Monroe did, however, serve in Virginia's convention to vote on ratification of the Constitution.)

Where are the copy editors at the Washington Times?