George Washington had decided not to run for a third term. Succeeding presidents declined to as well out of respect for the first president. This changed with FDR when he won a third term. This was in the midst of WWII, when people had realized it would be prudent to keep the (good) leader instead of changing in the middle of urgency. Thu, he was was elected to his third and eventually fourth. Resentment for a lengthy term (and power accumulation) led to the passage of the 22nd amendment, making two and only two terms official.