Calvin Coolidge
30th President of the United States
(August 3, 1923 to March 3, 1929)
Full Name: John Calvin Coolidge, Jr.
Nickname: "Silent Cal"
Born: July 4, 1872, in Plymouth, Vermont
Died: January 5, 1933, in Northampton, Massachusetts
Father: John Calvin Coolidge, Sr. (1845-1926)
Mother: Victoria Josephine Moor Coolidge (1850-1885)
Married: Grace Anna Goodhue (1879-1957), on October 4, 1905
Children: John Coolidge, III (1906-2000); Calvin Coolidge, Jr. (1908-24)
Religion: Congregationalist
Education: Graduated from Amherst College (1895)
Occupation: Lawyer
Political Party: Republican
Other Government Positions:
- Northampton, MA City Councilman, 1899
- City Solicitor, 1900-01
- Clerk of Courts, 1904
- Member of Massachusetts Legislature, 1907-08
- Mayor of Northampton, MA, 1910-11
- Member of Massachusetts Legislature, 1912-15
- Lieutenant-Governor of Massachusetts, 1916-18
- Governor of Massachusetts, 1919-20
- Vice President, 1921-23 (under Harding)
Presidential Salary: $75,000/year
Presidential Election Results:
Year Candidate Popular Votes Electoral Votes
1924 Calvin Coolidge 15,718,211 382
(map) John W. Davis 8,385,283 136
Robert M. La Follette 4,831,289 13
Vice President: Charles G. Dawes (1925-29)
Cabinet:
- Secretary of State
- Charles Evans Hughes (1923-25)
Frank B. Kellogg (1925-29) - Secretary of the Treasury
- Andrew W. Mellon (1923-29)
- Secretary of War
- John W. Weeks (1923-25)
Dwight F. Davis (1925-29) - Attorney General
- Harry M. Daugherty (1923-24)
Harlan F. Stone (1924-25)
John G. Sargent (1925-29) - Postmaster General
- Harry S. New (1923-29)
- Secretary of the Navy
- Edwin Denby (1923-24)
Curtis D. Wilbur (1924-29) - Secretary of the Interior
- Hubert Work (1923-28)
Roy O. West (1929) - Secretary of Agriculture
- Henry C. Wallace (1923-24)
Howard M. Gore (1924-25)
William M. Jardine (1925-29) - Secretary of Commerce
- Herbert Hoover (1923-28)
William F. Whiting (1928-29) - Secretary of Labor
- James J. Davis (1923-29)
Supreme Court Justices:
Harlan F. Stone (1925-1946)
Notable Events:
- 1924
- On May 10, Coolidge appointed J. Edgar Hoover Director of the Bureau of Investigation.
- Snyder Act passed granting U.S. citizenship to all Native Americans.
- The Johnson-Reed Act passed limiting the number of immigrants allowed into the U.S. through a quota based on country of origin.
- 1926
- The Air Commerce Act passed to improve air travel safety.
- 1927
- The Federal Radio Commission established under the Commerce Department.
- Coolidge criticized for his response to the Great Mississippi Flood.
- 1928
- The Kellogg-Briand Pact agreed by fifteen countries renouncing war as an instrument of national policy.
Internet Biographies:
- Calvin Coolidge -- from The Presidents of the United States of America
- Compiled by the White House.
- Calvin Coolidge -- from The American President
- From the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia, in addition to information on the Presidents themselves, they have first lady and cabinet member biographies, listings of presidential staff and advisers, and timelines detailing significant events in the lives of each administration.
- Calvin Coolidge, 29th Vice President -- from The United States Senate
- The Senate Historical Office presents a biographical article that examines his early years, philosophy, and his presidency.
- A Biographical Sketch of Calvin Coolidge -- from Calvin Coolidge Presidential Foundation
- A positive biography of Coolidge from Jerry L. Wallace.
Videos:
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Calvin Coolidge | 60-Second Presidents | PBSPres. Coolidge adopts a Thanksgiving raccoon - a Presidential Story Ep. 2Coolidge Rode a Fake Horse - a Presidential Story Ep. 48President Coolidge, 1st Presidential Film (1924)Calvin Coolidge Passes Suddenly1 / 2
Historical Documents:
- Inaugural Address (1925)
- Calvin Coolidge Digital Collections - from the Library of Congress
Other Internet Resources:
- The Best Biographies of Calvin Coolidge
- In 2012, Stephen Floyd started his search for the best biography of each president. He usually has reviews of multiple biographies for each president.
- Calvin Coolidge Homestead District
- Coolidge family home, his birthplace, and the location of this swearing in after the death of Harding.
- Calvin Coolidge Presidential Foundation
- Founded by Coolidge's son, John, this is the official foundation dedicated to preserving the legacy and advancing the values of America’s thirtieth president. Based in Plymouth Notch, VT.
- Calvin Coolidge Presidential Library and Museum
- Located in Northampton, MA.
- Health and Medical History of Calvin Coolidge
- Medical background of each president with references. Compiled by John Sotos, MD.
Points of Interest:
20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060
262 Lynds Hill Rd, Plymouth, VT 05056
3780 VT-100A, Plymouth, VT 05056
20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060
262 Lynds Hill Rd, Plymouth, VT 05056
3780 VT-100A, Plymouth, VT 05056
Additional Facts:
- Coolidge is the only president sworn in by a family member. His father was a notary public.
- Coolidge is the only president born on Independence Day.
- Coolidge's address to congress on December 6, 1923 was the first presidential speech broadcast over the radio.
- A woman at a party once told Coolidge that she bet a friend she could get him to say three words. He replied "You lose."
- A man of few words until the end, Coolidge's last will and testament was only 23 words long.
- Coolidge was the first president to appear in a movie with sound.
Quotes:“If you see ten troubles coming down the road, you can be sure that nine will run into the ditch before they reach you.”
“The business of America is business.”
“I have never been hurt by anything I didn’t say.”
“If you don’t say anything, you won’t be called on to repeat it.”
“No man ever listened himself out of a job.”
“Collecting more taxes than is absolutely necessary is legalized robbery.”
“Don’t expect to build up the weak by pulling down the strong.”
“We cannot do everything at once, but we can do something at once.”
“If you see ten troubles coming down the road, you can be sure that nine will run into the ditch before they reach you.”
“The business of America is business.”
“I have never been hurt by anything I didn’t say.”
“If you don’t say anything, you won’t be called on to repeat it.”
“No man ever listened himself out of a job.”
“Collecting more taxes than is absolutely necessary is legalized robbery.”
“Don’t expect to build up the weak by pulling down the strong.”
“We cannot do everything at once, but we can do something at once.”