Calvin Coolidge

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This article is about the 30th president of the United States. For his father, see John Calvin Coolidge Sr.
For his grandfather, see Calvin Galusha Coolidge.

Calvin Coolidge

Photo of Calvin Coolidge aged 52

Coolidge in 1919

30th President of the United States

In office

August 2, 1923 – March 4, 1929

Vice President

None (1923–1925)[a]

Charles G. Dawes (1925–1929)

Preceded by Warren G. Harding

Succeeded by Herbert Hoover

29th Vice President of the United States

In office

March 4, 1921 – August 2, 1923

President Warren G. Harding

Preceded by Thomas R. Marshall

Succeeded by Charles G. Dawes

48th Governor of Massachusetts

In office

January 2, 1919 – January 6, 1921

Lieutenant Channing H. Cox

Preceded by Samuel W. McCall

Succeeded by Channing H. Cox

46th Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts

In office

January 6, 1916 – January 2, 1919

Governor Samuel W. McCall

Preceded by Grafton D. Cushing

Succeeded by Channing H. Cox

President of the Massachusetts Senate

In office

January 7, 1914 – January 6, 1915

Preceded by Levi H. Greenwood

Succeeded by Henry Gordon Wells

Member of the Massachusetts Senate

In office

January 3, 1912 – January 6, 1915

Preceded by Allen T. Treadway

Succeeded by John B. Hull

Constituency Berkshire, Hampden, and Hampshire counties

16th Mayor of Northampton

In office

January 3, 1910 – January 1, 1912

Preceded by James W. O'Brien

Succeeded by William Feiker

Member of the

Massachusetts House of Representatives

In office

January 2, 1907 – January 6, 1909

Preceded by Moses M. Bassett

Succeeded by Charles A. Montgomery

Constituency 1st Hampshire

Personal details
Born John Calvin Coolidge Jr.

July 4, 1872

Plymouth Notch, Vermont, U.S.

Died January 5, 1933 (aged 60)

Northampton, Massachusetts, U.S.

Resting place Plymouth Notch Cemetery

Political party Republican

Spouse(s) Grace Goodhue (m. 1905)

Children

JohnCalvin Jr.

Parent(s)

John Calvin Coolidge Sr. (father)

Relatives Calvin Galusha Coolidge (grandfather)

Education Amherst College (BA)

Occupation

Politicianlawyer

Signature Cursive signature in ink

Calvin Coolidge[1] (born John Calvin Coolidge Jr.; /ˈkuːlɪdʒ/; July 4, 1872 – January 5, 1933) was an
American lawyer and politician who served as the 30th president of the United States from 1923 to
1929. A Republican lawyer from New England, born in Vermont, Coolidge worked his way up the ladder
of Massachusetts state politics, eventually becoming governor of Massachusetts. His response to the
Boston Police Strike of 1919 thrust him into the national spotlight and gave him a reputation as a man of
decisive action. The next year, he was elected the 29th vice president of the United States, and he
succeeded to the presidency upon the sudden death of Warren G. Harding in 1923. Elected in his own
right in 1924, he gained a reputation as a small-government conservative and also as a man who said
very little and had a dry sense of humor, receiving the nickname "Silent Cal".[2][3] He chose not to run
again in the 1928 election, remarking that ten years as president was (at the time) "longer than any
other man has had it—too long!"

Throughout his gubernatorial career, Coolidge ran on the record of fiscal conservatism and strong
support for women's suffrage. He held a vague opposition to Prohibition.[4] During his presidency, he
restored public confidence in the White House after the many scandals of his predecessor's
administration. He oversaw a period of rapid and expansive economic growth in the United States,
known as the "Roaring Twenties", and left office with considerable popularity.[5] He was known for his
hands-off approach to governing and for his pro-business stances. As a Coolidge biographer wrote: "He
embodied the spirit and hopes of the middle class, could interpret their longings and express their
opinions. That he did represent the genius of the average is the most convincing proof of his
strength."[6]

Scholars have ranked Coolidge in the lower half of those presidents that they have assessed. He gains
almost universal praise for his stalwart support of racial equality during a period of heightened racial
tension in the United States,[7] and is heavily praised by advocates of smaller government and laissez-
faire economics, while supporters of an active central government generally view him far less favorably.
His critics argue that he failed to use the country's economic boom to help struggling farmers and
workers in other flailing industries.[8] There is also still much debate between historians as to the extent
Coolidge's economic policies contributed to the onset of the Great Depression. However, it is widely
accepted, including by his own Presidential Foundation, that the Federal Reserve System under his
administration was partly responsible for the stock market crash of 1929 that occurred soon after his
leaving office, which signaled the beginning of the Depression.[9]

Contents

1 Early life and family history

2 Early career and marriage

2.1 Education and law practice

2.2 Marriage and family

3 Local political office (1898−1915)

3.1 City offices

3.2 Massachusetts state legislator and mayor

4 Lieutenant Governor and Governor of Massachusetts (1916−1921)

4.1 1918 election

4.2 Boston Police Strike

4.3 1919 election

4.4 Legislation and vetoes as governor

5 Vice presidency (1921−1923)

5.1 1920 election

5.2 "Silent Cal"

6 Presidency (1923−1929)

6.1 1924 election

6.2 Industry and trade

6.3 Taxation and government spending

6.4 Opposition to farm subsidies

6.5 Flood control

6.6 Civil rights

6.7 Foreign policy

6.8 Cabinet

6.9 Judicial appointments

6.10 1928 election

7 Retirement and death (1929–1933)

8 Radio, film, and commemorations

9 See also

10 Notes

11 References

12 Works cited

12.1 About Coolidge and his era

12.2 By Coolidge

13 Further reading

14 External links