Calvin Coolidge biography

Synopsis

Early Life and Career

John Calvin Coolidge Jr. was born in Plymouth Notch, Vermont, on July 4, 1872. His father, John Coolidge, was a successful farmer who served in the Vermont House of Representatives and the Vermont Senate, as well as other local offices. Coolidge's mother died when he was 12 years old, and his teenage sister, Abigail Grace Coolidge, died several years later.

Coolidge’s earliest American ancestor, John Coolidge, emigrated from England around 1630, settling in Massachusetts. Coolidge's great-great-grandfather, also named John Coolidge, was an officer in the Revolutionary War.

Coolidge attended Amherst College in Massachusetts, and later apprenticed at a law firm in Northampton. In 1897, he was admitted to the bar, opening his own law office in 1898.

In 1905, Coolidge married Grace Anna Goodhue, a teacher at a school for the deaf. The two were nearly opposites: While Grace was talkative and social, Calvin was stoic and serious. The marriage would prove to be very happy and successful over the coming decades.

In 1896, Coolidge campaigned locally for Republican presidential candidate William McKinley. In 1898, he won election to the Northampton City Council, and then to the offices of city solicitor and clerk of courts. In 1906, Coolidge was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives as a Progressive Republican. He went on to serve as mayor of Northampton before returning to the state legislature, this time serving in the Senate.

After his election in January 1914, Coolidge delivered a speech entitled Have Faith in Massachusetts, which summarized his philosophy of government. His reputation grew with the publication of his speeches. He was elected lieutenant governor and then governor in the 1918 race.

A crisis during Coolidge’s tenure as governor brought him national attention. In 1919, many Boston policemen went on strike after the city's police commissioner tried to block their unionization with the American Federation of Labor. Coolidge took control of the situation, calling in the National Guard and speaking candidly with AFL leader Samuel Gompers. His actions, while discouraging to supporters of organized labor, made Coolidge a favorite among the nation's conservatives, and laid the groundwork for his presidential run in 1920.

Vice Presidency and Presidency

After 10 ballots, Republican delegates settled on Senator Warren G. Harding of Ohio as their presidential nominee in 1920, and Coolidge was nominated as vice president. Harding and Coolidge beat opponents James M. Cox and Franklin D. Roosevelt in a landslide, taking every state outside of the South.