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John Calvin Coolidge, Jr. (July 4, 1872 - January 5, 1933) was the twenty-ninth (1921-1923) Vice President and the thirtieth (1923-1929) President of the United States, succeeding to that office upon the death of Warren Harding.
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He was born in Plymouth, Windsor County, Vermont on July 4, 1872, but dropped John from his name upon graduating from college. He attended Amherst College, Massachusetts, graduating in 1895. He practiced law in Northampton, Massachusetts, and was a member of the city council in 1899, city solicitor from 1900-1902, clerk of courts in 1904, and a member of the State house of representatives 1907-1908.
Coolidge was elected mayor of Northampton in 1910 and 1911, was a member of the State senate 1912-1915, serving as president of that body in 1914 and 1915. He was lieutenant governor of the state 1916-1918, and Governor 1919-1920. He was elected Vice President of the United States on the Republican ticket headed by Warren G. Harding in 1920. He was inaugurated on March 4, 1921, and served until August 3, 1923. Upon the death of President Harding, Coolidge became President of the United States on August 3, 1923.
Unusually for a prominent politician, Coolidge was a man of few words, earning him the nickname "Silent Cal".
He was elected President of the United States in 1924 for the term expiring March 4, 1929. Coolidge made use of the new medium of radio and made radio history several times while president: his inauguration was the first presidential inauguration broadcast on radio, on February 12, 1924 he became the first President of the United States to deliver a political speech on radio and on February 22 he also became the first to deliver such a speech from the White House.
Coolidge was the last President of the United States who did not attempt to intervene in free markets, letting business cycles run their course. During his Presidency, the United States experienced a wildly successful period of economic growth: the so-called "Roaring Twenties". Coolidge was not only able to lower taxes, but also to reduce the national debt.
He was not a candidate for renomination in 1928; he announced his decision not to stand for reelection with the succinct statement "I do not choose to run". He served as chairman of the Nonpartisan Railroad Commission and as honorary president of the Foundation of the Blind. He died at "The Beeches", Northampton, Massachusetts, January 5, 1933. Interment is in Notch Cemetery, Plymouth, Vermont.
Biography
Supreme Court appointments
Related articles
External links
Preceded by:
Warren G. HardingPresidents of the United States
Succeeded by:
Herbert Hoover