Calvin Coolidge — LLMpedia

Calvin Coolidge
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Name	Calvin Coolidge
Birth date	July 4, 1872
Birth place	Plymouth Notch, Vermont
Death date	January 5, 1933
Death place	Northampton, Massachusetts
Party	Republican
Spouse	Florence Harding's friend, Grace Coolidge
Vice-president	Charles G. Dawes
Predecessor	Warren G. Harding
Successor	Herbert Hoover

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Calvin Coolidge was the 30th President of the United States, serving from 1923 to 1929, and is known for his Republican values and laissez-faire economic policies, which were influenced by Adam Smith and Milton Friedman. He was a member of the Massachusetts State Senate and the Massachusetts House of Representatives before becoming the Governor of Massachusetts. Coolidge's presidency was marked by significant events, including the Roaring Twenties, the Harlem Renaissance, and the Scopes Trial. He was also a strong supporter of Supreme Court Justice Pierce Butler and Federal Reserve chairman Benjamin Strong.

Early Life and Education

Calvin Coolidge was born in Plymouth Notch, Vermont, to John Calvin Coolidge Sr. and Victoria Josephine Moor Coolidge, and grew up in a family that valued Yankee traditions and Puritan ethics, similar to those of Jonathan Edwards and Ralph Waldo Emerson. He attended Black River Academy and later St. Johnsbury Academy, where he developed an interest in history and politics, inspired by the works of Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt. Coolidge then enrolled in Amherst College, where he studied economics, philosophy, and law, and was influenced by the ideas of John Maynard Keynes and Friedrich Hayek. After graduating, he moved to Northampton, Massachusetts, to pursue a career in law, and became friends with Dwight Morrow and Harlan F. Stone.

Calvin Coolidge's entry into politics began with his election to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1907, where he served alongside Samuel W. McCall and Channing H. Cox. He later became a member of the Massachusetts State Senate, and in 1918, he was elected as the Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts, serving under Governor Samuel W. McCall. In 1920, Coolidge was elected as the Governor of Massachusetts, a position that allowed him to work with Boston Mayor Andrew Peters and Massachusetts Senator David I. Walsh. During his tenure, he handled the Boston Police Strike with the help of General Billy Mitchell and Mayor Andrew Peters. His leadership skills and conservative values caught the attention of Republican leaders, including Warren G. Harding and William Howard Taft.

In 1920, Calvin Coolidge was chosen by Warren G. Harding as his running mate in the 1920 United States presidential election, which they won, defeating James M. Cox and Franklin D. Roosevelt. After Warren G. Harding's death in 1923, Coolidge became the 30th President of the United States, and was sworn in by Justice Adolph A. Hoehling Jr. in Plymouth Notch, Vermont. During his presidency, he worked with Vice President Charles G. Dawes, Secretary of State Charles Evans Hughes, and Secretary of the Treasury Andrew Mellon. Coolidge's administration was marked by significant events, including the Immigration Act of 1924, the Revenue Act of 1924, and the Federal Radio Commission establishment, which was influenced by the ideas of Guglielmo Marconi and Lee de Forest. He also had to deal with the consequences of the Wall Street Crash of 1929, which occurred after he left office, and was criticized by Herbert Hoover and Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Calvin Coolidge's policies were shaped by his conservative and laissez-faire economic views, which were influenced by Austrian School economists like Ludwig von Mises and Friedrich Hayek. He believed in limited government intervention in the economy, and his administration implemented tax cuts, such as the Revenue Act of 1924 and the Revenue Act of 1926, which were supported by Andrew Mellon and Herbert Hoover. Coolidge also supported the Federal Reserve's monetary policy, which was led by Benjamin Strong and Charles Sumner. His foreign policy was marked by isolationism, and he refused to join the League of Nations, which was established after World War I and supported by Woodrow Wilson and Warren G. Harding. Coolidge's legacy is still debated among historians, with some, like Arthur Schlesinger Jr. and Doris Kearns Goodwin, viewing him as a conservative icon, while others, like Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin D. Roosevelt, see him as a symbol of laissez-faire economics and social conservatism.

Calvin Coolidge was known for his quiet and reserved personality, which earned him the nickname "Silent Cal", and was often compared to Abraham Lincoln and George Washington. He was married to Grace Coolidge, and they had two sons, John Coolidge and Calvin Coolidge Jr.. Coolidge was a fan of baseball and football, and enjoyed spending time at his Plymouth Notch, Vermont, home, where he would often meet with friends and advisors, including Dwight Morrow and Harlan F. Stone. After leaving office, Coolidge retired to Northampton, Massachusetts, where he wrote his autobiography and remained active in politics, supporting Herbert Hoover and Alf Landon. He died on January 5, 1933, and was buried in Plymouth Notch, Vermont, alongside his wife and son, and was eulogized by Herbert Hoover and Franklin D. Roosevelt. Category:Presidents of the United States