| Show I Col Coolidge Only ManIn Man ManIn ManIn In History to Administer Presidential Oath to Soi Son s a separate t niche nich for tor John Calvin Coolidge S e for tor to him came the th thrill u- u as yet et by no other mw man mo of his hi own on aon on pre prel- Ident Iden ot of o the th United State Statu St tc Dy By the th light ht ot of a little oil lamp lamphe lamphe he stood thus quiet t gaunt c man ot of Vermont Yermont rm nt and administered the oath that thit made nid his file boy Calvin the nation chief executive tive That Thit was u on August 3 1928 and the th time tim was 30 In tho morning Immediately t Iy he h flashed Into na- na national national Word went sent ent out oo ot of Plymouth that Colonel Cool Cool- CoolIdge Coolidge Idge a Justice of ot the th peace had id th presidential oAth on the th Coolidge family Bible by bythe bythe the dim ray rays ray of ot a II kerosene kerosen lamp lair end nd his h was was th the greatest t glory glorya cloia a father tather ever er knew Perhaps within him he h did feel teel feela ea a great treat surge eurge of ot pride prid that his Isla son eon should hould achieve such honor r and that he h should bo b the Instrument of ot let l It It but the world knew no evidence of t It It What great feeling passed be- be between be tween those men two men as lUll they stood ether together In the th small email hours bours of that New K w England morning will never be known for father and andson anson son alike placed a great value on allenee HUNG OUT FAMILY FA WASH It was as characteristic of John n and Coolidge and revealing re of lilt his plain and Ind nd Ways that way It If the th ceremony gripped the Imagination of of the th public It did not grip his own For or the th world often otten looked In upon Mm him In his simple Vermont farm house hous and found the him him th of the pres pres- president Ident of the tho th United Stated Stated-en- State In such auch uch homely task u as sawing wood and hanging banging out the family wash with The Tho story of John Coolidge Is the plain inconspicuous man Most Moat of ot his hl life Ute he be h was an ob- ob obscure obscure ob cur figure and tarns Caine fam did not claim him until he h was wa by 78 71 b which time Ume It Is conceivable he was AS too sot ot In his lilt wa ways way to t alter his mode mod of living Ills Ilia story ory Is best told In rela- rela relation relation tion to the th career of his hie hi famous ton son lie was wa as born at Plymouth V Vt March l mi 1846 the th- th thon theaon son on of in Capin Coolidge and an Sarah Almeda Bruer Coolidge He HC Hi went to the public school chool ot of o Ply Ply- Plymouth Plymouth Plymouth mouth and later attended the th Black Dlack River academy at Ludlo Ludlow 1 12 mlles miles from his home He H later laler became a trustee of ot his academy and tent sent nt Calvin there On becoming 21 1 he h went Into mercantile business with which was connected the th Plymouth post post- post office office He was assistant nt ter tor ter-tor for 0 49 years years-On M May 6 C S 1868 he married Victoria Josephine Moor Ioor ot or Plymouth Calvin sas w 8 born July 4 f 1112 1872 and three years later Abigail Grace was wiborn 11 born but she ahe ah died at th the age ace of ofIS ofIS 15 IS J John ohn Coolidge's wife wit Ite died In 1886 Six years later lie he I married Car Car- Carrie Carrie Cirl rie A Brown who ho died In 1920 without Issue WAS I IX POLITICS HIMSELF During his lire life as IS a II farmer tol- tol lowing the th death of his hie father tather In 1878 he h was active l In local and am 1 State tat affairs and held many po- po political posts poets the th most Important of If which was that of ot state stat sen- sen senator aen senator ator The Th tile the colonel dales back to 1900 1 00 when he h began a year year two service on on the staff of Governor William Witham W Stickney or of Vermont Te T boy Calvir earl early learned the rigors of ot New Kew England farming 1 He H followed his father through the field fields and rot got the th fl teel of ot the plow A As Al a 8 n tiny Uny shaver baver It was one of his Jilt chores chorea to bring brine In the I wood and It Is related that he climbed out of o bed at midnight midnights s one on occasion and scrambled d out I get the wood he be h had for tor T gotten Kolten John always said that you only had hall to tell Calvin Cain Calvina Caina a thing thine once one The Th boy wu wa wa frail trail and did not t go ro In for tor times games yet ho he h ft split wood without h A a protest and stud sli led diligently Ho He H entered Am- Am Amherst Amherst herst college In 1890 lt 0 SIx alx lx month after hi his sister sisters sister's Ister death Illness caused hi his withdrawal but ho he h entered re-entered r the th following fall talI and was graduated In 1896 Calvin asked his fathers father's advice concernIng up the th 10 law I and Ind the th elder Coolidge told him to togo togo go co ahead and no so the father tather saw him admitted to the th bar In un 1897 II 17 and elected the th Northampton Maw Maea council In 1899 m his Fla first political office SON MARRIED IN 1005 1905 Various minor political posts poste came Calvin Calvins way and In 1905 1905 he married Grace Grac Goodhue There followed a term In the tho th Masad- Masad assembly and In 1910 1110 he was ws elected mayor of Northampton Northampton Northam ton The Tho Th father tather must have bave hav had an i Inkling by this time that his hisson hisdon t son don was d destined for tor greatness Nothing apparently could stand In hi his way ay and following a a term ter In the th state stat senate enat he be h climbed to the lieutenant governorship John Coolidge was present when Calvin was Inaugurated governor of ct Massachusetts In 1916 UK It This office w was s the th turning point Inthe inthe In the sons son's career for tor the th Boston Bost n police strike made him a nation nallon a al figure fl and two years ahead ot of the th Republican convention In 1920 men were talking of him as presidential timber But Warren larding was M not notto notto to be b denied A landslide ensued and the th next night Wallace Mac Mac- Mai of Oregon placed Calvin Coolidge In nomination for tor the vice presidency The Th elder Coolidge probably never nver dreamed that son his hl on would go eo any higher He told a report report- teporter er u once that he hadn't raised ratted his h boy to be president It was sas as very ver likely beyond his Ms wildest dreams nevertheless when hen an automobile dashed up to his door shortly ar- ar artel af al tel ler midnight on August 8 3 1923 1921 Colonel Coolidge poking his Ms head hea out of the tho th window learned that tha Warren Harding Harding- had died and an proceeded quietly to the th bedroom of his hh son lion t td to arouse arous the th new ne president and first lady of the theland theland th land In |
