Calvin Coolidge Was Sworn In As The 30th President Of The United States Following The Sudden Death Of President Warren G. Harding. The Ceremony Took Place At 2:47 A.M. In The Sitting Room Of His Family Home In Plymouth Notch, Vermont. His Father, John Calvin Coolidge Sr., A Notary Public, Administered The Presidential Oath Of Office By The Light Of A Kerosene Lamp. This Unusual And Historic Moment Marked The Only Time In U.S. History That A President Was Sworn In By His Own Father.
Coolidge’s Ascension To The Presidency Occurred Amid A Time Of Political Uncertainty. President Harding Had Been On A Cross-Country Tour When He Died Unexpectedly In San Francisco On August 2, 1923, Due To A Heart Attack. Harding’s Administration Was Already Under Scrutiny Following The Emergence Of Multiple Scandals, Most Notably The Teapot Dome Scandal, Which Involved Corruption In The Leasing Of Federal Oil Reserves. The News Of Harding’s Death Reached Coolidge, Then Vice President, While He Was Vacationing At His Childhood Home. The Swift And Lawful Transfer Of Power Helped Reassure The Nation Of Government Stability During A Period Of Executive Turmoil.
Coolidge’s Inauguration Was Conducted Again In Washington, D.C., On August 21, 1923, By Justice Adolph A. Hoehling Jr. Of The Supreme Court Of The District Of Columbia To Ensure There Was No Legal Ambiguity Regarding The Validity Of The Oath. Though The Constitution Did Not Require A Second Oath, Legal Advisors Suggested It As A Precaution Due To Questions Surrounding The Authority Of A Notary Public To Administer The Oath Of Office For The Presidency.
Calvin Coolidge’s Assumption Of The Presidency Was Marked By His Commitment To Restoring Public Confidence In The Federal Government. His Administration Took A Conservative Approach To Governance, Emphasizing Fiscal Responsibility, Limited Government, And Support For Business Interests. Coolidge Believed In A Strict Interpretation Of The Constitution And Advocated For Reduced Federal Intervention In Economic Affairs. His Economic Policies Were Characterized By Budget Cuts, Tax Reductions, And A Focus On Debt Repayment, Which Were In Line With The Prevailing Republican Ideals Of The 1920s.
Domestically, Coolidge Presided Over A Period Of Economic Expansion Known As The “Roaring Twenties.” Under His Leadership, The United States Experienced Industrial Growth, Rising Consumerism, And Significant Developments In Technology And Transportation. Coolidge Supported Legislation That Promoted Commerce And Strengthened The Nation’s Infrastructure, Including The Federal Highway Act Of 1921, Which Had Been Signed Into Law During Harding’s Presidency But Continued To Be Implemented Under Coolidge’s Watch.
Coolidge’s Foreign Policy Was Marked By Isolationism, A Continued Withdrawal From International Entanglements Following World War I. He Opposed U.S. Membership In The League Of Nations And Focused Instead On Bilateral Diplomacy And Economic Engagements. His Administration Supported The Dawes Plan Of 1924, Which Restructured Germany’s Reparations Payments To Stabilize The European Economy And Promote Peace. He Also Approved The Kellogg-Briand Pact In 1928, Which Sought To Outlaw War As An Instrument Of National Policy, Though The Pact Lacked Enforcement Mechanisms.
Though Coolidge Did Not Seek A Second Full Term In 1928, His Presidency Left A Lasting Impact On American Politics And Government Philosophy. His Emphasis On Efficiency, Integrity, And Minimal Government Intervention Influenced Future Conservative Movements And Remains A Point Of Reference In Discussions About Executive Restraint. His Presidency Also Reinforced The Constitutional Protocols For Succession And Demonstrated The Functionality Of The Vice Presidency As A Line Of Continuity In Leadership.
The Swearing-In Of Calvin Coolidge In 1923 Was Historically Significant Not Only For The Circumstances Under Which It Occurred But Also For The Mark It Left On The American Political Landscape. It Highlighted The Importance Of Constitutional Order During Sudden Transitions And Underscored The Strength Of Democratic Institutions In Times Of Crisis. Coolidge’s Presidency, Though Often Recalled For Its Quiet Demeanor, Was Grounded In Firm Legalism And A Clear Vision Of Federal Restraint That Resonated Throughout The Decade.
References / More Knowledge:
Ferrell, Robert H. The Presidency Of Calvin Coolidge. University Press of Kansas, 1998.
Greenberg, David. Calvin Coolidge. Times Books, 2006.
U.S. Senate Historical Office. “Calvin Coolidge, 30th President (1923–1929).” Senate.gov. https://www.senate.gov/about/officers-staff/president-pro-tempore/calvin-coolidge.htm
National Archives. “Calvin Coolidge.” Archives.gov. https://www.archives.gov/presidential-libraries/about/presidents/coolidge.html
White House Historical Association. “Calvin Coolidge.” Whitehousehistory.org. https://www.whitehousehistory.org/bios/calvin-coolidge
History.com Editors. “Calvin Coolidge Sworn In As President.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, August 3, 2023. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/calvin-coolidge-becomes-president