Coolidge, (John) Calvin (1872–1933)

30th president of the USA 1923–29, a Republican. As governor of Massachusetts in 1919, he was responsible for crushing a Boston police strike. As Warren Harding's vice-president 1921–23, he succeeded to the presidency on Harding's death. He won the 1924 presidential election, and his period of office was marked by economic growth.

As president, Coolidge inherited two scandals from his predecessor: the maladministration of a bureau for war veterans, and an attempt to hand over public oil lands to private companies. Coolidge declined to run for re-election in 1928, supporting the candidacy of his secretary of the interior, Herbert Hoover, who won the presidency. He was known as ‘Silent Cal’ because of his natural reticence.

Coolidge was born in Plymouth Notch, Vermont, the son of a farmer and storekeeper, graduated from Amherst College in 1895, and became a barrister in 1897. He was a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives 1907–08, mayor of Northampton 1910–11, member of the Massachusetts Senate 1912–15, and lieutenant governor of Massachusetts 1916–18.