Calvin Coolidge

Thirtieth president, 1923–1929

At a time that saw the growth of big government and an increasingly powerful presidency, Calvin Coolidge stands out as the last genuinely “small government” conservative to serve as president. Coolidge was famously taciturn, earning him the nickname “Silent Cal,” and his demeanor informed a governing philosophy that eschewed intervention except in a civil emergency. He graduated from Amherst College, practiced law, and took an interest in Massachusetts politics, becoming governor of the state in 1919. Coolidge’s handling of the Boston police strike of 1919, an emergency that called for executive leadership, made him an attractive candidate for national office, and he became Harding’s vice president in 1921. ascended to the White House on After Harding’s sudden death in 1923, Coolidge ascended the presidency, and his manner and personal rectitude helped restore the people’s trust in the government after the scandal-ridden Harding administration. Although Coolidge played up his “silent” reputation, he had a dry sense of humor, and he and his wife, Grace, entertained more than any previous presidential couple.