Grace Coolidge: The People's Lady in Silent Cal's White House

Modern First Ladies

by Robert H. Ferrell

When Grace Anna Goodhue wed Calvin Coolidge in 1905, she thought then that marriage “has seldom united two people of more vastly different temperaments and tastes.” Warm and vivacious to her husband’s dour and taciturn, Grace was to be a contrast to Calvin for years to come. But as Robert Ferrell shows, their marriage ensured her husband’s rise to high office. Ferrell focuses on Grace Coolidge’s years in the White House, 1923-1929. Although the president did his best to rein her in—even forbidding her to speak on public issues—Grace quickly became one of the most popular and stylish of first ladies. Among the best-dressed women of her time (famously in red), she became the nation’s fashion leader. She also opened the White House to the public, sponsored musicales within its walls, and worked on behalf of the deaf and disabled—all despite a less than supportive spouse. Ferrell recounts how she accomplished all of this, finding strength through the years in her Burlington background, her family, and her faith. In this lively book Ferrell provides a perceptive and often moving account of Grace Coolidge. From his insightful portrait of her Vermont roots to a frank assessment of the Coolidges and their sons, he offers a fresh perspective on a much-admired woman who was perhaps her husband’s greatest political asset. Ferrell also takes readers inside Grace’s strained marriage to the famously taciturn president who kept his wife in the dark about his plans, both political and personal. He offers a much more subtle look at the Coolidges and their relationship in the public eye than we’ve had, shedding new light on how she managed to deal with his irascible temper—and how the marriage ultimately triumphed over difficulties that Calvin could not have handled alone. Alternately charming and analytic, Ferrell’s narrative will leave readers with the real sense of Grace Coolidge as a human being and a contributor to the historical legacy of presidential wives. For she did more than simply enliven a quiet White House—she set the tone for a nation and for first ladies to come.

Genres: History, Biography, Nonfiction

198 pages, Hardcover

First published March 31, 2008

About the author

Robert Hugh Ferrell was an American historian and author of several books on Harry S. Truman and the diplomatic history of the United States. He served in the U.S. Army Air Forces during the Second World War and was an intelligence analyst in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War. He received a B.S. in Education from Bowling Green State University in 1946 and a PhD from Yale University in 1951, where he worked under the direction of Samuel Flagg Bemis and his dissertation won the John Addison Porter Prize. He went on to win the 1952 Beer Prize for his first book, Peace In Their Time, a study of the making of the Kellogg-Briand Pact.

He taught for many years at Indiana University in Bloomington, starting as an Assistant Professor in 1953 and rising to Distinguished Professor of History in 1974. He has held several notable visiting professorships, including Yale University in 1955 and the Naval War College in 1974.

Reviews

[Katherine Lavelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was interesting in a very weird way. I had a ton of respect for Professor Ferrell for writing/researching so late into his career, but this book seems to be more of a personal defense of Coolidge than an argumentative academic book. Ferrell is critical of other scholars (in a less than constructive way) in the bibliographic essay, and spends four pages talking about Coolidge's charm. Some of these pre-Presidential Library books are difficult to write because there isn't as much primary materials on these figures, but the author crosses the line between providing alternative readings of historical texts to attempting to settle old academic scores.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book left me wanting to know so much more about Grace, her marriage, her relationships with her sons and of course all the fun she had after Cal died. I did not know too much about Grace Coolidge before I read the book, was a bit disappointment in the material, although well written.
Calvin Coolidge was a silent man with a hot temper and difficult to live with. He was a very shy little boy who never grew out of that or his temper. Grace was not the type of woman who threatened men, in public events she walked behind her husband, an act that set well with American men at the time. Calvin's political career defined what Grace could and could not do.
Calvin was all about his wife looking her best. In fact Calvin found her a picture hat, with a rose on it, he bought in on the spot and shyly looked at his wife in the hat on the walk back to his office. He loved her in hats and help start her collection. During their time in the White House it was first time America had a fashionable first Lady in Grace. None of her predecessors ever caught the press in that way before, every gown was being reported, formal or informal, and brought into the fashion papers of the time.
The Coolidges' went on to have two sons, John and Calvin Jr. Calvin the younger son dealt with his fathers behavior much better than John did. Calvin not only looked like his father but was able to get his father to leave him alone with a simple quip. John was not so lucky. John was a sensitive soul, much like his mother.
The years the couple spent in the White House were not the best. Relations between the two was distressingly poor. Calvin refused to let Grace help him at all during his presidency, going it alone. Calvin ignored Grace often and at times quite rude. The couple was increadibly private so not much was made known to the press. Grace's health wasn't the best during their years there. She suffered from Kidney maladies. Calvin rarely left her side during her times of need. Their son Calvin Jr. died 1924. Calvin held his son's hand while Grace looked on as their son passed. Calvin Jr's passing seemed to make Calvin's relationship with John even harder. Calvin did not run for a second term. It seemed to him that he could either succeed at being president or in his marriage and relations with his son. He chose his family.
The Coolidges did not have long together after the White House. Calvin died of a sudden heart attack. Grace seemed to grow into a new person after his passing. She traveled with friends. Seemed to enjoy life a bit more.
Grace passed on July 7th in 1957 at the age of 78, dying of heart disease and heart failure along which was probably helped along with the fact that her posture became quite stooped as she aged.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent biography of an almost forgotten first lady. Grace Coolidge was one of the most popular ladies in the United States during her husband's presidency. Everything she did was copied and discussed. However, today, she is hidden behind the more well-known occupiers of the office of First Lady of the United States.

Grace Coolidge was a perfect foil for her notoriously "Silent" husband. She was energetic and outgoing. She made a real effort to be likeable and relatable in the press. Children loved her and wanted to meet her. However, much of her personality was stifled by her husband. When he died, Grace Coolidge came into her own and lived life on her terms.

Mrs. Coolidge's early life is very elusive. Hardly anything, apart from stories told and retold time and again, survives. Documentation of her life didn't really begin until her husband held public office. This book is a worthy installment in the Modern First Ladies edition of biographies, and Grace Coolidge's life is certainly well-worth reading. What a charming lady!

[Linsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting book which provided me with more information about one of our nation’s first ladies. I started reading the book with pretty much no knowledge about Grace, and sadly the book focused a little too much on Calvin, so I wasn’t able to learn as much about Grace as I would have hoped.

[The History Mom]

Short book about an unknown first lady, Grace Coolidge. It was not laid out chronologically as I would have liked, but it provided such good information on this gracious and supportive woman lost to history.

[Toby Murphy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Way to short than it should have been and that doesn't seem to be for lack of source material. His attempt at focusing on Grace's White House years fell short as there wasn't much substance there.

[Darlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting glimpse at a little known 1st lady. I wish there was more detail but I did appreciate the fact that it was concise.

[Sue · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is one of the driest books I have ever read. If it weren’t for my interest in the subject and time period, I never would have been able to get through it.