John Calvin Coolidge Sr. (March 31, 1845 – March 18, 1926) was an American politician and businessman from
Vermont
Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provin ...
, and the father of
Calvin Coolidge
Calvin Coolidge (born John Calvin Coolidge Jr.; ; July 4, 1872January 5, 1933) was the 30th president of the United States from 1923 to 1929. Born in Vermont, Coolidge was a Republican lawyer from New England who climbed up the ladder of Ma ...
, the
30th president of the United States
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United St ...
. The senior Coolidge administered the
presidential oath of office to his son at their
family homestead in the early morning hours of August 3, 1923, following the death of President
Warren G. Harding
Warren Gamaliel Harding (November 2, 1865 – August 2, 1923) was the 29th president of the United States, serving from 1921 until his death in 1923. A member of the Republican Party, he was one of the most popular sitting U.S. presidents. ...
.
Born in
Plymouth, Vermont, John C. Coolidge was a farmer and store owner, and worked at a variety of other occupations, including banker and insurance broker. In addition, he was a veteran of the Vermont militia, and held the law enforcement posts of town constable and county deputy sheriff. A prominent local leader, he served in numerous Plymouth town offices, and was elected to terms in both the
Vermont House of Representatives
The Vermont House of Representatives is the lower house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The House comprises 150 members, with each member representing around 4,100 citizens. Representatives ar ...
and
Vermont Senate
The Vermont Senate is the upper house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The senate consists of 30 members. Senate districting divides the 30 members into three single-member districts, six two- ...
.
John C. Coolidge remained active in his farming and business interests until his death in Plymouth in 1926; he was buried in Plymouth Notch at a village cemetery where several generations of his family are also buried.
Political and business career
Coolidge was born in
Plymouth, Vermont on March 31, 1845, the son of
Calvin Galusha Coolidge
Calvin Galusha Coolidge (September 22, 1815 – December 15, 1878) was an American farmer and politician.
Background
Coolidge was born in Plymouth, Vermont. His parents were Calvin Coolidge (1780–1853) and Sarah Thompson (1789–1856). Cooli ...
and Sarah Coolidge. Calvin G. Coolidge was a farmer, and also served in the
Vermont House of Representatives
The Vermont House of Representatives is the lower house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The House comprises 150 members, with each member representing around 4,100 citizens. Representatives ar ...
. John Coolidge graduated from
Black River Academy, and served in Vermont during the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
as commander of the state militia's Company K, 10th Regiment with the rank of
captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
.
Early in his life, Coolidge worked as a woodcutter and wheelwright. He was later active in several occupations; a partial list includes farmer, blacksmith, bricklayer, mason, carriage maker, harness maker, teacher, store owner, and insurance broker. In addition, he was a vice president of the Ludlow Savings Bank & Trust Company, and was appointed to its board of directors. Coolidge also served on the Black River Academy board of trustees.
A
Republican, Coolidge served in the
Vermont House of Representatives
The Vermont House of Representatives is the lower house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The House comprises 150 members, with each member representing around 4,100 citizens. Representatives ar ...
from 1872 to 1878. He held local offices throughout his life, including town selectboard member, town meeting moderator, town agent, tax collector, road commissioner, school superintendent,
justice of the peace
A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or '' puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission (letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...
, and
notary public. For several years, he was Plymouth's assistant postmaster, with a long running joke in the town being that Coolidge held this position because he was the only person in Plymouth who knew how to complete the forms required when submitting the post office's annual report to the main office in Washington, DC. For nearly 40 years he was both a town constable and deputy sheriff of
Windsor County.
During the 1900 to 1902 governorship of
William W. Stickney, who was related to the Coolidge family, John Coolidge served on his military staff as
aide-de-camp with the rank of
colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...
.
Coolidge served in the
Vermont Senate
The Vermont Senate is the upper house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The senate consists of 30 members. Senate districting divides the 30 members into three single-member districts, six two- ...
from 1910 to 1912. During his Senate term, Coolidge was chairman of the Committee on Land Taxes.
Inaugurating his son
Upon hearing the death of President
Warren G. Harding
Warren Gamaliel Harding (November 2, 1865 – August 2, 1923) was the 29th president of the United States, serving from 1921 until his death in 1923. A member of the Republican Party, he was one of the most popular sitting U.S. presidents. ...
the previous day, Coolidge, who was a Vermont
justice of the peace
A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or '' puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission (letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...
and a
notary public, administered the
presidential oath of office to his son at the
Coolidge Homestead
The Coolidge Homestead, also known as Calvin Coolidge Homestead District or President Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site, was the childhood home of the 30th president of the United States, Calvin Coolidge and the place where he took the presiden ...
in
Plymouth Notch, Vermont
Plymouth Notch is an unincorporated community in the town of Plymouth, Windsor County, Vermont, United States. All or most of the village is included in the Calvin Coolidge Homestead District, a National Historic Landmark.
History
John Calvin ...
, at about 2:30 a.m. on August 3, 1923.
Miller Center, American Presidents
Death
John Calvin Coolidge Sr. died in Plymouth, Vermont on , thirteen days before his 81st birthday. He was buried at Plymouth Notch Cemetery.
Family
In 1868, Coolidge married Victoria Josephine Moor (born 1846). They were the parents of two children, son Calvin, and daughter Abigail (1875–1890). Victoria died in 1885, aged 39.
Coolidge married Caroline Athelia Brown (1857–1920) on September 9, 1891.
Notes
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Coolidge, John Calvin Sr.
1845 births
1926 deaths
People from Plymouth, Vermont
People of Vermont in the American Civil War
Coolidge family
Fathers of presidents of the United States
Fathers of vice presidents of the United States
School board members in Vermont
Republican Party members of the Vermont House of Representatives
Republican Party Vermont state senators
American notaries
Calvin Coolidge
Businesspeople from Vermont
Farmers from Vermont
19th-century American politicians
20th-century American politicians
Burials in Vermont