Crowd outside 1924 Republican National Convention Cleveland Ohio

The 1924 Republican National Convention was held in

Cleveland Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania st ...

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

, at the

Public Auditorium Public Auditorium is a multi-purpose performing arts, entertainment, sports, and exposition facility located in the civic center district of downtown Cleveland. The building features two large performance spaces: the 10,000-capacity Public Hall ...

, from June 10 to 12. Incumbent President

Calvin Coolidge Calvin Coolidge (born John Calvin Coolidge Jr.; ; July 4, 1872January 5, 1933) was the 30th president of the United States, serving from 1923 to 1929. A Republican Party (United States), Republican lawyer from Massachusetts, he previously ...

was nominated for a full term and went on to win the general election. The convention nominated former Illinois Governor Frank Orren Lowden for

vice president A vice president or vice-president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vi ...

on the second ballot, but he declined the nomination. The convention then selected Charles G. Dawes. Also considered for the nomination was

Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or Legislative chamber, chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior ...

Charles Curtis of

Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...

, a future

Delegates

For this convention the method of allocating delegates changed in order to reduce the overrepresentation of the South. This effort proved only partly successful as Southern delegates proved to be more overrepresented than they had been in 1916 or 1920, though they were not as overrepresented as they had been in 1912 and earlier. There were 120 female delegates, 11% of the total. The

Republican National Committee The Republican National Committee (RNC) is the primary committee of the Republican Party of the United States. Its members are chosen by the state delegations at the national convention every four years. It is responsible for developing and pr ...

approved a rule providing for a national committeeman and a national committeewoman from each state.

Ku Klux Klan presence

The head of the

Ku Klux Klan The Ku Klux Klan (), commonly shortened to KKK or Klan, is an American Protestant-led Christian terrorism, Christian extremist, white supremacist, Right-wing terrorism, far-right hate group. It was founded in 1865 during Reconstruction era, ...

, Imperial Wizard Hiram Wesley Evans, was in the city for the convention but maintained a low public profile. ''

Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...

'' featured Evans in a cover photograph in conjunction with an article about the organization's role in the Republican convention, dubbing it "the Kleveland Konvention." As with the

1924 Democratic National Convention The 1924 Democratic National Convention, held at the Madison Square Garden (1890), Madison Square Garden in New York City from June 24 to July 9, 1924, was the longest continuously running convention in United States political history. It took ...

, some delegates supported adding a condemnation of the Ku Klux Klan by name into the party platform, but they lacked enough support to bring their proposed language to a vote.

Presidential nomination

Presidential candidates

Image:Calvin Coolidge-by Garo-1923.jpg, President

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

Image:Portrait of Senator Hiram Johnson of California, 1926.jpeg,

Hiram Johnson Hiram Warren Johnson (September 2, 1866August 6, 1945) was an American attorney and politician who served as the 23rd governor of California from 1911 to 1917 and represented California in the U.S. Senate for five terms from 1917 to 1945. Johns ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

''(Not Nominated)'' Image:Robert La Follette Sr crop.jpg,

Robert M. La Follette
of

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

''(Not Nominated)'' Coolidge faced a challenge from California Senator

and Wisconsin Senator Robert M. La Follette in the 1924 Republican primaries. Coolidge fended off his progressive challengers with convincing wins in the Republican primaries, and was assured of the 1924 presidential nomination by the time the convention began. After his defeat in the primaries, La Follette ran a third party candidacy that attracted significant support.

Declined to run

Image:Nicholas Murray Butler ppmsca.03668.jpg, Columbia President
Nicholas Murray Butler
of New York Image:President Hoover portrait (cropped).jpg, Secretary of Commerce

Herbert Hoover Herbert Clark Hoover (August 10, 1874 – October 20, 1964) was the 31st president of the United States, serving from 1929 to 1933. A wealthy mining engineer before his presidency, Hoover led the wartime Commission for Relief in Belgium and ...

Image:Charles Evans Hughes 2.jpg, Image:Frank O Lowden portrait (1).jpg, Former

Governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

Frank Orren Lowden
of

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

Image:Gifford Pinchot 3c03915u.jpg,

Gifford Pinchot Gifford Pinchot (August 11, 1865October 4, 1946) was an American forester and politician. He served as the fourth chief of the U.S. Division of Forestry, as the first head of the United States Forest Service, and as the 28th governor of Pennsyl ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

Image:JWWadsworth.jpg,

James Wadsworth Jr.
of New York Image:James Eli Watson.jpg,

James E. Watson
of

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

Image:John Wingate Weeks, Bain bw photo portrait.jpg,

Secretary of War The secretary of war was a member of the U.S. president's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War", had been appointed to serve the Congress of the ...

John W. Weeks
of

Presidential Balloting / 3rd Day of Convention (June 12, 1924) File:1924RepublicanPresidentialNomination1stBallot.png, 1st Presidential Ballot

Vice Presidential nomination

Vice Presidential candidates

Image:Chas G Dawes-H&E (cropped).jpg, Former Budget Director
Charles G. Dawes
of

Image:Frank O Lowden portrait (1).jpg, Former

Frank Orren Lowden
of

''(Rejected Nomination)'' Image:BURTON, THEODORE E. HONORABLE LCCN2016861359 (3x4a).jpg, Representative
Theodore E. Burton
of

''(Not Nominated)'' Image:President Hoover portrait (cropped).jpg, Commerce Secretary

''(Not Nominated)'' Image:Hon. W.S. Kenyon LCCN2016821580 (cropped).jpg, Circuit Court Judge
William S. Kenyon
of

Iowa Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...

Image:James Eli Watson.jpg,

James E. Watson
of

Image:Charles Curtis-portrait.jpg, Senate Majority Whip
Charles Curtis
of

Image:Arthur M. Hyde, 10th Secretary of Agriculture, March 1929 - March 1933. - Flickr - USDAgov.jpg,

Arthur M. Hyde
of

Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...

Image:FrankTHinesCropped.jpg, Veterans Director
Frank T. Hines
of

Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...

Image:William Purnell Jackson, photo portrait head and shoulders.jpg, Former

William P. Jackson
of

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

As Calvin Coolidge had ascended to the presidency following the death of

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 (United States), Republican Party, he was one of the most ...

on August 2, 1923, he served the remainder of Harding's term without a vice president as the

Twenty-fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution The Twenty-fifth Amendment (Amendment XXV) to the United States Constitution addresses issues related to presidential succession and disability. It clarifies that the Vice President of the United States, vice president becomes President of th ...

had not yet been passed. With Coolidge having locked up the presidential nomination, most attention was focused on the vice presidential nomination. Secretary of Commerce

of California and appellate judge William Kenyon of Iowa were seen as the front-runners for the nomination, as both were popular Western progressives who could provide balance to a ticket led by a conservative from Massachusetts. Coolidge's first choice was reported to be Idaho Senator William E. Borah, also a progressive Westerner, but Borah declined to be considered. Illinois Governor Frank O. Lowden, University of Michigan president Marion Leroy Burton, Ambassador Charles B. Warren of Michigan, Washington Senator Wesley Livsey Jones, college president John Lee Coulter of North Dakota, General James Harbord, and General Charles Dawes also had support as potential running mates. Despite saying that he would not accept the nomination, Lowden was nominated for Vice President on the second ballot over Dawes, Kenyon, and Ohio Representative Theodore E. Burton. However, Lowden declined, an action, that , has never been repeated, and is now considered unthinkable. The convention then held another ballot, with Coolidge favoring Hoover. However, the delegates picked Dawes, partly as a reaction to the perceived dominance of Coolidge in running the convention.
Vice Presidential Balloting / 3rd Day of Convention (June 12, 1924) File:1924RepublicanVicePresidentialNomination1stBallot.png, 1st
Vice Presidential Ballot File:1924RepublicanVicePresidentialNomination2ndBallotBefore.png, 2nd
Vice Presidential Ballot
(Before Shifts) File:1924RepublicanVicePresidentialNomination2ndBallotAfter.png, 2nd
Vice Presidential Ballot
(After Shifts) File:1924RepublicanVicePresidentialNomination3rdBallot.png, 3rd
Vice Presidential Ballot

Prayers

Each of the three days of the convention opened with a lengthy invocation by a different clergymen—one

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...

, one

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

, one

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

. Each was listed among the convention officers as an official chaplain. On June 10, the opening prayer was given by William F. Anderson, Methodist Episcopal bishop of Boston. Among other things, he called for "stricter observance of the law and the preservation of the Constitution of the United States", in other words, for more zealous enforcement of

Prohibition Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic b ...

. The next day's session was opened by Rev. Dr. Samuel Schulman, rabbi of Temple Beth-El in New York. Schulman spoke with appreciation for "the Republican Party's precious heritage of the championship of human rights"; he called for "every form of prejudice and misunderstanding" to be "driven forever out of our land". Speaking of

, he praised "the integrity, the wisdom, the fearlessness of our beloved President". On June 12, the final day's invocation was given by Roman Catholic Bishop Joseph Schrembs of Cleveland. Schrembs characterized President Calvin Coolidge as "a chieftain whose record of faithful public service, and whose personality, untarnished and untainted by the pollution of political corruption, will fill the heart of America with the new hope of a second spring".Official Report of the Proceedings of the Eighteenth Republican National Convention, published by the Republican National Committee (1924), pp. 125–26

Notes

References

External links

Republican Party platform of 1924
at ''The American Presidency Project'' {{Authority control Republican National Conventions 1924 Republican National Convention 1924 United States presidential election 1924 in Ohio 1924 conferences June 1924 in the United States 1920s political conferences Charles Dawes