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SILENT CAL COOLIDGE

© John S. Cooper

Calvin Coolidge was known more for what he didn't say than what he did say. Nicknamed "Silent Cal," he was known for not talking. He was also known for sleeping. It is said that Calvin Coolidge got more sleep in the White House than any other president. He slept late, took a two-hour nap each day, and often retired early.

But what made him famous was his laconic nature. Stories of his silent ways were always popular. He was also known for being very frugal at a time when Americans were spending heavily and going into debts in the stock market.

Coolidge, who worked his way up from mayor of his town, to the Massachusetts legislature, to Lt.-Governor and Governor, first came to national attention in 1919. That year, the Boston police went on strike, which was illegal. This caused a wave of looting and other crime in Boston. People turned to Governor Coolidge for help, but he maintained that it was a city, and not a state, matter. Finally, party leaders convinced him to send in the National Guard. When asked for his justification for such an act, Coolidge merely said "There is no right to strike against the public safety by anybody, anywhere, any time." A short- winded politician who took decisive action caught the imagination of people all over the country, reminiscent of Teddy Roosevelt's "Walk softly and carry a big stick." Coolidge was re-elected governor of Massachusetts by a landslide.

The next year, the Republican convention deadlocked and compromised by choosing Warren Harding for president. The convention then chose Calvin Coolidge for vice-president.

While Coolidge was vice-president, the man who replaced him as governor visited him. He complained to Coolidge that people came into his office and talked for hours. He remembered that Coolidge had never had that problem, accomplishing many appointments each day by keeping them short. The man asked Coolidge how he had managed it. Coolidge replied, "Your problem is that you talk back."

After Harding's death, President Coolidge continued his silent treatment. Visitors would come in make their point, and wait for an answer or question. Coolidge would just stare at them, and they would leave. Greta Garbo, a leading actress of the day was known for not talking to reporters or fans. ("I vant to be alone.") One political cartoon showed Garbo and Coolidge sitting next to each other, both tight-lipped and silent. The cartoon was titled "The Impossible Interview."

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