Calvin Coolidge: Grief-Stricken Father and President at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue 1924

Abstract

On July 7, 1924, Calvin Coolidge Jr., son of Calvin Coolidge, the 30th U.S. president, died from blood poisoning. This paper explores how that death impaired the presidency of Coolidge. Self-blame, questions about God and theodicy, and severe depression significantly impaired his ability to perform presidential responsibilities. Worden's work on “historical antecedents” underpins this paper. To comprehend Coolidge's grief for Calvin, Worden asserted, one must explore his antecedent losses. (Coolidge's beloved mother died when he was 12; his only sister died when he was 17.) Coolidge poorly navigated four major deaths: mother, sister, son, and assumptive world. Coolidge's grief narrative offers insights for clinicians.