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Prosperity and Thrift: The Coolidge Era and the Consumer Economy, 1921-1929

Boone Papers. Chapter on President Coolidge from the Memoirs of His Physician, Joel T. Boone.

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{begin inserted text}{begin handwritten}Mrs. Stearns{end handwritten}{end inserted text} informed me that they were giving Helen and me our West Indian cruise as a Christmas gift. It certainly was a most generous one, and any service that I had rendered them professionally or socially I did not wish them to feel there should be any payment of any sort in return. I was so pleased to do anything I could for them, such wonderful people and wonderful friends and always most kindly considerate of Helen, Suzanne, and me.

The next day, Sunday, Coupal had {begin inserted text}at{end inserted text} a party {begin inserted text}{begin handwritten}given by{end handwritten}{end inserted text} the newspaper reporter, named {begin inserted text}{begin handwritten}Arthur{end handwritten}{end inserted text} Henning s and his wife gave {begin inserted text}{begin handwritten}as{end handwritten}{end inserted text} an"at-home" for the "Paul Smith's survivors" {begin inserted text}{begin handwritten},{end handwritten}{end inserted text} {MISSING} said that he did not believe "Doc" Smithers could survive. I uttered a silent prayer as I heard Coupal's prognostication that I could be the human instrumentality to save Smithers. So-called "Paul Smith's survivors" were the newspapermen and their wives and others of the President and Mrs. Coolidge entourage who lived at Paul Smith's (Mrs. Boone and I were included, even though I myself did not live at Paul Smith's during that summer) jocularly referred to themselves as survivors because of the dreariness of the summer with little interest to the newspapermen and their wives that particular year. There was so little news coming forth from the President's office at Paul Smith's or from his White Pine Camp. The newspapermen were not happy at all, from what I gathered that particular summer. There were not {begin inserted text}If {begin handwritten}there had not been{end handwritten}{end inserted text} quite a few wives pres of the newspapermen present, I am sure, they would, the newspapermen would have found the summer one of frustration and almost complete unhappiness.

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New Year's Eve party had at the Ned McLeans was the most elaborate affair that I had ever attended. It was given in their huge home on I Street and Vermont Avenue. Someone had said that a Baldwin locomotive engine could be driven right into the ballroom. It ran till into the wee hours of the morning. Even afterward, the actor, Sidney Blackmer, and the actress, Madge Kennedy, invited us to another party at the Carlton Club.

There was a White House reception on New Year's Day, which meant standing for long hours while the guests (the White House was open to the public in general) were received by the President and Mrs. Coolidge. These large receptions taxed both President and Mrs. Coolidge very much. Mrs. Coolidge got more enjoyment out of them, by far, than did the President. He did it not as something he desired to do, but as stern duty, an obligation to the citizenry who wished to call on the President and the First Lady at the beginning of the New Year.

After the reception was concluded at the White House, my wife and I were guests of the Secretary of State at the Pan American Union, going from there {begin inserted text}{begin handwritten}going to see{end handwritten}{end inserted text} Sidney Blackmer {begin inserted text}{begin handwritten}and{end handwritten}{end inserted text} Madge Kennedy {begin inserted text}{begin handwritten}at their hotel; then going{end handwritten}{end inserted text} to call on Assistant Attorney General and Mrs. William Donovan. Later that day Helen assisted the Postmaster General and wife, Mrs. New, at her reception. I We made calls also on Secretary of the Navy and Mrs. Wilbur and Secretary of Labor and Mrs. James J. Davis, then a so-called "tea" at Doctor Camp Stanley's on Massachusetts Avenue. The day was rounded out for Helen and me by attendance at a dinner of {begin inserted text}{begin handwritten}given by{end handwritten}{end inserted text} the Postmaster General and Mrs. New, following which we returned home dead in our tracks.

On January 4th I was "struck by lightning" as the result of a

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letter from Doctor Franklin W. Martin, Director General of the American College of Surgeons, who inquired whether I would be interested in taking a position, National Director, of a new medical educational program sponsored by American Motion Pictures Industry, which was headed then by Will Hays, the former Postmaster General of the United States, the Eastman Kodak Company of which Mr. George Eastman was President, and American College of Surgeons. I was requested to wire Doctor Martin if I would go to Chicago to discuss the proposal. After the discussing the letter with the Surgeon General of the Navy, Admiral Stitt, and Captain Wilson Brown, Commanding Officer of the MAYFLOWER, I wired in the affirmative.

Helen wept when I told her of even giving thought of leaving the Navy.

The 17th of January I had a long conference lasting more than an hour at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington with Doctor Franklin H. {begin inserted text}?{end inserted text} Martin, which occurred following the American College of Surgeons dinner. I was disappointed with Doctor Martin, but I knew that he had been indulging from his breath. Thoughts seemed to be retarded, although he expressed them quite clearly. He outlined to me the proposition and said that there was a Doctor Borden in Washington also being considered for the position. I felt he was not as honest and frank as I had expected he would be, and I sensed that he would need watching.

My suppositions were confirmed by a Doctor Hubert Work, Secretary of the Interior, who had been a President of the American Medical

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Association, by Admiral Stitt, Doctor Rau and Doctor Derby. Doctor Work he had reason to be very suspicious Doctor Martin. Dick Derby said he had no use for him nor his associates.

The next day I conferred with Doctor Charles Mayo on the proposal. He gave me some very valuable reactions, which gave me much to think about and which he wished me to think about. He thinks the position has great possibilities, but wonders whether I was the man for such a "selling game". Also, he thinks it requires a loud, barnstorming sort of person, but said: "Martin would not want to hear me say so that." Doctor Mayo added he did not think the Navy would be able to hold me indefinitely, because he foresaw that there would be many important opportunities open to me in private life, adding he wondered whether this was the time and the occasion for my severing my Naval relationships.

Martin asked me to call Eugene Chrystal at the Hotel Washington, which I did, and Mr. Chrystal and I had an hour's conference. {MISSING} pictured two sides to the proposition. He thought it was a great opportunity that would place me on the Board of Directors of the Eastman Kodak Company,and he felt that I had a great deal to give up in leaving the Navy. Chrystal said not to give second thought to any such sum as Martin-Mayo had indicated--$8500 plus all expenses, for which sum Doctor Mayo said That I certainly could not consider it favorably, adding that the organizers would pay almost any sum of money to get the man they wanted for the position.

Mr. George Eastman always insisted that he was the head of any such organization. It would not be Doctor Martin.

The next day I had a long talk with Doctor Work in his apartment at t

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at the Wardman-Park Hotel. He advised me to get the views of Will Hays and to hitch to him and the Eastman Company and not to Do o {begin inserted text}c{end inserted text} tor Martin. Doctor Work said I should not consider the offer for less than $25,000 and a five-year contract. He said that when Will Hays resigned as Postmaster General and went with the moving picture industry, he began his employment with them for $250,000 a year, then adding that I should study every angle of the proposal most carefully, but that I should not trust Doctor Martin.

These prominent friends whom I consulted and who were well known in our country showed a deep interest in me and did not wish me to be caught in a trap {begin inserted text}from{end inserted text} , which {begin inserted text}it{end inserted text} would be very difficult to extricate myself.

It was a relief the next evening to be invited with my wife to a White House musicale, hearing Louise Homer and the violinist Kochinski. A very beautiful and a very relaxing evening for me after turmoil that was going on in my mind for some days.

It was Sunday the 23rd I read where Mussolini had said: "It's better to have intelligent pessimism than unintelligent optimism."

January 24th I had a very fine letter from Will Hays from California. He told m me he was immensely interested in the moving picture medical project, me in charge of it. He felt it would be for my best interests, as well as the cause it represented, for me to take the direction of it. He said he would be very pleased if I could meet him in New York for a conference upon his return East.

February the 11th I left for New York City to see Will Hays. I had a most satisfactory conference with him that I had ever had

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with anyone that I can remember up to that time. Hays impressed me most, most favorably. He had the keenest mind, quickest understanding, most orderly way of expressing himself {begin inserted text}{begin handwritten}with{end handwritten}{end inserted text} detailed facts to support his thinking, and was able to analyze the subject of our discussion vividly and put the whole proposition in very compact form. He said that he wanted me to feel sure that he was for me having the job of directorship of this enterprize. He very much wanted me to have it. He said he would back me 100%. He had no doubts in his mind as to my ability to handle it. He felt that I would be happy in that position, build that I would be given a rare opportunity to {begin inserted text}build{end inserted text} fill a great monument for medical education. Hays said it was his "baby" because he had conceived the idea, proposed it to George Eastman who agreed to finance it for five years. Hays then said that I was "sitting pretty" where I was. He meant in the Navy with my White House assignment as a dual one with my duties aboard the MAYFLOWER. He said I should not consider accepting the position for less than three times my Naval salary, even when I discussed it with George Eastman. He said I had a great deal to give up in leaving the Navy to take this medical education position in private life. He advised me to wait until the Eastman people made the next move.

The next day in Washington Doctor Work had Helen, his daughter Mrs. Bissel, former Congressman Winslow, and the {begin inserted text}{begin handwritten}??ving Flowers{end handwritten}{end inserted text} , of Washington for dinner. Doctor Work wanted to know all about my trip to New York and my conference with E Will Hays. He was pleased that I liked Will Hays, advised me to say nothing at this time to

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President Coolidge, adding, "He would not be considerate of you. When he is through with you, he will throw you over." Doctor Work felt that I had exhausted my service in the Navy and it would be well to leave it and get out into civilian life. He predicted there was a great future for me, adding he had done very well by getting into new fields seven years ago. He said that I had many years ahead of me to do great things.

On February the 14th one of the President's secretary, E.T., whom we called {begin inserted text}{begin handwritten}known as "{end handwritten}{end inserted text} Ted {begin inserted text}{begin handwritten}"{end handwritten}{end inserted text} Clarke, with {begin inserted text}{begin handwritten}of{end handwritten}{end inserted text} whom I had reason to become suspicious {begin inserted text}{begin handwritten},{end handwritten}{end inserted text} of and not to trust very far, but {begin inserted text}{begin handwritten}such{end handwritten}{end inserted text} to keep my eyes and ears wide open in any relations I had with him, took me into a reception room at the Executive Offices and told me in a rather disconnected way of expressing himself that connoted to me a evasiveness, a dangerous subtlety, of his belief that President Coolidge would break with Mr. and Mrs. Stearns. This was very shocking to me, because as both Ted Clarke and the Stearns were native Massachusans, Clarke had known them for a number of years, I thought he would not so react toward the Stearns and voice such things as he did. I thought there was a undertone that Clarke was not revealing to me, even though he wanted to appear to me that he was very frank in what he was saying. He observed that he wanted me to go on the West Indian trip with Mr. and Mrs. Stearns to be of assistance in letting Mr. Stearns "down". He said Mr. Stearns seemed complimented by reference to him as the "Colonel House of the Coolidge Administration" that it was a mistake for him, Stearns, to use the White House as a pivot to get social prestige for Mrs. Stearns and himself. (I never observed that

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to be a fact.) The President did not need to rely on Stearns anymore, as he could send for anyone he needed anytime, without s using emissaries. Stearns, Clarke said, may be embarrassing the President with the intimate r association, and if so, the President would remove the cause by breaking the intimate relationship. He said Stearns should take a house or live in a hotel when in Washington and not live for long periods in the White House. He said--and I doubt the sincerity of this comment--that he felt terribly sorry for Mr. Stearns, for he knew it would break Mr. Stearns' heart. I did not see any crocodile or other tears when Clarke said this. Kind of sensed that Clarke felt that maybe Stearns was had the ear of the President more than he, Clarke, had {begin inserted text}{begin handwritten}at{end handwritten}{end inserted text} many times and that Clarke was jealous of him and wanted himself to get him out of the way from this intimate relationship with President Coolidge. {begin inserted text}{begin handwritten}I{end handwritten}{end inserted text} sensed that he wanted to put some things over on the President and felt that if Stearns got wind of them, he would be frank in apprising the President of what was taking place.

I discussed this particular day with Captain Brown whether I should tell the President of my being approached by the Hays-Eastman Franklin Martin group. Brown agreed that I was proceeding correctly in not doing so and said, 'Wait for a definite offer from these gentlemen." It was the same advice that Helen had given me, as well as Doctor Work and Admiral Stitt. Admiral Stitt said he couldn't help but feel it was wise for me to sever my relations with the Navy if the offer was big enough-- will it {begin inserted text}{begin handwritten}and if it would{end handwritten}{end inserted text} compensate me for the sacrifice

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that I would make, from a monetary standpoint. Admiral Stitt said that he feels I have gotten "cream of the {begin inserted text}{begin handwritten}S{end handwritten}{end inserted text} s ervice" and there was little left ahead of me even {begin inserted text}either{end inserted text} in the way of honors or duty commensurate with prestige I had acquired since I had had duty at the White House and even before {begin inserted text}{begin handwritten}as{end handwritten}{end inserted text} in wartime. This prognostication of Admiral Stitt - {begin inserted text}'{end inserted text} as time proved, was in error. {begin inserted text}{begin handwritten}I{end handwritten}{end inserted text} did not see {begin inserted text}{begin handwritten}and could not foresee{end handwritten}{end inserted text} future Navy duties {begin inserted text}{begin handwritten}to which the assigned{end handwritten}{end inserted text} of great {begin inserted text}{begin handwritten}such{end handwritten}{end inserted text} importance as {begin inserted text}{begin handwritten}they became realities{end handwritten}{end inserted text} before, during, and after World War II and the Korean War. There certainly was very much left for me after I left the White House in the way of vital duty assignments, and I served more than six years {begin inserted text}{begin handwritten}at the White House{end handwritten}{end inserted text} after this conversation had occurred with Admiral Stitt on February 14, 1927.

February 17th Helen and I attended the beautiful and elaborate Army and Navy reception at the White House, and I was privileged indeed through the kindness of Mrs. Coolidge's invitation to take my brother Herbert with us to the reception. He was overcame by what he saw and the cordiality of the people he met. He made the observation that, much to his surprise, he found all the worthwhile men of affairs were very natural and easily approachable people. He met a great many that night. General Dawes pleased Herbert and me both by saying that he could tell Herbert and I were brothers. I do not think that Herbert ever had a higher point in his life than this particular evening at the Army-Navy reception at the White House. {begin inserted text}{begin handwritten}Para.{end handwritten}{end inserted text} Herbert {begin inserted text}{begin handwritten},{end handwritten}{end inserted text} being a great athlete and probably the best athlete of his time and for some period thereafter in high school in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, he had the pleasure of going to Annapolis and seeing the Army-Navy basketball game. Herbert was really a very outstanding basket

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basketball player himself. Two of the officers from the ship, Lieutenant Glutting, Navy, and Captain Stack of the Marine Corps, took him to Annapolis, much to my pleasure.

Herbert had a wonderful visit with us in Washington and did many things he could never have done anyplace but in the national Capitol and, of course, he enjoyed everything that he saw, including the theatre, dinners, luncheons. He said that everybody was universally kind to him. He was apprehensive about a visit to Washington, feeling he was just a small-town young man who had not had such social opportunities for him to meet such prominent people.

Herbert was a very lovable and natural fellow. He had a host of friends. I never found anybody who didn't like him. {begin inserted text}{begin handwritten}H e h ad{end handwritten}{end inserted text} a warmth and often a shyness which was becoming to him, which added to his attractiveness. From our earliest youth we had been the most intimate of companions as older and younger brother. We slept together for many, many years as we grew up. {begin inserted text}{begin handwritten}He{end handwritten}{end inserted text} teased me {begin inserted text}{begin handwritten}se n{end handwritten}{end inserted text} erely rely at times. Always worked very, very hard, and that {begin inserted text}{begin handwritten}at{end handwritten}{end inserted text} hard labor, {begin inserted text}{begin handwritten}and for{end handwritten}{end inserted text} long hours. When the workload was put too heavily upon my shoulders as the younger and smallest of the two brothers, he would always come to my assistance.

Herbert had a week's visit with us and I believe it must have been the longest, if not one of the longest, holidays he had ever enjoyed. I am sure it was a high point in his life to have this visit to Washington. I always wished and prayed that he would have more visits with us. One of the great sorrows of my life has been, had he lived, that he did not have frequent visits with us. That he

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did not, has always been a tragedy to me.

My father came to Washington from time to time while we lived there. He was loath to make the first visit, but after that he seemed to welcome the opportunity. And then as time went on and he was not well, I was able to afford him much professional service, directly and through some of my colleagues in the Naval service.

He arrived the day after Herbert left, looking perfectly terrible. He sat in a day coach enroute all the way from Pottsville to Washington and had eaten nothing. I asked my good friend, Doctor Kent Melhorn, to again look over Father, and he was able to provide much improvement for him while he was on this visit with us in Washington. He was not at all well with us on this visit and I was very apprehensive at first. Doctor Melhorn's care of him brought about much improvement. He developed a chronic cardiac situation and was not wont to give the proper attention to it. He always worked hard and had to and he was loath to ever level off, although time was marching out for him, not as fast as I had sadly anticipated in 1927.

I informed my father about the proferred position, Medical Director of an enterprize sponsored by, as I have said, Will Hays, George Eastman, and Doctor Edward Martin, representing their respective business organizations. He said he would like to see me enter private life. He expressed confidence in my ability to be highly successful therein. He said that the Boones had never been involved in politics and he felt the position I occupied in Washington, as White House associations, too dependent upon the whim of a politician

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or politicians. After a visit with my father in Washington, I always disliked to see him return home, because I knew that while had been benefited physically in Washington, he would revert back to the old habits and the old {begin inserted text}over{end inserted text} indulgence in work. His business exacted great mental concern for him, strain.

When Father left, my father-in-law arrived, as he had been especially invited to spend {begin inserted text}especially{end inserted text} to be a guest at the Gridiron Dinner. Of course, that was a great event in his life. Yet he was a man who had dined out with many people in New York and traveled a great deal, accustomed to be in the presence of leading people of the country; but the Gridiron Dinner appealed to him more than any other social event, except White House ones.

I was surprised to find as a guest of the Gridiron Club, looking over my plaque where I was assigned to be seated, I found I was being honored to sit at the head table as Arthur Henning's guest. Arthur Henning was one of the very fine newspaper m reporters covering the White House. It was Arthur and his wife who had the delightful supper party one night with their guests the "Paul Smith's survivors", as we called it, those newspapermen and their wives who sweated it out in the s summer of 1926 at Paul Smith's Hotel while President and Mrs. Coolidge were living in White Pine Camp. They certainly were not happy in their experiences that summer.

When I sat down at my place at the Gridiron Dinner, I was complimented by {begin inserted text}to{end inserted text} find that on one side of me was Representative Chilblum of Illinois and J. Butler Wright, who had just been appointed Minister to Hungary. He was a very attractive man, {begin inserted text}up-and-doing{end inserted text} man,

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certainly was wonderful representative when he was Protocol Officer of the State Department.

It was always a joy when I was invited to the Gridiron Club because I could be in association with so many of my newspaper friends. I had cared for many of them professionally, who were assigned to the White House, as well as their wives and some of their children. They always were very considerate of me and treated me well, except one instance of which I am familiar. Ted Clark surreptitiously influenced them in favor of one of us White House physicians unfairly. I never knew exactly who they were, but, except, maybe I knew two or three to {begin inserted text}succumb{end inserted text} come to Ted Clark's machinations. I shall have more to state pertaining to that event subsequently in these memoirs.

Late in February it was found by engineers that the White House roof from necessity must be replaced by a new one, that it would be dangerous to continue not to install a n new roof. This poised a very serious and difficult problem. That was to find sizable, proper, accessible, and yet with protection, for the occupancy of the President of the United States and his First Lady . T {begin inserted text}t{end inserted text} o meet the requirements of the White House for a long or a short period. Exploring where such a domicile might be found, President and Mrs. Coolidge looked over a long list of proposed Washington homes offered for their use as a temporary White House. The Coolidges chose the Patterson mansion at 15 Dupont Circle, which was in the northeast corner of Dupont Circle, which had been designed by Stanford White and built in 1903 for Robert Patterson--not the

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Robert Patterson who was Secretary of the Army many years later. The Coolidges lived there during the summer until repairs to the Executive Mansion had been completed. {begin inserted text}Para.{end inserted text} Mrs. Eleanor Patterson, who had offered her house to the President, willed it to the American Red Cross at her death. It was offered for sale in 1950 at $700,000 and purchased one year later by the Washington Women's Club at an undisclosed sum. It has served as that club's headquarters and has been open to the public for certain entertainments for which it is so well adapted.

After the Coolidges moved into the Patterson home, it became a very familiar place of residence {begin inserted text}{begin handwritten}for{end handwritten}{end inserted text} me to {begin inserted text}{begin handwritten}visit{end handwritten}{end inserted text} there almost {begin inserted text}{begin handwritten}once{end handwritten}{end inserted text} daily at least, and sometimes many times, {begin inserted text}{begin handwritten}a day{end handwritten}{end inserted text} , as long as the Coolidges lived there.

February 28, 1927, began the moving of some articles, furnishings, from the White House to the Dupont Circle temporary Presidential home.

It was this day that I was so delighted that "Doc" Smithers was able to return to work at the White House. It was one of those examples of making too early a prognosis of death, a patient cannot survive a certain period. I was not a party to making such a prediction, and {begin inserted text}{begin handwritten}for{end handwritten}{end inserted text} I early leaned in my career how erroneous it is for any physician to prognosticate death to occur at a certain time. That procedure was proven as one not to {begin inserted text}{begin handwritten}embraced{end handwritten}{end inserted text} (braced? as patients entered in latter years of their life. If one predicts demise at a certain time and it does not occur, it is well known in the profession, but not adhered to as much as it should , {begin inserted text}{begin handwritten}that{end handwritten}{end inserted text} the patien d {begin inserted text}t{end inserted text} and his family just do not forgive the physician for making such a false prediction. The

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physician should wisely say, when inquired whether the patient can live or not live and how long he can live, as frankly and honestly say, "I do not know." That puts him on safe ground and adds to his stature in the eyes of the patient and of his or her family. My philos p {begin inserted text}o{end inserted text} phy does not mean that I have not erred periods in my life coming to making a prediction, which as to time was not borne out. It could well have reduced my professional stature to have done so. A young physician is more apt to do it than the experienced, older physician.

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