PREVIOUS

NEXT

NEW SEARCH

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.

Page 467 { page image viewer }

(Taped
140CT64)

. . . appear in the newspaper referring to MAYFLOWER up-anchoring the day of the yacht race and proceeding out to sea when the race was underway. {ILLEGIBLE} Irritated Mrs. Coolidge very much and she was outspoken feeling of resentment newspapermen hung too close to the President's home which was then White Court, when she felt they should be allowed to have more privacy in and around their home, as she put it. Thought in the future when they were out of Washington there should be different provision made for the newspapermen to get all the news they needed and, but not physical encroachment on wherever they might be dww {begin inserted text}dwe{end inserted text} lling.

On August 14th President and Mrs. Coolidge left White Court for Plymouth, Vermont, by automobile. They returned on the 21st. The trip was made to see the President's father, go up and observe for themselves how he was and had recovered illness.

I saw them upon their return to White Court and both gave me quite comprehensive report on Colonel Coolidge's illness andhow he was recovering.

While they were away, although the event had bee e n scheduled before their departure, MAYFLOWER had a very delightful party aboard ship with 192 guests invited and present. Everything went very smoothly and we had reason to feel gratified with how we had planned the party and with its success, regarded by not only us but by all the guests discussed it fully afterwards. St attracted a great deal of attention and we had many unique features planned for the

Page 468 { page image viewer }

evening. Happily, everyone seemed to have a good time. This gave us an opportunity, who were a member of the staff of the MAYFLOWER, to show hospitality and extend typically {begin inserted text}reciprocally{end inserted text} some very lovely entertainment provided for us by the many people who lived in the Marblehead-Swampscott area or people from distant points, friends of us officers. as {begin inserted text}It was{end inserted text} an official Navy group, their wives, certain of their relatives. For the most part, it was a civilian group we entertained.

A few days after the President and Mrs. Coolidge returned from Plymouth, Captain Andrews and I had a chat with President and Mrs. Coolidge at White Court, discussing the pros and cons of visiting Plymouth, Massachusetts. Mrs. Coolidge wished the President to go there and to travel aboard the MAYFLOWER while John was home from Plattsburg. The President replied to the suggestion that the trip be made while John was home that "it wouldn't be good for him. He must study."

The President asked Captain Andrews if "public services" were being held aboard MAYFLOWER and would it not be better to hold "revival services " aboard her", to Which Mrs. Coolidge observed: "Yes, if you (the President) will attend, they will do you good."

[???] made this comment because the President had been quite a little tart that morning. There was also a question discussed, besides going to Plymouth, Massachusetts, about going to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, with the MAYFLOWER.

On August 27 President and Mrs. Coolidge and a party came aboard the MAYFLOWER at 8 o'clock in the evening, spending the night in preparation for an early departure for Plymouth, Massachusetts.

Page 469 { page image viewer }

Among those in the party were Secretary to the President, Mr. Sanders; Colonel {begin inserted text}S.A.O.{end inserted text} Cheney, and Major Coupal. The Presidential party went ashore at Plymouth and motored to Cohasset, rejoining the ship at Cohasset. When we returned to Marblehead, the President and Mrs. Coolidge and their party left the MAYFLOWER at the buoy before dinner was served them.

September the 1st Mr. Stearns brought John Coolidge and Mr. Stearns' grandson to see the MAYFLOWER. Then we went over to Marblehead proper to see the pain g {begin inserted text}t{end inserted text} ing of "The Spirit of '76" Abbott Hall. It is a very historic, striking painting to observe, of course, and one that is seen commonly in the school and history books.

Ted Joslin, the reporter for the BOSTON TRANSCRIPT. told us of the newspaper reporters' feelings about the President, of the humorous questions that he prepared for his conferences. Of course, they were never actually presented to the President. Fictitious so-called questions were of this nature: "Why have you had a permanent grouch this summer?" Another one was: "Why haven't you had your mother-in-law visit you?" And many others. Newspapermen had so little to do that they indulged in this revelry and great satisfaction of projecting these phantom questions, which, I said, never reached the President. Each newspaperman seemed to vie with the other in trying to ask the most ridiculous questions.

This day I played tennis with John and {begin inserted text}at{end inserted text} the Paines'. Tried to avoid his father, fearing the latter would prevent him from playing; however, the President did spot John and asked him: "How about

Page 470 { page image viewer }

your lessons?"

John, in order not to be observed, and he thought he was not going to be, had left White Court and gone to the Paines' dressed. and {begin inserted text}Had{end inserted text} to borrow some shoes to play. It was embarrassing to John and embarrassing to me, but I was always delighted when I could have John playing some tennis and getting some exercise and a little bit of freedom. His father was bearing down on him hard about study while he was home that vacation period.

One day when Mrs. Boone and I were having luncheon aboard MAYFLOWER as special guests of Captain and Mrs. Andrews, I was surprised to find how critical they were of President and Mrs. Coolidge. It was an attitude that I had not heretofore knew existed. Captain Andrews seemed to feel that the President have any deep seated love for anyone, even those we thought were their most intimate friends, and he observed that they did not have the intimate companionship with people like our own wives did. I didn't like to hear this criticism and with my very close observations I was not able to subscribe to it. There must have been something happened in the relationship between the President and Captain Andrews or between Mrs. Coolidge and Mrs. Andrews that was reflected by the Andrews. I was surprised they talked to freely in front of Helen and particularly me who was a member of the staff and serving professionally the President and Mrs. Coolidge. I knew it wasn't easy to get in close friendship with the President. He seemed hard to get acquainted with people and to know them and apparently he wasn't used to having many intimate friendly relations. It may have been that something came

Page 471 { page image viewer }

down from his boyhood, because I am not aware of him being very companionable or having chums, as it were, as he grew up. Did not know of him belonging to a fraternity or of socializing to any extent with other than members of his family and a comparatively few that would be considered close or intimate friends. I know that Mrs. Coolidge was very outgiving and she would relish socializing much more than she was allowed to do, and she liked people. She understood people, got along well with people. She warmed up to them quickly. Of course, she had some that she did not warm up to, some that annoyed and irritated her or seemingly took liberties with her, some who would try to take advantage of some social contact they had had with her. She could {ILLEGIBLE} close herself in a shell when somebody did irritate her and she d certainly did not wear her feelings on her sleeve.

(End of taping on 14 OCT 64).

Information about SGML version of this document.

PREVIOUS

NEXT

NEW SEARCH