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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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(Taped
18&21DEC64)

(May 15th?) Ted Clark telephoned me at the Chevy Chase Club where I was playing golf to be at the White House at 6:30 with medicine for the President's throat. I was embarrassed when the President insisted that I treat his throat and would not permit Coupal to do so, even though Coupal was present, the President telling him when Coupal started to treat him, "Doctor Boone will spray it; that's why I sent for him."

The next day I was notified by R o {begin inserted text}u{end inserted text} dolph Forster to be prepared to go to Philadelphia with the President tomorrow. The news surprised me. When Foster saw my skepticism, he showed me the list of the presidential party, which had come direct from the President's office with Coupal's name struck off the list and "Doctor Boone" written by the President himself in pencil, substituted for Coupal. Official orders were issued to me by the Bureau of Navigation of the Navy Department to accompany the President to Philadelphia and return to Washington to resume my regular duties.

The 17th the presidential party left for Philadelphia at 3:30 p. m. on the Pennsylvania Railroad. I treated the President's throat enroute. There was very little difficulty to do so, even on a fast moving train, which gratified the President, who was apprehensive that I might not be able to do it satisfactorily. Upon arrival in Philadelphia the President and his party were met by the magnificent mounted city troop and reception committee. A very large and splendid banquet was tendered the Pres {begin inserted text}i{end inserted text} dent at the Union League in its famous Lincoln Hall, the President making a very excellent address. It was

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enthusiastically received by the large guests in attendance. Pres {begin inserted text}i{end inserted text} dent Coolidge's portrait, which is a very good one, hangs in the Lincoln Room of the Union League. We returned to Washington shortly after midnight. Short but a very pleasant trip. All went well. The President told me that he thought I would enjoy the trip, and it seemed obvious to me that I was taken primarily to continue my treatment of the President's throat. He was always apprehensive about it before he made a stated speech of considerable importance.

November the 19th I felt a sense of embarrassment when I was told to accompany President and Mrs. Coolidge to the Army and Marine Corps football game. Army lost to the Marines 0--14. I was told that Coupal was sought but he could not be found to accompany President and Mrs. Coolidge to the game. Being an Army officer, it was certainly a duty assignment that he should have filled, and if only one of us to go, not me as the Navy physician. I thought he would be resentful that I had accompanied the Coolidges on such an occasion. The only others to accompany President and Mrs. Coolidge to the game were Colonel Winship and Captain Brown.

I had the pleasant experience by chance while calling at the Jack LaGorce family home, Helen and I met their houseguest, the famous pugilist, Gene Tunney. We had a talk with him for a about an hour. Helen and I were very favorably impressed with him. He and Jack LaGorce were very intimate friends. I had great admiration for Jack and real affection for him. He was one of the most interesting friends that I ever had. He was a storehouse of information the world over.

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I told Mrs. Coolidge of my embarrassment about accompanying the President and her to the Army-Marine football game when I did not find Coupal in the party. When I said that I felt that I might appear to him as "butting in", she said that I could not "butt In" even if I wanted to. She felt it was perfectly all right. She said the President had not told her when I made certain inquiry why I had gone to Philadelphia with him, but she said, "I say little, but see a lot," referring to the President's frequent dependence upon me professionally more and more with the passing of t {begin inserted text}i{end inserted text} me. She seemed pleased that this was occurring.

November 26, two days after Thanksgiving Day, President and Mrs. Coolidge took a trip on the MAYFLOWER, having as their guests Senator and Mrs. McNary, he of Oregon; Senator and Mrs. Otte of Nevada; Senator and Mrs. Dale of Vermont; Mrs. Stearns; and Mr. and Mrs. Edward T. Clark. {MISSING} heard over the radio the Army and Navy game, with the Army winning 14 to Navy 9. It was really a very wonderful game to which to listen. Mrs. Coolidge was very excited while we listened, saying afterwards, "We will have to all go to see it next year."

While cruising the next day, Sunday, Mr. Clark gave me some gossip about Coupal Mrs. Coupal and a Mrs. Jimmy White at a situation developed in the Coupal family which caused much concern, and that Coupal had had a {begin inserted text}miserable summer of worriment.{end inserted text} Mrs. Clark also said that Coupal's promotion bill {begin inserted text}(treasure?){end inserted text} was blamed on her husband. She also said that the President did not think favor the bill and that Coupal tried too strenuously to have lots of people

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working on it unbeknownst to other people, who apparently were in the picture in regard to its legislative enactment.

After we returned to the Navy Yard in Washington, having been requested to do so, I took Mrs. Clark to the Naval Hospital for physical examination, including x-rays, conferring with Doctors Oman and Lucius {ILLEGIBLE} Johnson of the staff of the hospital.

The next evening Mrs. Boone and I were dinner guests of Mr. and Mrs. Clark. They had as other guests the Minister of Costa Rica and Mrs. Davis. We were delighted to see them again. They had been so wonderfully hospitable to us when we were with Mr. and Mrs. Stearns in San Jose.

The President continued to send for me, sometimes twice a day, to treat his throat. He also wished me to treat an infection he had on his foot.

When Mrs. Boone and I had dinner as guests of Captain and Mrs. Brown, with the Stearns and a General and Mrs. Taylor, Mr. and Mrs. Stearns told the Browns that I had saved both their lives.

It was necessary to continue going to the White House primarily to care for the President's throat, which for x several days had bothered him considerably.

December 1st Mrs. Boone and I were invited to a beautiful musicale at the White House, the artists being on that occasion Madame Sandelius and Richard Crooks. The President sent for me after the concert and said he wished me to treat his throat, but after that he said he wished me to apply a corn plaster on one of his toes. I was all dressed

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up in evening full dress, including epaulets and miniature medals, and I could not help but be amused as I stood over the President, with him sitting on the only facility in the bathroom that could be used as a seat, dressed only in his undershirt, while I, elaborately groomed, performed this menial bit of therapy. A physician should always keep his sense of humor. That was certainly a requirement, even under some very serious situations in my professional services at the White House. A sense of humor was a salvation on many occasions.

The next day Mrs. Stearns told me that Mrs. Coolidge had asked the President last evening after I had left from treating his throat why I was summoned to do so, further inquiring whether Coupal had not returned to Washington. He said, yes, Coupal had returned, but he much preferred to have me treat his throat and he preferred my technique of doing so.

The next evening while I was in {begin inserted text}at{end inserted text} the theatre with Secretary to the President and Mrs. Sanders and Mrs. Boone, the President sent for me to come to the White House and treat his throat. He wanted to see me at once, so I left the theatre immediately, missing most of the second act. When I arrived at the White House and looked in the President's bedroom, he said, "Where were you eating supper?"

I told him I had not been out for dinner. Then he said, "Why are you all dressed up in a tuxedo?"

I said I had been at the theatre. He then wanted to know with whom I had gone to the theatre, and I told him. He said it was too bad I had to come w way and miss any of the play. I said I was always

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aware that tak {begin inserted text}i{end inserted text} ng care of the President and the First Lady or any White House guest came first and certainly preceded any social engagements.

When I took Suzanne sledding on Sunday in early December, I was thrilled to see how she loved sledding. It took me back to my boyhood. I remember how much my Helen enjoyed it and indulged in it on all occasions. She was really a tomboy in doing so, as I noted when we were kids. Suzanne's cheeks were {ILLEGIBLE} just as red as roses. I felt in her love of sledding she was a counterpart of her mother and, I might add as well, her father. joy of indulging in this delightful sport. My own sled was one of my greatest possessions, and I would really weep if the snow would disappear too suddenly and too soon when I was a little youngster.

The next day the President again sent for me to come to the White House and to be there not as early as usual but at 9:30 to treat his throat. He seemed to be very much better and was showing good response to the therapy instituted.

On December 6th Mr. Stearns looked perfectly terrible that afternoon when I went to see him and Mrs. Stearns at the White House. He was mad all over because President Coolidge had decided to say to something more {begin inserted text}to{end inserted text} at the Republican National Committee on the candidacy subject. The President showed what he intended to say to the Republican National Committee to Mr. Stearns. Sanders said to Mr. Stearns that if he felt so upset about it the President's making such a statement, why didn't he be frank and tell the President himself exactly how

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he felt about it. Mr. Stearns replied that he was not asked to express an opinion, that he long ago learned in dealing with Mr. Coolidge not to ask questions or render an opinion to him unless specifically asked to do so. Mr. Stearns really looked perfectly awful, as though he had been pulled through a knothole. Only that afternoon after lunch had the President written a supplementary statement to the Republican National Committee, and he did so himself in his study, dictating it to Geise, with only Sanders and Geise present at the time.

Helen a and I were invited to another musicale on December 15 at the White House, hearing the Rodman Wannamaker "Capella", which was perfectly beautiful. When the musicale was concluded, I received a message from the President to come upstairs to treat his throat. On this occasion he insisted on my spraying just as he dictated in quite a little detail. It amused me about his strange idea of therapeutic ministrations. He had had no medical education. He retained keenly in memory how he was treated as a child and a young man in his native Vermont. It was hard to break up old procedures and change the method of treatment from what he had early experienced. Much of his knowledge was acquired from home medications, not those prescribed by a physician, even a nurse.

That evening, either before or after the musicale at the White House, I overheard Coupal ask Ted Clark about his "status" as it pertained to a bill that he was instrumental in having introduced in the Congress which would be solely beneficial permanently to

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Coupal. In talking to Clark he even narrated how he expected to use the money that would come forth from it, particularly if there was a retroactive clause in the bill, also how he would use his increase in pay. It was very obvious that Coupal kept almost uppermost in his mind, interest , and efforts to be promoted. While he talked to many people about it, he did not even mention/broach the subject to me. But others talked to me many times about Coupal's interest in his own behalf, not showing an interest or recognition or benefit to any others who were serving the m {begin inserted text}n{end inserted text} or may in the future in a professional capacity at the White House.

Mrs. {begin inserted text}Miss{end inserted text} Riley, the White House housekeeper, suffered with a very obstinate urticaria. When Coupal, who was treating her, did s not seem to be able to get beneficial results, having tried most everything he could learn as would be beneficial to such an ailment, he approved Miss Riley's seeking professional services from me for the urticaria. I took her to the Naval Medical School where she was examined for at least two hours in an endeavor to find out the cause of the urticaria and not just applying therapy without getting to the base of the ailment. I discussed Miss Riley's case with a very able Naval physician, Doctor Walter Bloedorn. Many times I had him in consultation. He was a gifted physician, very kindly disposed. Patients liked him immensely. He was th r orough in his examinations. I informed Mrs. Coolidge that urticaria is a very stubborn type of an ailment, difficult indeed to ascertain the cause in many instances. Therapy had to be a trying one form and then another. Even applying a great deal of resourcefulness, one could not, many times, bring about a

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cure.

During the years that I served at the White House, Mrs. Boone and I had countless houseguests. For the most part they were members of our families. Of course, there were friends also from time to time. Whenever I requested a President or a First Lady to receive my houseguests, they were very gracious about doing so. The President would see them at the office if they would be male guests, particularly older people like my father or father-in-law or other relatives. Mrs. Coolidge would receive the female guests at the White House. There were times that she would even show special attention by having them brought up to her living quarters on the second floor of the White House, rather than seeing them more formally in the official parlors on the first floor. I was v careful not to make too frequent requests for either Presidents or First Ladies to receive our houseguests. {begin inserted text}All{end inserted text} Each of the Presidents and First Ladies, the Hardings, the Coolidges, and the Hoovers, were very gracious about acceding to my requests. Every female guest that I took to the White House w to be received by a First Lady was charmed by her. The President was always gracious. While the visits to his office were brief, he gave them adequate time for conversation and never failed to tell me that he enjoyed meeting these guests of ours whom I had taken to be received by him. Of course, more guests were received by Mrs. Coolidge than by the First {begin inserted text}?{end inserted text} President. I knew quite well of his daily schedules and would not encroach on his busy time. All appointments were made through his appointment secretary. The appointments with Mrs. Coolidge were made with {begin inserted text}by{end inserted text} me direct with her. Rarely did I go to one of her secretaries to ask

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for an appointment for some guest {begin inserted text}s{end inserted text} , some visitor {begin inserted text}s{end inserted text} to Washington, who were not our houseguests.

On Sunday, December 9 18th, 1927, the very revered, respected, highly intellectual pastor of the Church of the Covenant in Washington, where Mrs. Boone and I were members, announced his resignation to the congregation. It caused a shock to all the worshipers. He was considered one of the outstanding preachers in America, world traveled, charming, and highly cultured wife. All who belonged to the Church of the Covenant were proud to have him Doctor Charles Wood as their minister. Members of the congregation were greatly surprised, not realizing that at that time Doctor Wood was 76 years of age. He always walked slowly and with great dignity and certainly was a gentleman of the old school. We always thought of him as a younger man than one beyond his mid-seventies.

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