Black River Academy in Ludlow, Vermont.
Coolidge was only an average student in
his formative years in grade school, but
he took full advantage of the educational
opportunities he was provided at Black
River Academy. He channeled the
sadness and angst he felt in the wake of
his mother’s passing into his schoolwork
and found solace and stability in the
pursuit of his studies. In his later years at
Black River Academy, Coolidge took the
first steps on his path towards politics
when he became wholeheartedly
enamored with the United States
Constitution. He remained continuously
fixated on the historical document for the
duration of his lifetime, which he
considered an impeccable and masterful
work of legislative genius.
After graduating from Black River
Academy, Coolidge attended a speech
given by President Benjamin Harrison in
1891 at the dedication ceremony of the
Bennington Battle Monument. There,
Coolidge felt a sense of deep connection
and admiration for President Harrison.
As the words of the ceremonious speech
echoed in Coolidge’s ears with resounding
gravitas, his deep-seated passion for
politics grew even stronger than before.
Coolidge subsequently enrolled at
Amherst College, where he joined the
Phi Gamma Delta fraternity and honed his
oratory and writing skills through a series
of public speaking engagements and a
nationwide essay contest, in which he
won first prize. After graduating, Coolidge
entered into a law apprenticeship in
Northampton, Massachusetts in 1895. He
subsequently passed the Massachusetts
Bar exam in 1897, and opened his own
independent office in 1898. During the
course of Coolidge’s apprenticeship at the
Hammond & Field law office in
Northampton, he made his first foray into
the political arena when he got involved
with local Republican party politics and
subsequently served as a city solicitor in
Northampton.
Though Coolidge never had any qualms
with proclaiming himself to be a staunch
Republican, he never hesitated to make an
alliance across party lines. Early in his
political career, he developed a close
friendship in Northampton with an
outspoken Democrat by the name of
James Lucey. Years later, Coolidge would
pen a letter from his desk at the White
House thanking Lucey for the inspiring
political conversations they had that
helped to further motivate his career in
politics. “Were it not for you”, Coolidge
wrote, “I should not be here.”
According to the Regional Historic Site
Administrator for the Vermont Division
for Historic Preservation William Jenney,
Coolidge “made an effort to approach
everyone whom he dealt with personally in
a bipartisan way. He was very conscious of
the value of working with the opposite
party. He knew that oftentimes their
support would be necessary to help
him pass legislation. He was certainly an
old-fashioned Vermont Republican, but he
was open to cooperation nonetheless.”
After spending years gradually growing
his emerging law practice into a successful
and stable operation, Coolidge eventually
made the full-time transition into the field
of public service. From the years of 1899
to 1919, he worked his way up from local
city council positions to the office of State
Governor. Coolidge won over the trust of
Massachusetts voters at every rung of the
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