A Centennial Celebration
Foundation is also bringing 100 high school students , who will learn about the President and his New England roots . “ We feel it is important for young Americans from every state to learn about Coolidge ,” said the Coolidge Foundation ’ s Director , Matt Denhart . “ That ’ s why the Foundation is sponsoring so many young people on this trip to get to know the President and Vermont .”
On the evening of August 2 , the Coolidge Foundation ’ s Vice-Chair , former Vermont Governor Jim Douglas , will host a Coolidge Centennial Gala under a white tent in honor of President Coolidge . Following the Gala , there will be a marathon reading of the Coolidge autobiography , which will conclude at 2:47 AM . At that moment , the State and the Coolidge Foundation will mount a captivating reenactment at the exact location where President Coolidge signed the oath : the Coolidge Homestead .
According to Scherry , President Calvin Coolidge was vacationing in his hometown of Plymouth Notch on the night that President Warren G . Harding passed away in San Francisco . “ It was completely unexpected . No one had planned for that kind of circumstance , so there was no federal justice to administer the oath .” Instead , the oath was administered by Coolidge ’ s father , John Coolidge , a respected Vermont politician who was certified as a notary public . “ John Coolidge was a very interesting person ,” notes Scherry . “ He served in the Vermont State Government , and he was also close friends with William Stickney , the former Vermont Governor . President Coolidge was deeply influenced by watching his father ’ s political service as a young boy , and it inspired him to move forward with his own political aspirations .”
On the morning of August 3 , the Coolidge Foundation will host a naturalization ceremony for new Americans . “ Coolidge said that ‘ he who holds American citizenship is the peer of kings ,’, and so nothing could be more appropriate than this event ,” says Amity Shlaes , who chairs the board of the Coolidge Foundation .
Rejoice Scherry adds that the reenactment serves as a reminder of the statewide , national , and global impact of President Coolidge ’ s legacy . It also serves as the basis of a special temporary exhibit , which will be held at the Presidential Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site throughout the 2023 season . “ We ’ re taking what happened here in Vermont with the oath of office in 1923 and bringing it to an international scale ,” says Scherry . While the main theme of the exhibit is Coolidge ’ s oath of office , the exhibit also focuses on how Coolidge ’ s transition into power compared to the ascension of other 20th-Century world leaders . “ We ’ re going to examine Mussolini ’ s self-declaration , and we ’ re going to compare that with a Tongan Queen under the British protectorate . We ’ re also going to include the Emperor of Japan and the Empress of Ethiopia . We have a gorgeous , gold-and-diamond shield that her Regent gave Coolidge in 1927 . It ’ s a magnificent artifact that represents her coronation and reflects Coolidge ’ s commitment to global diplomacy efforts .”
A Timeless Tour
The temporary exhibit honoring Coolidge ’ s oath is located in the Coolidge Museum & Education Center , which was dedicated and opened to the public in 2010 . The Coolidge Museum & Education Center serves as the main entrance and reception building for the entire historic site . It also features a museum shop and multiple permanent exhibits , including an interactive , multimedia exhibition : More than Two Words : The Life and Legacy of Calvin Coolidge . Scherry says that visitors who come to the interactive exhibit can speak into a microphone and ask a computerized hologram of Calvin Coolidge a series of fascinating questions . “ It ’ s a fun way to explore the history on a more immersive level ,” says Scherry . “ There is also a series of historic objects , many of which were worn or used by President Coolidge himself .”
Although the Coolidge Homestead is well-known for serving as the site of the oath of office , it also played a pivotal role in the childhood of young Calvin Coolidge . He honed his willpower and discipline by hauling wood and tending to the animals , and he spent many afternoons at his grandparents ’ nearby farmhouse . Today , the rooms are furnished in the same manner as they were in 1923 . The authentically-furnished homestead perfectly sets the scene for the first reenactment on August 3 at 2:47 AM , as well as a second reenactment , featuring Coolidge reenactor Tracy Messer as Calvin , on August 3 at 2:47 PM . “ Guests who come to the historic site on August 3 can witness the reenactment play out in a completely identical setting ,” says Scherry . “ The originality of the artifacts is astounding . There ’ s a level of authenticity here that is unheard of at any other Presidential site , down to the finest details . The pen that he used when he signed the oath of office is on the original table , and the original oil lamp that lit the room on that night remains in our possession , as well .”
No visit to the President Calvin Coolidge Historic Site is complete without a trip to the Plymouth Cheese factory , which was built by Colonel John Coolidge in 1890 . Although the original factory ceased operation in 1934 , The Vermont Division for Historic Preservation purchased the former site of the factory from the Coolidge family . As a result of their collaborative partnership with the Ver-
20 VERMONT MAGAZINE