“You lose.” These words, the punch line of one of the most famous anecdotes about President Coolidge, are often trotted out as evidence that our thirtieth president should be remembered for nothing more than how little he both said and did. This is a pity, for while “Silent Cal” certainly was terse and to-the-point, mostly eschewing small talk and idle remarks, it is clear from the treasure trove of speeches Coolidge wrote that he could be counted on to deliver stirring, important remarks when called upon to do so.

In a speech honoring the veterans who fought and fell at the Battle of Gettysburg, President Calvin Coolidge not only addressed the need for national security and protecting veterans, but he also stated that a strong economy was just as necessary as national defense in securing the nation. Coolidge stated that “the strength of this nation, however, is not expressed merely in terms of an Army and Navy.”[1] As Coolidge stated:

Reeve Lindbergh spoke about her father, Charles Augustus Lindbergh, at the Coolidge Foundation on August 2nd, and she packed the Union Christian Church. Her father, “The Lone Eagle,” as he was popularly known, is the exception to Emerson’s rule that all heroes become bores. His name still retains its magic.

Relations between presidents and vice-presidents are not always felicitous. That’s held for a long time—from John Adams and Thomas Jefferson through, at least, Bill Clinton and Al Gore. The case of Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge falls somewhere between Damon and Pythias and those less salutary cases.