Date: February 20, 1931
Location: Northampton, MA
Summary: George Washington was a great business man, general, statesman and patriot.
(Original document available here)
February 22 marks the 199th birthday of George Washington. His stature has only increased with the years. His public life was characterized by complete unselfishness. Indifferent to his own fortunes, his only concern was for his country. He needed no pretense and no art. He was simply and naturally great.
From every avenue of approach we find a complete man. In all his actions he was precise, accurate, methodical. His diary extends from early youth to the day before his death. It would be difficult to show him mistaken on any important question. The personification of judgment and character, his yea yea and nay nay was a disquisition which had all the eloquence of Patrick Henry, all the political wisdom of John Adams, all the economic authority of Alexander Hamilton, and all the judicial finality of John Marshall.
He was the best business man of his day, the ablest general of his era, the wisest statesman of the world and the most exalted patriot of all time. His fellow countrymen look on him as a father and all humanity worships him as the incarnation of the spirit of ordered liberty.
Citation: Calvin Coolidge Says: Dispatches Written by Former-President Coolidge and Syndicated to Newspapers in 1930-1931 (Calvin Coolidge Memorial Foundation)
The Coolidge Foundation gratefully acknowledges the volunteer efforts of Jill Leavitt who prepared this document for digital publication.