John Calvin Coolidge Sr. (March 31, 1845 – March 18, 1926) was an American politician and businessman from

Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...

, and the father of Calvin Coolidge, the 30th

president of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...

. The senior Coolidge administered the presidential oath of office to his son at their family homestead in the early morning hours of August 3, 1923, following the death of President

Warren G. Harding Warren Gamaliel Harding (November 2, 1865 – August 2, 1923) was the 29th president of the United States, serving from 1921 until his death in 1923. A member of the Republican Party, he was one of the most popular sitting U.S. presidents. A ...

. Born in

Plymouth, Vermont Plymouth is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The population was 641 at the 2020 census. Calvin Coolidge, the 30th President of the United States, was born and raised in Plymouth and is buried there as well. The State of Vermont ...

, John C. Coolidge was a farmer and store owner, and worked at a variety of other occupations, including banker and insurance broker. In addition, he was a veteran of the Vermont militia, and held the law enforcement posts of town constable and county deputy sheriff. A prominent local leader, he served in numerous Plymouth town offices, and was elected to terms in both the Vermont House of Representatives and

Vermont Senate The Vermont Senate is the upper house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The senate consists of 30 members. Senate districting divides the 30 members into three single-member districts, six two-m ...

. John C. Coolidge remained active in his farming and business interests until his death in Plymouth in 1926; he was buried in Plymouth Notch at a village cemetery where several generations of his family are also buried.

Political and business career

Coolidge was born in

on March 31, 1845, the son of

Calvin Galusha Coolidge Calvin Galusha Coolidge (September 22, 1815 – December 15, 1878) was an American farmer and politician. Background Coolidge was born in Plymouth, Vermont. His parents were Calvin Coolidge (1780–1853) and Sarah Thompson (1789–1856). Coolid ...

and Sarah Coolidge. Calvin G. Coolidge was a farmer, and also served in the Vermont House of Representatives. John Coolidge graduated from Black River Academy, and served in Vermont during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

as commander of the state militia's Company K, 10th Regiment with the rank of captain. Early in his life, Coolidge worked as a woodcutter and wheelwright. He was later active in several occupations; a partial list includes farmer, blacksmith, bricklayer, mason, carriage maker, harness maker, teacher, store owner, and insurance broker. In addition, he was a vice president of the Ludlow Savings Bank & Trust Company, and was appointed to its board of directors. Coolidge also served on the Black River Academy board of trustees. A

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

, Coolidge served in the Vermont House of Representatives from 1872 to 1878. He held local offices throughout his life, including town selectboard member, town meeting moderator, town agent, tax collector, road commissioner, school superintendent, justice of the peace, and notary public. For several years, he was Plymouth's assistant postmaster, with a long running joke in the town being that Coolidge held this position because he was the only person in Plymouth who knew how to complete the forms required when submitting the post office's annual report to the main office in Washington, DC. For nearly 40 years he was both a town constable and deputy sheriff of Windsor County. During the 1900 to 1902 governorship of William W. Stickney, who was related to the Coolidge family, John Coolidge served on his military staff as aide-de-camp with the rank of

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...

. Coolidge served in the

from 1910 to 1912. During his Senate term, Coolidge was chairman of the Committee on Land Taxes.

Inaugurating his son

Upon hearing the death of President

the previous day, Coolidge, who was a Vermont justice of the peace and a notary public, administered the presidential oath of office to his son at the

Coolidge Homestead The Coolidge Homestead, also known as Calvin Coolidge Homestead District or President Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site, was the childhood home of the 30th president of the United States, Calvin Coolidge and the place where he took the presiden ...

Plymouth Notch, Vermont Plymouth Notch is an unincorporated community in the town of Plymouth, Windsor County, Vermont, United States. All or most of the village is included in the Calvin Coolidge Homestead District, a National Historic Landmark. History John Calvin ...

, at about 2:30 a.m. on August 3, 1923.Miller Center, American Presidents

Death

John Calvin Coolidge Sr. died in

on , thirteen days before his 81st birthday. He was buried at Plymouth Notch Cemetery.

Family

In 1868, Coolidge married Victoria Josephine Moor (born 1846). They were the parents of two children, son Calvin, and daughter Abigail (1875–1890). Victoria died in 1885, aged 39. Coolidge married Caroline Athelia Brown (1857–1920) on September 9, 1891.

Notes

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External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Coolidge, John Calvin Sr. 1845 births 1926 deaths People from Plymouth, Vermont People of Vermont in the American Civil War Coolidge family Fathers of presidents of the United States Fathers of vice presidents of the United States School board members in Vermont Republican Party members of the Vermont House of Representatives Republican Party Vermont state senators American notaries Calvin Coolidge Businesspeople from Vermont Farmers from Vermont 19th-century American politicians 20th-century American politicians Burials in Vermont