Inaugurating Coolidge : the extraordinary transfer of power following the death of Warren Harding / Paul D. Houle.
| Author/creator | Houle, Paul D., 1964- author. |
| Format | Book |
| Publication | Jefferson, North Carolina : McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers, [2026] |
| Description | ix, 241 pages illustrations 23 cm |
| Subjects |
| Portion of title | Extraordinary transfer of power following the death of Warren Harding |
| Physical medium | illustrations. |
| Contents | "Something is going to happen to our boss" -- "I don't like certain symptoms" -- Are rooms ready at Palace Hotel?" -- "I will not be carried off this train!" -- "Hoover's tentacles reached far beyond" -- "Sicker than the world ever knew" -- "A violent attack of ptomaine poisoning" -- "Necessary for him to have complete rest" -- "Could lay down 16 of the 22 Republican votes" -- "Harding's dying" -- "President rested poorly last night" -- "An impassable barrier to the inquisitive" -- "You must be a good soldier" -- "There is no right to strike against the public safety" -- World Court -- "I am distressed at the illness of President Harding" -- "Situation has changed to one of hopefulness" -- Succession Act of 1886 -- "Sorely felt the need of a president" -- "Get the doctors, quick!" -- "Something of the gravest nature had occurred" -- "Do you want him to do it?" -- "I do, so help me God!" -- "You've got your story, Joe." |
| Abstract | "While on a cross-country speaking tour, President Warren G. Harding became ill and was hospitalized at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco. Although his condition appeared to improve, he died unexpectedly on the evening of August 2, 1923. After his death, Harding's aides struggled to contact Vice President Calvin Coolidge, who was vacationing at his family home in the remote hamlet of Plymouth Notch, Vermont, a location without telephone service or electricity. Upon learning of Harding's death, Coolidge moved quickly to address the uncertain transfer of executive authority, informed by Harding's previous authorization of two cabinet secretaries to exercise certain presidential powers. The United States Constitution offered limited guidance on succession under such circumstances, leaving historical precedent to shape the response. Coolidge rejected the idea of divided executive authority and sought to establish clear control. He was sworn in as President by his father, a notary public, formally assuming office and nullifying the temporary authority Harding's secretaries had been granted. This action consolidated presidential power and helped clarify the practical operation of succession in the absence of explicitly constitutional direction. This work highlights how Coolidge's actions following Harding's death helped define the modern understanding of presidential succession and executive authority in the United States"-- Provided by publisher. |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| LCCN | 2026009127 |
| ISBN | 9781476698731 |
| ISBN | 1476698732 |
| ISBN | ebook |
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