welcome back to the ancestral findings podcast Grace Goodhue Coolidge was our 30th first lady
wife to U.S President Calvin Coolidge she was known for her vivacious outgoing personality and
for her simple dignified White House dinners and social events a passionate advocate for education
for Deaf children she was the first first lady to have a four-year college degree here is her story
born January 3rd 1879 in Burlington Vermont Grace Goodhue Would One Day become the wife of the 30th
President of the United States Calvin Coolidge she was the only child of Andrew Goodhue and
lamira Barrett her father was a church Deacon and Steamboat inspector while her mother was
a housewife Grace's mother taught her domestic skills expected of any woman of the time like
knitting cooking housekeeping and gardening she began her formal education at five years
old attending both Elementary and Middle School in Burlington at local public schools during her time
at Burlington Public Middle School she showed an interest in music and began taking piano lessons
Grace began attending Burlington High School in 1893 where she enjoyed and showed aptitude
in Latin French and the Sciences After High School Grace went to the University of Vermont
while there she founded that University's first chapter of the pi Beta Phi sorority she also acted
in Shakespearean plays with the school's drama club and was a member of the college glee club
Grace was the first first lady to have a four-year college degree after graduation she was inspired
by a friend to teach deaf children and enrolled at Clark schools for hearing and speech to study
lip reading eventually she became a teacher there and teaching deaf children was a lifelong passion
of hers Grace had an active dating life at college and one relationship with a man named Frank Joyner
was serious enough that most of her friends and family assumed they would get married however
Grace broke up with Frank in 1903 when she met a young up-and-coming attorney named Calvin Coolidge
they complemented each other perfectly with Grace being outgoing vivacious and Charming while Calvin
was introverted and reserved they dated for two years when Calvin proposed marriage he
did not ask he stated it as a fact telling her I am going to be married to you Grace agreed
with pleasure but her mother did not like Calvin and did not think he was good enough for Grace
Grace's mother did everything she could to postpone or cancel their marriage and Calvin
never got along with his mother-in-law after this difficult beginning Grace's mother later
insisted that Grace was the one who was primarily responsible for Calvin's success in politics
Grace and Calvin married on October 4th 1905. at the home of her parents honeymooned in Montreal
and set up living together in Northampton Massachusetts Calvin's political career
began soon after with him being elected to the Massachusetts General Court in 1907.
he went on to serve in the Massachusetts state legislature as the state's lieutenant governor
and as governor of Massachusetts he became vice president of the United States in 1921 during all
this time Grace kept a low to non-existent public profile letting her husband take the spotlight
however this changed when she became the wife of the U.S vice president she went
from simple housewife to an elite Washington socialite and quickly Rose through the ranks of
political wives and daughters to become one of the most popular women in the nation's capital
when Calvin became president in 1923 Grace did not speak out on social issues as her predecessor
Florence Harding had done instead she supported popular causes and groups of the time such as
the Red Cross and the Visiting Nurse Association Calvin wanted the social life of his White House
to be unpretentious and dignified as this is how Grace arranged it she became quite a popular
Hostess and Grace described her personality as well as her name she won much public sympathy
when her son Calvin Coolidge Jr died at only 16 years old when she and Calvin still occupied the
White House however unlike other first ladies who withdrew from public life after personal tragedies
Grace only took a few months off and then resumed her first lady duties in addition to their son
Calvin Jr Grace and Calvin had another son John who survived them the highlight of her hosting
duties as first lady came when she and Calvin hosted a party for Charles Lindbergh after his
1927 transatlantic flight Grace was also the first first lady whose voice was recorded on
newsrails previously newsrails had been silent Calvin and Grace were a particularly devoted
couple though Calvin did not discuss policy with her as many presidents had done with their wives
other presidents had relied heavily on the advice and counsel of their wives in developing policy
Grace on the other hand did not even know Calvin had decided to not seek re-election until she
heard it on the news Grace received a gold medal from the National Institute of social science and
in 1931 she was voted one of the 12 greatest living women in the United States of America
after leaving the White House Grace and Calvin returned to Northampton
where they purchased a large estate called the beaches where they could receive more privacy
Calvin died there on January 5 1933 of a heart attack Grace continued to live
there and resumed her pre-marriage work with deaf children she also continued volunteering
for the Red Cross and participated in civil defense and scrap drives during World War II
in fact Grace kept very busy as a widow she wrote for several magazines served on the boards of both
the Mercersburg Academy and the Clark school and joined a local group dedicated to helping Jewish
refugees to America during World War II during the war she also loaned her house to the United
States naval Reserve women's Reserve also known as waves Grace continued to be known as someone
who had a good sense of fun and a great deal of vivaciousness and energy and also remain
committed to her pre-first lady aversion to publicity she died July 8 1957 in Northampton
at the age of 78 and was buried next to Calvin and Calvin Jr in Plymouth Vermont foreign
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