On August 2nd, 1923, Vice-President Calvin Coolidge received stunning news: President Warren Harding had died. At the time, Coolidge was visiting his father at the Coolidge Homestead in Plymouth Notch, Vermont. Preparations for the transfer of presidential power began immediately. In the early morning of August 3rd, Coolidge was sworn in as the 30th President of the United States. Lacking a judge, Coolidge’s father, John, a notary public, was chosen to administer the oath of office to his son. This dramatic, yet profoundly humble, ceremony set the tone for the Coolidge presidency.
To commemorate the 98th anniversary of this occasion, the Coolidge Foundation is proud to share this brief video from Coolidge living history interpreter Tracy Messer.