Date: May 3, 1895
Context: Coolidge writes about progress in the next century
My Dear Father:-
The trees are looking some green but spring is still rather late.
I can’t tell you what kind of a coat you want. Frocks are too long for working on a farm. Get a sack large around the waist so it will hang loosely behind. Get a frock as long as the knee.
If you want to find out something about lawschools see French of Woodstock. I do not know him but he looks like a cultured man and I think his opinion on that might be worth more than his opinion on law. But after all it does not seem to me to make much difference. I knew you were not posted on the question and I do not expect you ever will be. The only question you will consider in the end is whether you have the means to use in that way so that may as well be settled first and I do not think you will find the answer in the “’Men of Vermont” I should like very much to impress upon you that my life will be in the twentieth century and it would be quite useless to prepare myself to live by the methods of the past. “What’s good enough for my fathers is good enough for me” never made any progress, but it is an idea with a handle and people carry it along as China has until some progressive Japan licks out of them. There! I sat down to ask you to please send down my russet leather belt. It must be in my tennis trousers. I hope your work is getting along well. Write to me when you can
With love
Calvin Coolidge
Citation: Your Son, Calvin Coolidge
View the original document
The Coolidge Foundation thanks Marisol Balderas, who prepared this document for digital publication