Date: October 29, 1925
Context: Coolidge yet again admonishes his son to buckle down, saying, “Perhaps you can see now that when you thought last year you were having a good time you were not.” Coolidge ends by regretting that he cannot sit for a portrait for John’s fraternity. On September 17, 1924, the Boston Daily Globe reported that John “has pledged himself to the fraternity of which his father is a member, the Phi Gamma Delta. Before making his choice, young Coolidge was given the opportunity to ‘inspect’ all 14 societies at the college.”
My dear John:-
As your mother writes you John there is not much for me to say.
We are having our first snow today.
I hope you are having success in your studies. I know you can if you work hard. Next year will be a hard year for you as you will have to make up the work of last year which you cannot do unless your rank is high this year. In that case you will be out of college.
Perhaps you can see now that when you thought last year you were having a good time you were not. You were only buying up trouble for yourself and others.
No one can paint a portrait in a few minutes looking at me. I am sorry I cannot get time for a real portrait for the fraternity but I cannot now.
Your father
Calvin Coolidge
Citation: Vermont Historical Society
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The Coolidge Foundation thanks Craig Eyermann, who prepared this document for digital publication