Warren Gamaliel Harding

“… a poor president,… a very good friend.”David Jacobs

Background Oldest of 8 children Born in 1865 in Ohio After graduating Ohio Central College,

became the editor of the Star Married Florence Kling DeWolf (a brassy

divorcee with a son) She somewhat took over the business of

the Star (and is said to have spanked the paper boys when they did not do their jobs)

Politics on the Horizon 1890s Harding began to take an active

role in Republican politics 1898 elected an Ohio State Senator Charming, friendly, enthusiastic, an ideal

unifier for the faction-ridden Republican party

People were frustrated with the Democratic party of WWI so the Republicans won easily.

Harding Nominated Did poorly in the primaries Yet the bosses were very sure of his

nomination Legend states that at the Chicago

convention, there was a secret meeting in a “smoke filled room” where a deal was made for Harding to become the next president.

No proof of any deal

Harding Elected Harding won in a landslide He appealed to the average American who

was tired of war and fearful of losing control

He pushed a “return to normalcy” Won 60% of the popular vote against two

other strong contenders Won 404 to Cox’s 127 Electoral Votes

The Beginning of the End Harding’s friends felt as though they had

gotten him elected and deserved spoils Harding knew these men did not possess

amazing political giftedness, but he brought them into his administration anyway

“God, I can’t be and ingrate!”

1922 The year of suicide began Two of Harding’s federal employee’s killed

themselves One of them left a suicide note that Harding

refused to read Charles Cramer; Jesse Smith Smith had been arranging protection for

bootleggers from raids by prohibition agents and for selling permits for alcohol production (despite 18th Amendment and the Volstead Act)

1923 The president was worried and depressed He headed on a trip across the country

with his Secretary of Commerce, Herbert Hoover

As he traveled the news of the scandals in the top ranks of his cabinet were brought out by the media

Friends and enemies “I have no trouble with

my enemies… but my **** friends, their the ones that keep me walking the floors at nights.”

http://teachpol.tcnj.edu/amer_pol_hist/fi/0000013c.htm

San Francisco Harding never made it back to

Washington, DC He died en route of a heart attack There are many myths and rumors

surrounding his death http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/speci

als/elections/1920/harding.html

Last Words In a eulogy by Herbert Hoover, it was said

of Harding:“Here was a man whose soul was seared by

a great disillusionment… Warren Harding had a dim realization that he had been betrayed by a few of the men whom he had believed were his devoted friends. That was the tragedy of… (his) life…”

Bibliography Beschloss, M. (Ed.). (2000). The

Presidents: Every Leader from Washington to Bush. , NY: American Heritage.