As part of the conference planning process, I realized that many presenters were doing new research in the diverse Coolidge archives. For my part, I had heard about Calvin Coolidge's letters to Grace Anna Goodhue that were deposited with the Vermont Historical Society. I called VHS to find out more and when I asked that they be copied, I was told, "There are too many to do." I was curious--too many. What did Calvin Coolidge say? I prevailed upon the Society and they copied them for our archives.

As I perused the weekly letters, I thought I should briefly discuss the object of Coolidge's affection, Grace Anna Goodhue, and how they met. Who was she? Turning to her autobiography, one can read that she was born in Burlington, Vermont to Andrew Goodhue and Lemira Barrett. Her parents were originally from New Hampshire and her father's family came over from England in 1635 and one was a member of the first Congress and became a U.S. senator in 1797. With her father's training as a mechanical engineer, he was offered a job at Gates Cotton Mill in Burlington and Grace was born in company housing in 1879. She was an only child and was offered music lessons, speaking lessons, and all the care and affection a young girl might have at that time. After studying at the University of Vermont (class of 1902), she entered the Teacher Training Class at Clarke School for the Deaf in Northampton, MA. Her neighbors, the Yales in Burlington, had deaf children as guests and Grace had been drawn into finding her role in society through this difficult type of teaching.

How did she meet Calvin Coolidge? "The apartment house where I lived was across the street from the one Calvin occupied. Every morning he stood in the window to shave, with his derby hat on the back of his head. The man who cared for the building I was in was also the janitor for his apartment across the way. We had flowers in a window box, and from it I took a nasturtium plant, put it in a small flower pot, and asked my janitor to deliver it to the young man. The next morning my flower was on the sill of his window. The janitor brought back his calling card with a message asking that he might call." (Bryant, p. 15-16)

The letters from Calvin Coolidge began on June 6th even though the two were close neighbors. Many of the letters were discussions of meeting times and activities and a mention of phone calls. The letters began with "My Dear Miss Goodhue" and ended with "Sincerely, Calvin Coolidge". In December of 1904, Calvin began "My Dear Grace" and ended "Sincerely, Calvin".

There were various themes in the letters. One was the flower theme. Calvin writes, "What shall I do with so many blossoms with no one to help me look at them? Perhaps you can think and tell me." (June 21, 1904) In November, "The roses, they looked so pretty on my way to breakfast I thought no one ought to have them but you." He was often poetic. When Grace went to Burlington in July of 1904, he wrote, "How like your own self your letters are--and you, you are like the morning in my own Green Hills, and I am afraid I shall not get to Vermont this summer." He was lonesome. "Some way I am lonesome tonight. I can't quite tell why, if I had you for company..." (July 22, 1904) and (August 6, 1904) "I have dreamed I was with you somewhere."

Calvin compliments Grace. Examples abound. "When do I see that white dress again?" (Sept. 26, 1904) "I like your gown more than I thought... " (October 8, 1904) and "Do you guess how well you are looking? I am always proud to have you with me." (Oct. 31, 1904) He articulates how much he appreciates her. "Sometimes the best part of having you with me is after you are gone. For it is only when I am alone again that I realize how much pleasure you really made for me and remember that I expressed so little of it to you at parting... if you gave me much practice I might learn to do a little better." (November 6, 1904) In January of 1905, he writes, "How do you make people look at you so much when you are with me? It makes me feel very important."

They had many shared interests such as poetry. "Soon as I can I must see you and bring the poem I told you of." (October 17, 1904) "I will read all verses sometime and all songs--you know I love them best, with you to sing." (October 20, 1904)

He was supportive of her work with deaf children. "What a good girl to tell me so soon how your children were pleased with the pictures..." (October 25, 1904) "I know you have your duties and I want Miss Yale to know you are her best instructor." (January 11, 1905)

A romantic? "That is always the last thing I do when I close up--lookout and see if you have a light. I suppose something might happen to you if I didn't keep watch--or to me." (February 8, 1905) "The star you showed me--shall we see it together again soon?" (Oct., 1904) Calvin also showed a sense of humor: "I just bought 100 stamps so look out." What about the other side of the relationship? Grace must have written replies to all these letters. Calvin implies that he constantly received her letters which did encourage him to write back. She saved these letters. She must have treasured them. In Ishbel Ross's biography, Grace is quoted as looking back at her life with Calvin and saying, "Well, I thought I could get him to enjoy life and have fun, but he was not very easy to instruct in that way."

The relationship of Calvin and Grace is helpful in providing insight into the future president. As Frank Stearns (Coolidge's promoter) wrote to Grace when Calvin was nominated for the Vice Presidency, "You and I have one thing in common, at any rate. You picked out Calvin Coolidge some years ago and gave him your endorsement; more recently I picked him out and gave him the most emphatic endorsement I knew how to. Of course many others can claim to have picked him out, but amongst them all I think we can shake hands over the proposition that yours was the most important endorsement and mine comes next."