A publication of the Presidential Foundation Coolidge

April 2016 • volume 1 • issue 1 Presidential Gifts of State: A Munificent History By Rushad L. Thomas

International diplomacy can be a tre- The framers of the U.S. Constitution mendously tricky business, even in the certainly understood the long, well-estab- most prosaic respects. On his first state lished history of gift exchanges between visit to the in 2009 Pres- government dignitaries. Despite this, they ident Barack Obama was excited about opted to ban all U.S. government officials the opportunity to meet Queen Elizabeth from accepting gifts from foreign leaders II. “…I’m very much looking forward to without the express consent of Congress. meeting her for the first time later this Article I, Section 9 of the Constitution evening,” the President remarked. reads: On arriving at “And no Person holding any Office Mr. and Mrs. Obama were welcomed into of Profit or Trust under them, the Queen’s private apartments, whereup- shall, without the Consent of the on both niceties and gifts were exchanged. Congress, accept of any present, The Queen opted for the present she Emolument, Office, or Title, of any always gives to visiting heads of state, an kind whatever, from any King, autographed portrait of herself. President Prince, or foreign State.” Obama, however, went for a less tradition- This constitutional gift ban is ac- al offering: an iPod loaded with videos and companied by language prohibiting U.S. photos from her 2007 visit to the United citizens from holding titles of nobility. The States, some musical selections, and a few leaders of our young republic enacted this of his own speeches. The Queen, far from ban to set a more egalitarian tone after an being confounded, welcomed the gift arduous revolutionary war fought against with great equanimity. The British press, the ennobled monarchy of Great Britain. however, was not amused by this seeming Despite this strict ban, President symbol of presidential chutzpah. Appar- George Washington quickly established ently the Queen’s gift was just personal the custom that gifts presented to him enough, but President Obama’s gift was as America’s head of state were received too personal. Thus the newly-minted presi- as gifts to the American people, not as dent of the United States got his first taste personal tokens. The consensus arose that of the delicate nature of presidential gift- it would be impolite and unnecessarily giving. harmful to U.S. foreign relations to reject Gift exchanges between heads of state such gifts. Washington opted for full dis- go back as far in history as the nation- closure, rather than strictly enforcing the state itself. These presents often serve to prohibition. When President Washington lubricate foreign policy when nations have received a flag from a French emissary, he dealt with the inevitable strains of com- quickly replied “The transaction will be peting economic and political interests. announced to Congress, and the colors Ceremonial gestures of goodwill gradually will be deposited with [the] Archives.” became a standard element of diplomacy. Calvin Coolidge Presidential Foundation • coolidgefoundation.org • 802-672-3389 Coolidge quarterly

Thomas Jefferson kept only book In Coolidge’s day the legal status of gifts, and auctioned off all other tokens, presidential gifts was much less definite. depositing the proceeds in the Treasury. The Foreign Gifts and Decorations Act of Abraham Lincoln received a great 1881, which was the governing statute of variety of gifts, and he had no compunc- Coolidge’s era, stipulated that any gift given tion whatsoever about taking gifts and to the president by a foreign government not disclosing them. Indeed, President could be lawfully received only if “tendered Lincoln often forgot to thank the givers through the Department of State, and not of those gifts. to the individual in person...” The law also In recent history the law has been required Congressional approval before the tightened up to ensure the gifts received State Department could forward the gift to by presidents remain in the custody of the president. the Federal Govern- However, pre- ment. The Foreign vailing protocol in Gifts and Decora- Presidential Gifts Coolidge’s time tions Act of 1966, Exhibit Coming deviated from this the Presidential Summer 2016 strict language. Many Records Act of 1978, of the gifts granted and later modifica- This summer the President to the Coolidges tions of both, govern Calvin Coolidge State Historic during their six years the management of Site will exhibit a number of in the presidential gifts. gifts of state received by Presi- remained with the Regarding foreign dent and Mrs. Coolidge during family after leaving gifts, presidents may their White House years. This Washington and accept them if, to article, written by Founda- were subsequently quote the official tion program associate Rushad gifted to organiza- language from the Thomas, details many such tions such as the Federal Register, gifts and examines them in Forbes Library in “non-acceptance the broader legal and historical Northampton, Ma., would cause embar- context. The exhibit, entitled and the Vermont rassment to donor “Expressions of Esteem: The Division for Historic and U.S. govern- Coolidge Presidential Gifts Preservation. This ment.” from Near and Far,” has been was not uncommon prepared by William Jenney, Any gift the in those years. Sarah the site administrator, and Andrews of the president or First opens on May 28. Lady accepts must be disclosed under pro- House reports that visions of the Ethics President Wilson in Government Act of 1978. Federal reg- accepted many gifts, including a Gobelin ulations require these disclosures to name tapestry from the French government. the source of the gift, provide a descrip- The Wilsons tried to leave the tapestry tion, and estimate the value of any gift(s) at the White House on their departure, from the same source that, taken together, but the donor, the French government, have a value that exceeds $260. objected. President Obama, for instance, has Exploring the gifts the Coolidges accepted many gifts from foreign digni- received reveals a fascinating dimen- taries, including a bronze colored bust of sion on the Coolidges’ White House Mahatma Gandhi, four bottles of tequila, years. Indeed, these gifts demonstrate and a silver-embellished trunk from the the unique opportunity the president mayor of Guadalajara. Gifts of more than has to meet and greet the great and nominal value, including those men- the good, as well as the ordinary and tioned here, have been documented and downtrodden. The Coolidges knew turned over to the National Archives and both as they welcomed the tokens of Records Administration. good will presented to them so often during their time in the White House.

2 Presidential Gifts of State: A Munificent History

The rug measures 11” x 7” and is composed of 4,404,206 individual knots. The rug also includes a label on its back, which reads “In Golden Rule Gratitude to President Coolidge.” This is in refer- ence to the annual Golden Rule fundrais- ing campaign, held on the first Sunday of December, in which Americans were en- couraged to forego one meal and donate the money saved to Near East Relief. In March 1929, after more than three years in the White House’s Blue Room, the rug went with the Coolidges as they returned home to Northampton, Ma. After Calvin and died the rug remained with their son John Armenian Orphan Rug Coolidge, who decided to return it to the White House during the Reagan Admin- President Coolidge surveys the Armenian Orphan istration. The rug has remained a live po- Rug with the Vice Chairman of Near East Relief, litical controversy to this day because of Dr. John Finley (Courtesy: The Missak Kelechian the sensitivity of the Armenian Genocide Collection). issue to both the Turkish Government and the Armenian people. Among the more poignant tributes in For many years the rug was simply the Coolidges’ receipt was the Armenian tucked away in storage, but pressure from Orphan Rug, also known as the Ghazir several members of Congress and the Orphans’ Rug, woven by orphans in Armenian American community led the the midst of the Armenian genocide in White House to permit the display of Lebanon in the early 1920s. Over one- the rug briefly in late 2014 at the White hundred thousand of these orphans had House Visitors Center. This gift high- been assisted by the Near East Founda- lights the tremendous sensitivity presi- tion, an American welfare and refugee dential gifts can evoke, even decades after assistance organization. In gratitude for they were first received. the generosity of the American people, a contingent of four-hundred orphan The Coolidges received other gifts girls wove the rug over an 18-month under much more fortuitous circum- period. The rug was presented to Presi- stances. In 1926 the President received dent Coolidge at the White House on the curious offering of twin lion cubs December 4, 1925. Upon receiving the from the Mayor of Johannesburg, South gift, President Coolidge remarked: Africa. The Coolidges were known for their exotic pets, including Rebecca the “This, their expression of grati- Raccoon (originally intended for the tude for what we’ve been able to dinner plate), but the Coolidges opted do for this country for their aid, not to keep the lion cubs in the White is accepted by me as a token of their goodwill to the people of the House, sending them to the National Zo- United States who have assisted in ological Park in Rock Creek. the work of the Near East Relief. The president did put his mark on Please extend to these orphans my the cubs first, however. In keeping with his thanks and the thanks of the vast pro-growth, fiscally-responsible policies, number of our citizens whose gen- he named the cubs “Budget Bureau” and erosity this labor of love is intended “Tax Reduction.” He insisted that the cubs to acknowledge. The rug has a place be fed the same amounts to keep them the of honor in the White House where same weight, symbolizing his commit- it will be a daily symbol of goodwill ment to both cutting federal spending and on earth.” lowering taxes, in equal weight.

Calvin Coolidge Presidential Foundation • coolidgefoundation.org • 802-672-3389 3 Coolidge quarterly

That same day they made their way to Washington, D.C., where they were received at the White House by President and Mrs. Coolidge. As a memento of their visit, Their Royal Highnesses gifted the Coolidges with an engraved glass bowl and under tray. This gift can be seen on permanent display in the museum at the President Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site. Those illustrious Bernadottes were not the only royal personages to call upon the Coolidges in the White House. Budget Bureau Her Majesty Queen Marie of Romania, and Tax Reduction a granddaughter of Britain’s and Prince Albert, also made The Coolidges’ twin lion cubs, named Budget Bureau and Tax Reduction, in their cage at an official visit to the Coolidge White the National Zoo. The cubs were given to the House. On October 18, 1926 Queen Coolidges by the mayor of Johannesburg, South Marie, along with her son and daughter Africa (Courtesy: The Library of Congress). Prince Nicolas and Princess Ileana, landed in New York City and were feted with a Other gifts bespoke deep and lasting ticker-tape parade. They then progressed ties between the United States and other to Washington, D.C., where they were countries. In 1926 Their Royal High- received by President and Mrs. Coolidge. nesses Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf and The Queen’s gift to the Coolidges was a Crown Princess Louise of Sweden made signed photograph in a silver case. The an official visit to the United States to First Couple held a state dinner in her attend the dedication of the Statue of honor at the White House. John Ericsson, a gallant Swede who con- Julia P. Gelardi’s book Born to Rule: ceived the Monitor class of vessels that Five Reigning Consorts, Granddaughters helped the Union triumph in the Civil of Queen Victoria provides an amusing War. The Crown Prince and Crown account of Queen Marie’s experience at Princess began their visit in New York the White House: City on May 27, 1926, where they were “Like President Wilson before received by Mayor Walker at City Hall him, a morose President Calvin and participated in a press pool interview. Coolidge was not prepared to be enchanted by Marie of Romania. The White House visit, in which Marie sparkled in her diamond tiara and a Jean Patou gown of white velvet, had its awkward moments, thanks to the Coolidges’ dour attitude. After lighting up a cigarette together with Alice Longworth, Theodore Roosevelt’s daughter, Marie was ushered out of the White House in less than two hours.” Glass Bowl From royals to revolutionaries, we This glass bowl and saucer were given to the turn to Cuba, a nation whose relations Coolidges by Their Royal Highnesses The Crown with the U.S. have been fraught with diffi- Prince and Crown Princess of Sweden on their of- ficial visit to the United States in 1926 (Courtesy: culty for more than a century. In Coolidge’s Vermont Division for Historic Preservation). day Cuba and the U.S. had much more straightforward dealings.

4 Presidential Gifts of State: A Munificent History

A democratic republic at the time, Coolidge’s policy towards gifts it was governed by Gerardo Machado y received after the presidency appears to Morales. On April 25, 1927, during the have been stricter. In his retirement years a Cuban president’s visit to Washington, diamond bracelet came from an American President Coolidge was given a ceremo- woman who, according to the account of nial medal and the insignia of the Great newspaperman Herman Beaty, felt “that Cross of Cuba’s National Order of Merit. in these times there was nobody she felt The President also received a more tradi- she could trust except Mr. Coolidge.” The tional island gift, a humidor stuffed with woman asked that Coolidge safeguard the cigars. Coolidge thanked Machado for bracelet for her. Beaty reported that, “He “the wonderful chest of Cuban cigars.” [Coolidge] treated that diamond bracelet as if it were a scorpion.” He returned the thing straight away, ensuring that the postal receipt was retained in his files and witnesses could be produced in case any accusations of impropriety arose. *** Efforts to catalogue every gift the Humidor Coolidges received in the White House could fill many books. Shining a light on The President of Cuba gave this humidor for storing cigars to the Coolidges in 1927 (Courte- these bequests puts a more human face on sy: Vermont Division for Historic Preservation). events and people long since gone. The 1920s brought tremendously consequen- tial personalities and events to the orbit Machado sought in these over- of the White House. By peeling back the tures to extend a gesture of goodwill to shadows of history we can understand the United States. The Cuban president those events more clearly and inform wanted revisions of the 1903 treaty that ourselves about the great contributions of governed Cuba’s relationship with the Coolidge and his era. We hope you will United States, as well as the relaxation visit the President Calvin Coolidge State of certain trade and tariff barriers that Historic Site this season to see firsthand prevented freer commercial exchange many of Calvin Coolidge’s presidential between the island nation and America. gifts of state. Each of the gifts Machado gave is on permanent display in the museum at the President Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site (although for some reason the cigars have disappeared).

Rushad Thomas is the Program and Editorial Associate at the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Foundation. In this capacity he coordinates all programming for the Foundation, including lectures, the debate program, and other events. He is also in charge of the Foundation’s social media outreach, and is responsible for the website and the blog. Additionally, Rushad manages the Foundation’s research and scholarship efforts. A native of Bushnell, Florida, Rushad attended Florida A&M University as a Bill Gates Millennium Scholar, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science in December 2011. In May 2014 Rushad obtained a Master of Arts degree in Government from the Robertson School of Government at Regent University. He has been with the Coolidge Foundation since May 2014.

Calvin Coolidge Presidential Foundation • coolidgefoundation.org • 802-672-3389 5 Coolidge quarterly

“dead“dead ppresidents”residents”: anan interviewinterview witwithh bbradyrady carlsoncarlson

Brady Carlson is a host on New Hampshire Public Radio. His new book, Dead Presidents: An American Ad- venture into the Strange Deaths and Sur- prising Afterlives of our Nation’s Leaders, explores the myriad ways in which our presidents are remembered. In this inter- view with the Coolidge Foundation, Mr. Carlson discusses the book.

Photo Courtesy of Brady Carlson.

COOLIDGE FOUNDATION I allowed for extra time when I was (CCPF): How did you develop your tracking those down. fascination with American presidents? CCPF: How did the way presidential BRADY CARLSON (BC): It’s some- legacies are remembered and presented thing I’ve always had. As a kid I’d go to change in the 20th century? the library and check out piles of books on the presidents - each one seemed so BC: Presidential libraries have been a unique, important and fascinating. The huge change in how we mark presidents. more I learned, the more interested I In the past, leaders would mostly rely on became. history to judge them. But the library system lets the presidents add their own CCPF: When did you decide to voices back into the debate. Critics say compile all these presidential stories the presidents get too much leeway in into a book? portraying their time in office. That said, many of the libraries have top-notch BC: Seeing all the graves is something exhibits and invaluable documents that I’ve wanted to do since I visited my first shed light - favorably or unfavorably - (Abraham Lincoln), but it was while on each presidency. And, of course, most covering the 2012 New Hampshire of the presidents who have federally- presidential primary that the idea came funded libraries are also buried on the back up. Seeing would-be presidents grounds of their libraries. up close always reminds me of the past presidents, I guess. And in looking into CCPF: What are some unique ways the graves I realized there was a bigger that fans of more obscure presidents story to tell - about how and why we have sought to build up their legacies? remember and honor the presidents in these ways after they’re gone. BC: The Lyndon Johnson Library in Austin, Texas has an animatronic version CCPF: Did you have any trouble of the president. And it tells jokes! Ap- finding any of the presidential graves parently there was talk at one point you visited? about putting it out to pasture but there was a public outcry and he and his jokes BC: Yes, actually. Most of them are stayed put. clearly marked and easy to find. But several are in large, rural cemeteries CCPF: Your description of the in- with winding paths, and I get lost easily. terplay between Presidents Ronald

6 brady carlson interview

Reagan and Calvin Coolidge is very would have wanted. So while the two poignant, yet the two men had real dif- had something in common philosophi- ferences, both in their presidencies and cally, their approaches in life and death in the ways they’ve been memorial- have been quite different. ized. How do you think the dichoto- my between these two speaks to their CCPF: Your description of the Presi- personas? dent Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site and the Plymouth Cheese Factory BC: I’m glad you spotted that, because is fantastic. Would you agree that the I found the comparisons and contrasts Coolidge Site is one of the best presi- between the two really interesting. dential sites in America? If yes, why? Coolidge, despite his reputation, was BC: The Coolidge site is one of my fa- an able public speaker - his “brave little vorites, and I’m not just saying that state of Vermont” speech is proof of that because this interview is for the Coolidge - but he tended to use that gift in a very Quarterly. I love learning about life in functional way. And he was one of only Plymouth Notch when the president was a few presidents to essentially downplay young - my now 4-year-old was fascinat- his legacy - he had offers for large monu- ed by the “Treadmill For A Horse” that’s ments but he turned them down. Reagan, included in the collection. Among presi- on the other hand, saw politics in cin- dential sites it tells a unique and interest- ematic terms. He recognized that in the ing story - not to mention the delicious public mind, personalities and narratives cheese. matter. After death, Reagan has become a big part of the American conservative CCPF: Is there a less well-known presi- narrative - which is why there are these dential site you’d highly recommend to ongoing efforts to name something after our readers? him in every county in the United States. That’s something Calvin Coolidge never BC: One of the best parts of writing this book was getting to travel to some hidden coolidge quarterly gems. One of my favorites is the library of Coolidge’s successor, Herbert Hoover, Editor in West Branch, Iowa. It does a nice job Rushad Thomas of showing the social, cultural and tech- Designer nological changes during the presiden- Brittney Lickert cies of both Coolidge and Hoover. And Printer once a year they have people come to Red House Press town and play the only sport named for a president, “Hoover-Ball,” which the Staff of the coolidge foundation president himself played on the grounds of the White House. We Americans have Chairman found some really creative and unique Amity Shlaes ways to remember our leaders. Executive Director Matthew Denhart Program and Editorial Associate Rushad Thomas Education Director Diane Kemble Office Administrator How to reach us Kelly Larson P.O. Box 97, 3780 Route 100A Accounting Manager Plymouth Notch, VT 05056 Jonathan Guy Phone: 802.672.3389 Program Assistant Email: [email protected] Rob Hammer

Calvin Coolidge Presidential Foundation • coolidgefoundation.org • 802-672-3389 7 nonprofit Save the date U.S. postage paid Coolidge Retreat wht riv jct, vt P.O. Box 97 permit no. 86 June 30 – July 4, 2016 Plymouth Notch, VT 05056

“Citizenship, the Constitution, and Immigration”

A frank discussion of citizenship and immigration policy Time at the President’s birthplace with an excursion to historic Bretton Woods Fourth of July Extravaganza

Woodstock Inn & Resort • Woodstock, Vermont Register at Coolidgefoundation.org