Gov. Sanford and Mrs. Coolidge

These past few days we have been bombarded with news stories about the Governor of SC, Mark Sanford, whose disappearance for several days caused havoc in his home state – to say the least. I am reminded of the similar case of the disappearance in 1927 of Grace Coolidge, wife of President Calvin Coolidge. That summer the President moved his headquarters to the Black Hills of South Dakota, where he lived in a game lodge up in the hills. There was a young Secret Serviceman, James Haley, who served as a guide. Mrs. Coolidge liked long walks or hikes through the hills where she would stop to pick wild flowers. She frequently took these walks in the early morning hours with young Mr. Haley serving as a guide.

When one day in June, Mrs. Coolidge had not returned from her walk by 1:00 PM, the President became concerned. He became increasingly upset when she was still absent at 2:15 Pm. He was about to form a search party when an obviously fatigued Mrs. Coolidge appeared and cheerfully greeted her husband. The President did not return her happy chatter, however, and ushered her at once into the house where their conversation remains unknown.

Just as today, the newspapers had a field day with this incident. “WIFE’S LONG HIKE VEXES COOLIDGE: PRESIDENT PACES PORCH AS FIRST LADY HITS 15-MILE TRAIL” blazed across the Boston Herald. “FIRST LADY ALMOST LOST; PRESIDENT WORRIED, ON POINT OF FORMING SEARCH PARTY JUST AS MRS. COOLIDGE RETURNS” sang the Boston Post. “ WIFE’S DELAY TAXES COOLIDGE’S PATIENCE, SHE GOES OFF ON LONG HIKE AND LUNCHEON GETS COLD, PRESIDENT SITS ON PORCH AN HOUR WAITING FOR HER TO EXPLAIN” graced the front page of the Boston Globe.

Another headline ran in the Boston Globe a few days later. “HALEY OUT AS MRS. COOLIDGE’S ESCORT”*
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*Boller, Paul F. Jr., Presidential Wives, an Anecdotal History, 1988, page 269

The Woman Behind the Man

We have always heard that behind every successful man is a woman. This was never more true than in the case of our First Ladies. Women who were thrust into a role most of them never expected and in many cases, were unprepared to assume. Some were more successful than others. All have stories and lessons that we can learn from today. Join me here to laugh with them - cry with them – and to see that the struggles of wives and mothers today aren’t really so different from those of ten years or two hundred years ago. And then again, maybe they are. Let’s look into the hearts and the homes of these special women. Bring them to life once again to learn from, to enjoy and love.

George Washington, who was actually a few years younger than his wife, Martha, was chastised by David Burns, a blunt Scotsman, who refused to sell Washington some land he wanted. Burns prudently told him, “What would you have been, if you hadn’t married the Widow Custis?” Yeh, where George???

How deeply did Abigail Adams’ admonition to her husband that “How could America produce heroes, statesmen and philosophers if it didn’t also produce learned women” go to influence her husband? She never doubted that women were men’s intellectual equals and she fought the battle for women’s rights long before it became the fashion to do so.

Everyone of these ladies contributed to the success or failure of her President husband. Some of their advice was heeded, some not. We saw Edith Bolling Wilson’s fierce efforts to protect her husband when he was seriously ill and the impact she had on his presidency. Eleanor Roosevelt‘s active role countered the limitations her husband’s handicap forced upon him. Jackie Kennedy’s grace and poise enhanced her husband’s impact on the influential of the world. The stories are endless and entertaining. Like Abigail Adams waiting for John to leave home on one of his lengthy political trips - at which time she enlarged the house by adding a new living room and study. She spent a considerable sum at the time, but felt she was entitled since John had spent $16,000 (a tidy sum for those days) on a new barn, which Abigail felt was totally unreasonable and unnecessary. Join me here for more of these delightful tales.