President Coolidge shocked the country in the summer of 1927 when he famously announced, through a note handed to reporters, that: "I do not choose to run for president in nineteen twenty-eight."
Will you choose to run?
Please join us on Saturday, October 6th, in scenic Plymouth Notch for the First Annual Coolidge 5K. Registration starts at 9:00 AM and the race begins at 10:00 AM.
Runners will explore the delightful grounds and surrounding areas of the historic Coolidge homestead on a mixed-surface 5K course, featuring gently rolling terrain partly on road and partly on mowed grass paths. The event will be professionally timed.
Non-runners are invited to follow Coolidge's lead and take part in the “I Do Not Choose to Run” 1-Mile Walk. The walk, which begins at 11:00 AM, will also cover key sights around the historic grounds.
Runners and walkers alike are encouraged to stay following the race for the Plymouth Notch Apple Fest, which will be ongoing throughout the day.
For more information and to register, please click here.
Presidential Sites Summit
Coolidge Foundation executive director Matt Denhart, Jennifer Sayles Harville, and Tracy Messer attend a reception in the White House State Dining Room. (Photo courtesy of Tracy Messer)
The Coolidge Foundation was proud to participate at the 2018 Presidential Sites Summit hosted by the White House Historical Association from August 27-30, 2018 in Washington, D.C. The Presidential Sites Summit takes place every four years, the last of which was hosted in 2014 at the Clinton Library in Little Rock, Arkansas.
The Coolidge Foundation was pleased that President Coolidge was well represented at this year's gathering which drew representatives from more than 100 presidential sites across the country. Jennifer Sayles Harville, great-granddaughter of President Coolidge, Tracy Messer, living history performer and Calvin Coolidge portrayer, and Coolidge Foundation executive director Matt Denhart all attended along with Julie Bartlett Nelson, archivist at the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Library and Museum in Northampton, Massachusetts.
The Summit featured behind-the-scenes excursions, in-depth panel discussions, keynote addresses, and even an official reception at the White House, which included a tour of the Oval Office and the Rose Garden. During the Summit, Mrs. Harville joined several other presidential descendants and First Lady Melania Trump in a tree-planting ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House. We couldn't help but reflect on another White House tree planting, the planting of the spruce tree by the Coolidges in 1924 in remembrance of Calvin, Jr.
The Coolidge Foundation thanks Stewart McLaurin and the entire staff of the White House Historical Association for a terrific Summit. It was an occasion that reminded all of the important work of so many who preserve our nation's heritage and share the lessons from America's history with younger generations and people around the world.
Stewart McLaurin, president of the White House Historical Association (WHHA), speaks about digitization and technology with Amazon's Teresa Carlson and the WHHA's Daniel Fisher. The WHHA and Amazon have recently released a new and exciting "White House Experience Mobile App" which brings White House history to users across the world.
Jennifer Sayles Harville (back, right) joins presidential descendants for a photo in front of the replica Oval Office at the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts. (Photo courtesy of Tracy Messer)
The Coolidge display at the Willard Intercontinental Hotel, the home base for the Presidential Sites Summit. Calvin and Grace Coolidge lived in the Willard during Mr. Coolidge's years as vice president. (Photo courtesy of Tracy Messer)
Jennifer Sayles Harville poses with a portrait of her great-grandmother, First Lady Grace Coolidge. This famous portrait, which also depicts Rob Roy, the Coolidges' collie, was painted by Howard Chandler Christy circa 1924 and currently hangs in the East Wing of the White House. (Photo courtesy of Tracy Messer)
SAVE THE DATE
Annual Coolidge Gala
Monday, December 10, 2018
featuring keynote speaker
Robert J. Zimmer
President, University of Chicago
with an introduction by
Hon. Kurt L. Schmoke
President, University of Baltimore
Union League Club
New York City
Invitation Forthcoming
"Brave Little State of Vermont" 90th Anniversary
Coolidge reenactor Tracy Messer brings the famed “Brave Little State of Vermont” speech back to life in Bennington, Vermont for its 90th anniversary. Delivered to a crowd at the town’s depot from the platform of a railroad car in September of 1928, President Coolidge extolled the values of Vermont and its people as they began reconstruction from the devastating flood that tore through the state the year prior.
December 10: Annual New York Dinner featuring keynote speaker Robert J. Zimmer with an introduction by Kurt L. Schmoke
About News from the Notch
News from the Notch is the Coolidge Foundation's weekly e-Blast, designed to keep you connected and up-to-date on all the activities of the Foundation. We encourage you to contribute to the e-blast! Share stories, photos, tips, or tidbits for inclusion. Please forward the e-blast to a friend! Click here to subscribe to News from the Notch, and head over to our website to access the News from the Notch Archive.
