Basic Facts:
Birth: November 2, 1865 in Blooming Grove, Ohio
Death: August 2, 1923 at San Francisco, California
Married: Florence Kling DeWolfe (1860-1924) on July 8, 1891
Children: 0 – One stepson, Marshall from Florence’ first marriage
President: One term beginning March 4, 1921
Family
Florence first married Pete De Wolfe and had a son, Marshall. After divorcing him, she married the somewhat-younger Harding when he was a newspaper publisher in Ohio, and she was acknowledged as the brains behind the business. Known as “The Duchess”, she adapted well to the White House.
They married on July 8, 1891.
By 1923, both Florence and her husband were suffering from dangerous illnesses, but still undertook a coast-to-coast rail tour, which they called the Voyage of Understanding. Florence proved highly popular at their many scheduled stops, but Warren was visibly ailing. After falling seriously ill while visiting British Columbia, Harding died at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco on August 2, 1923. Florence did not request an autopsy and also destroyed many of his papers.
She was the first first lady to vote, operate a movie camera, own a radio, or invite movie stars to the White House.[
Other
He was the first newspaper publisher to be elected president.
Both of Harding’s parents were doctors.
He suffered nervous breakdowns at the age of 24 and had to spend some time in a sanitarium.
One of his sisters was a Washington, D.C. policewoman.
Harding was the first president to ride to his inauguration in an automobile.
He was the first president to own a radio and the first to speak over the radio airwaves.
Harding was the first president to visit Canada and Alaska.
While president, Harding played golf, poker twice a week, followed baseball and boxing, and sneaked off to burlesque shows. His advisors were known as the “Poker Cabinet” because they all played poker together.
Harding wore size fourteen shoes. He had the largest feet of the presidents.
Harding was the first president to be survived by his father.
Harding spoke out against lynchings of African-Americans. He also ordered desegregation in the White House and the District of Columbia.
One of Harding’s failings was the fact that he put many friends in positions of power and influence with his election. Many of these friends caused issues for him and a few scandals arose. The most famous was the Teapot Dome scandal, in which Albert Fall, Harding’s Secretary of the Interior, secretly sold the rights to oil reserves in Teapot Dome, Wyoming, in exchange for money and cattle. He was caught and sentenced to jail.
Harding was a strong opponent to the League of Nations, an organization that was part of the Treaty of Paris that ended World War I. Because of Harding’s opposition the treaty was not ratified, which meant that World War I had not officially ended. Early in his term, a joint resolution was passed to officially end the war.
Warren G. Harding was the first, and one of only three, Presidents to go directly from being a US Senator to the President of the United States. The other two Presidents to move their Senate belongings straight into the White House were: John F. Kennedy and Barack Obama.
Two of Harding’s extra-marital affairs came to light in 1927. Following his death his widow, Florence, destroyed many of his papers.
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Sources:
Internet Public Library
Thought.co.com
Greenman, Barbara. The Timeline History of U. S. Presidents and First Ladies. Thunder Bay Press, San Diego, California, 2009.