148 Facts About Warren Harding

1.

Warren Gamaliel Harding was the 29th president of the United States, serving from 1921 until his death in 1923.

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2.

Warren Harding served in the Ohio State Senate from 1900 to 1904, and was lieutenant governor for two years.

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3.

Warren Harding was defeated for governor in 1910, but was elected to the United States Senate in 1914, the state's first direct election for that office.

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4.

Warren Harding ran for the Republican nomination for president in 1920, but was considered a long shot before the convention.

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5.

Warren Harding conducted a front porch campaign, remaining mostly in Marion, and allowed the people to come to him.

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6.

Warren Harding promised a return to normalcy of the pre-World War I period, and won in a landslide over Democrat James M Cox, to become the first sitting senator elected president.

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7.

Warren Harding appointed a number of respected figures to his cabinet, including Andrew Mellon at Treasury, Herbert Hoover at Commerce, and Charles Evans Hughes at the State Department.

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8.

Warren Harding was born on November 2,1865, in Blooming Grove, Ohio.

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9.

In late 1879, at the age of 14, Warren Harding enrolled at his father's alma mater—Ohio Central College in Iberia—where he proved an adept student.

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10.

Warren Harding spent much of his life in Marion, a small city in rural central Ohio, and became closely associated with it.

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11.

When Warren Harding rose to high office, he spoke of his love of Marion and its way of life, telling of the many young Marionites who had left and enjoyed success elsewhere, while suggesting that the man, once the "pride of the school", who had remained behind and become a janitor, was "the happiest one of the lot".

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12.

Warren Harding then raised $300 in partnership with others to purchase a failing newspaper, The Marion Star, the weakest of the city's three papers, and its only daily.

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13.

The 18-year-old Harding used the railroad pass that came with the paper to attend the 1884 Republican National Convention, where he hobnobbed with better-known journalists and supported the presidential nominee, former Secretary of State James G Blaine.

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14.

Warren Harding returned from Chicago to find that the paper had been reclaimed by the sheriff for outstanding debts.

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15.

Warren Harding therefore adopted a tempered editorial stance, declaring the daily Star nonpartisan and circulating a weekly edition that was moderate Republican.

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16.

Warren Harding started with nothing, and through working, stalling, bluffing, withholding payments, borrowing back wages, boasting, and manipulating, he turned a dying rag into a powerful small-town newspaper.

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17.

Warren Harding became an ardent supporter of Republican Governor Joseph B Foraker.

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18.

Warren Harding is the only US president to have had full-time journalism experience.

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19.

Warren Harding first came to know Florence Kling as the daughter of Amos Kling, a local banker and developer.

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20.

Warren Harding was a man accustomed to getting his way, but Harding attacked him relentlessly in the paper.

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21.

Warren Harding eloped with Pete deWolfe, and returned to Marion without deWolfe, but with an infant, Marshall, Amos agreed to raise the boy, but would not support Florence, who made a living as a piano teacher; one of her students was Harding's sister Charity.

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22.

Warren Harding started to spread rumors of Harding's supposed black heritage, and encouraged local businessmen to boycott Harding's business interests.

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23.

When Warren Harding found out what Kling was doing, according to Dean, Warren Harding warned him "that he would beat the tar out of the little man if he didn't cease".

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24.

Warren Harding affectionately called his wife "the Duchess" for a character in a serial from The New York Sun who kept a close eye on "the Duke" and their money.

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25.

Florence Warren Harding became deeply involved in her husband's career, both at the Star and after he entered politics.

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26.

Warren Harding has been credited with helping Harding achieve more than he might have alone; some have suggested that she pushed him all the way to the White House.

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27.

Warren Harding was willing to tolerate Democrats as necessary to a two-party system, but had only contempt for those who bolted the Republican Party to join third-party movements.

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28.

Warren Harding was a delegate to the Republican state convention in 1888, at the age of 22, representing Marion County, and was most often elected a delegate until becoming president.

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29.

Warren Harding became her husband's top assistant at the Star on the business side, maintaining her role until the Hardings moved to Washington in 1915.

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30.

Warren Harding's competence allowed Harding to travel to make speeches—his use of the free railroad pass increased greatly after his marriage.

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31.

Florence Warren Harding practiced strict economy and wrote of Warren Harding, "he does well when he listens to me and poorly when he does not".

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32.

In 1892, Warren Harding traveled to Washington, where he met Democratic Nebraska Congressman William Jennings Bryan, and listened to the "Boy Orator of the Platte" speak on the floor of the House of Representatives.

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33.

Democrats generally won Marion County's offices in 1895, and though Warren Harding lost the election for county auditor, he did better than expected.

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34.

The following year, Warren Harding was one of many orators who traveled across Ohio in support of the campaign of the Republican presidential candidate William McKinley, that state's former governor.

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35.

Warren Harding began his tenure in the state senate a political unknown, but ended it as one of the most popular figures in the Ohio Republican Party.

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36.

Warren Harding displayed calm and humility, characteristics that endeared him to fellow Republicans even as he overtook them in his political climb.

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37.

Warren Harding arranged for his sister Mary to be appointed as a teacher at the Ohio School for the Blind, although there were better-qualified candidates.

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38.

Warren Harding offered publicity in his newspaper in exchange for free railroad passes for himself and his family.

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39.

In early 1903, Harding announced he would run for Governor of Ohio, prompted by the withdrawal of the leading candidate, Congressman Charles W F Dick.

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40.

Hanna and George Cox felt that Warren Harding was not electable due to his work with Foraker—as the Progressive Era commenced, the public was starting to take a dimmer view of the trading of political favors and of bosses such as Cox.

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41.

Once he and Warren Harding were inaugurated, Herrick made ill-advised decisions that turned crucial Republican constituencies against him, such as alienating farmers by opposing the establishment of an agricultural college.

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42.

In early 1905, Warren Harding announced he would accept nomination as governor if offered, but faced with the anger of leaders such as Cox, Foraker and Dick, announced he would seek no office in 1905.

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43.

On January 6,1908, Warren Harding's Star endorsed Foraker and upbraided Roosevelt for trying to destroy the senator's career over a matter of conscience.

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44.

Also helpful in saving Warren Harding's career was the fact that he was popular with, and had done favors for, the more progressive forces that now controlled the Ohio Republican Party.

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45.

At Taft's request, Warren Harding gave a speech nominating the president, but the angry delegates were not receptive to Warren Harding's oratory.

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46.

Warren Harding did not attack Hogan on this or most other issues, but he did not denounce the nativist hatred for his opponent.

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47.

Warren Harding's conciliatory campaigning style served him well; however, one Warren Harding friend regarded the candidate's stump speech during the 1914 fall campaign as "a rambling, high-sounding mixture of platitudes, patriotism, and pure nonsense".

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48.

When Warren Harding joined the US Senate, the Democrats controlled both houses of Congress, and were led by President Wilson.

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49.

Warren Harding voted for the Eighteenth Amendment, which imposed prohibition, after successfully moving to modify it by placing a time limit on ratification, which was expected to kill it.

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50.

Once it was ratified anyway, Warren Harding voted to override Wilson's veto of the Volstead Bill, which implemented the amendment, assuring the support of the Anti-Saloon League.

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51.

Warren Harding reached out to Roosevelt once the former president declined the 1916 Progressive nomination, a refusal that effectively scuttled that party.

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52.

Warren Harding voted for most war legislation, including the Espionage Act of 1917, which restricted civil liberties, though he opposed the excess profits tax as anti-business.

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53.

Warren Harding was one of 39 senators who signed a round-robin letter opposing the League.

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54.

When Wilson invited the Foreign Relations Committee to the White House to informally discuss the treaty, Warren Harding ably questioned Wilson about Article X; the president evaded his inquiries.

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55.

On December 17,1919, Warren Harding made a low-key announcement of his presidential candidacy.

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56.

Warren Harding was far more acceptable to the "Old Guard" leaders of the party.

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57.

Warren Harding's strategy was to make Harding an acceptable choice to delegates once the leaders faltered.

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58.

Warren Harding tried to shore up his support through incessant letter-writing.

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59.

Warren Harding needed loyalists at the convention to have any chance of nomination, and the Wood campaign hoped to knock Harding out of the race by taking Ohio.

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60.

Warren Harding spoke in the non-confrontational style he had adopted in 1914.

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61.

Warren Harding carried Ohio by only 15,000 votes over Wood, taking less than half the total vote, and won only 39 of 48 delegates.

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62.

In Indiana, Warren Harding finished fourth, with less than ten percent of the vote, and failed to win a single delegate.

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63.

Warren Harding had asked Willis to place his name in nomination, and the former governor responded with a speech popular among the delegates, both for its folksiness and for its brevity in the intense Chicago heat.

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64.

Utah Senator Reed Smoot, before his departure early in the evening, backed Warren Harding, telling Hays and the others that as the Democrats were likely to nominate Governor Cox, they should pick Warren Harding to win Ohio.

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65.

Two other participants in the smoke-filled room discussions, Kansas Senator Charles Curtis and Colonel George Brinton McClellan Harvey, a close friend of Hays, predicted to the press that Warren Harding would be nominated because of the liabilities of the other candidates.

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66.

Warren Harding wanted Senator Irvine Lenroot of Wisconsin, who was unwilling to run, but before Lenroot's name could be withdrawn and another candidate decided on, an Oregon delegate proposed Governor Coolidge, which was met with a roar of approval from the delegates.

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67.

Warren Harding chose to conduct a front porch campaign, like McKinley in 1896.

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68.

Some years earlier, Warren Harding had remodeled his front porch to resemble McKinley's, which his neighbors felt signified presidential ambitions.

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69.

The front porch campaign allowed Warren Harding to avoid mistakes, and as time dwindled towards the election, his strength grew.

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70.

The travels of the Democratic candidates eventually caused Warren Harding to make several short speaking tours, but for the most part, he remained in Marion.

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71.

Warren Harding opposed entry into the League of Nations as negotiated by Wilson, but favored an "association of nations, " based on the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague.

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72.

Warren Harding was sworn in on March 4,1921, in the presence of his wife and father.

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73.

Warren Harding preferred a low-key inauguration, without the customary parade, leaving only the swearing-in ceremony and a brief reception at the White House.

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74.

Warren Harding went to Texas, where he fished and played golf with his friend Frank Scobey, then took ship for the Panama Canal Zone.

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75.

Warren Harding chose pro-League Charles Evans Hughes as his Secretary of State, ignoring the advice of Senator Lodge and others.

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76.

Warren Harding appointed Herbert Hoover as United States Secretary of Commerce.

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77.

Warren Harding was opposed by conservationists such as Gifford Pinchot, who wrote, "it would have been possible to pick a worse man for Secretary of the Interior, but not altogether easy".

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78.

Warren Harding made it clear when he appointed Hughes as Secretary of State that the former justice would run foreign policy, a change from Wilson's hands-on management of international affairs.

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79.

Warren Harding sought passage of a plan proposed by Mellon to give the administration broad authority to reduce war debts in negotiation, but Congress, in 1922, passed a more restrictive bill.

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80.

Warren Harding urged disarmament and lower defense costs during the campaign, but it had not been a major issue.

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81.

Warren Harding gave a speech to a joint session of Congress in April 1921, setting out his legislative priorities.

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82.

Warren Harding concurred, and after diplomatic discussions, representatives of nine nations convened in Washington in November 1921.

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83.

Warren Harding appointed Albert Lasker as its chairman; the advertising executive undertook to run the fleet as profitably as possible until it could be sold.

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84.

Intervention in Latin America had been a minor campaign issue, though Warren Harding spoke against Wilson's decision to send US troops to the Dominican Republic and Haiti, and attacked the Democratic vice presidential candidate, Franklin Roosevelt, for his role in the Haitian intervention.

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85.

Once Warren Harding was sworn in, Hughes worked to improve relations with Latin American countries who were wary of the American use of the Monroe Doctrine to justify intervention; at the time of Warren Harding's inauguration, the US had troops in Cuba and Nicaragua.

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86.

When Warren Harding took office on March 4,1921, the nation was in the midst of a postwar economic decline.

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87.

When Warren Harding addressed the joint session the following day, he urged the reduction of income taxes, an increase in tariffs on agricultural goods to protect the American farmer, as well as more wide-ranging reforms, such as support for highways, aviation, and radio.

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88.

In opposing the veterans' bonus, Warren Harding argued in his Senate address that much was already being done for them by a grateful nation, and that the bill would "break down our Treasury, from which so much is later on to be expected".

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89.

When Warren Harding signed the Fordney–McCumber Tariff Act on September 21,1922, he made a brief statement, praising the bill only for giving him some power to change rates.

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90.

In 1922, Warren Harding proclaimed that America was in the age of the "motor car", which "reflects our standard of living and gauges the speed of our present-day life".

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91.

Warren Harding urged regulation of radio broadcasting in his April 1921 speech to Congress.

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92.

Warren Harding wished to promote aviation, and Hoover again took the lead, convening a national conference on commercial aviation.

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93.

Warren Harding again promoted legislation but nothing was done until 1926, when the Air Commerce Act created the Bureau of Aeronautics within Hoover's Commerce Department.

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94.

Warren Harding was suspicious of organized labor, viewing it as a conspiracy against business.

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95.

Warren Harding sought to get them to work together at a conference on unemployment that he called to meet in September 1921 at Hoover's recommendation.

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96.

Warren Harding warned in his opening address that no federal money would be available.

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97.

Warren Harding greatly respected his Commerce Secretary, often asked his advice, and backed him to the hilt, calling Hoover "the smartest 'gink' I know".

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98.

Warren Harding recommended a settlement that made some concessions, but management objected.

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99.

Warren Harding sent a letter to Gary deploring the result, which was printed in the press, and public outcry caused the manufacturers to reverse themselves and standardize the eight-hour day.

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100.

Sinclair suggested that the fact that Warren Harding received two-fifths of the Southern vote in 1920 led him to see political opportunity for his party in the Solid South.

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101.

On October 26,1921, Warren Harding gave a speech in Birmingham, Alabama, to a segregated audience of 20,000 Whites and 10,000 Blacks.

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102.

Warren Harding, while stating that the social and racial differences between Whites and Blacks could not be bridged, urged equal political rights for the latter.

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103.

Many African-Americans at that time voted Republican, especially in the Democratic South, and Warren Harding stated he did not mind seeing that support end if the result was a strong two-party system in the South.

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104.

Warren Harding was willing to see literacy tests for voting continue, if applied fairly to White and Black voters.

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105.

Three days after the Tulsa race massacre of 1921, Warren Harding spoke at the all-Black Lincoln University in Pennsylvania.

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106.

Warren Harding supported Congressman Leonidas Dyer's federal anti-lynching bill, which passed the House of Representatives in January 1922.

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107.

When it reached the Senate floor in November 1922, it was filibustered by Southern Democrats, and Lodge withdrew it to allow the ship subsidy bill Warren Harding favored to be debated, though it was likewise blocked.

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108.

Warren Harding released 23 other war opponents at the same time as Debs, and continued to review cases and release political prisoners throughout his presidency.

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109.

Warren Harding defended his prisoner releases as necessary to return the nation to normalcy.

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110.

Warren Harding appointed four justices to the Supreme Court of the United States.

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111.

When Chief Justice Edward Douglass White died in May 1921, Warren Harding was unsure whether to appoint former president Taft or former Utah senator George Sutherland—he had promised seats on the court to both men.

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112.

Warren Harding appointed six judges to the United States Courts of Appeals, 42 judges to the United States district courts, and two judges to the United States Court of Customs Appeals.

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113.

Warren Harding then believed his early view of the presidency—that it should propose policies, but leave their adoption them to the Congress—was no longer enough, and he lobbied Congress, although in vain, to get his ship subsidy bill through.

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114.

Warren Harding had long suffered occasional health problems, but when he was not experiencing symptoms, he tended to eat, drink and smoke too much.

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115.

In June 1923, Ohio Senator Willis met with Warren Harding, but brought to the president's attention only two of the five items he intended to discuss.

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116.

In early June 1923, Warren Harding set out on a journey, which he dubbed the "Voyage of Understanding".

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117.

Warren Harding loved to travel and had long contemplated a trip to Alaska.

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118.

In Kansas City, Warren Harding spoke on transportation issues; in Hutchinson, Kansas, agriculture was the theme.

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119.

Warren Harding had become a supporter of the World Court, and wanted the US to become a member.

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120.

Warren Harding was the first president to visit Alaska, and spent hours watching the dramatic landscapes from the deck of the Henderson.

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121.

On July 26,1923, Warren Harding toured Vancouver, British Columbia as the first sitting American president to visit Canada.

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122.

Warren Harding visited a golf course, but completed only six holes before becoming fatigued.

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123.

Warren Harding did not succeed in hiding his exhaustion; one reporter thought he looked so tired that a rest of mere days would be insufficient to refresh him.

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124.

In Seattle the next day, Warren Harding kept up his busy schedule, giving a speech to 25,000 people at the stadium at the University of Washington.

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125.

Warren Harding went to bed early the evening of July 27,1923, a few hours after giving the speech at the University of Washington.

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126.

The press was told Warren Harding had experienced an "acute gastrointestinal attack" and his scheduled weekend in Portland was cancelled.

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127.

Warren Harding insisted on walking from the train to the car, and was then rushed to the Palace Hotel, where he suffered a relapse.

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128.

Warren Harding resumed reading when, a few seconds later, Harding twisted convulsively and collapsed back in the bed, gasping.

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129.

Florence Warren Harding immediately called the doctors into the room, but they were unable to revive him with stimulants; Warren Harding was pronounced dead a few minutes later, at the age of 57.

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130.

Warren Harding's death was initially attributed to a cerebral hemorrhage, as doctors at the time did not generally understand the symptoms of cardiac arrest.

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131.

Warren Harding was liked and admired, both the press and public had followed his illness closely, and had been reassured by his apparent recovery.

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132.

Warren Harding's body was carried to his train in a casket for a journey across the nation, which was followed closely in the newspapers.

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133.

In Marion, Warren Harding's body was placed on a horse-drawn hearse, which was followed by President Coolidge and Chief Justice Taft, then by Warren Harding's widow and his father.

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134.

Warren Harding had learned that Daugherty's factotum at the Justice Department, Jess Smith, was involved in corruption.

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135.

Murray noted that Warren Harding was not involved in the corruption and did not condone it.

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136.

Hoover replied that Warren Harding should publish and get credit for integrity, and asked for details.

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137.

Warren Harding stated that it had to do with Smith but, when Hoover enquired as to Daugherty's possible involvement, Warren Harding refused to answer.

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138.

The documents included a letter from Warren Harding stating that the transfer and leases had been with his knowledge and approval.

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139.

Warren Harding had ordered that all contracts be pursuant to public notice, but Forbes and the contractors worked out a deal whereby the two companies would get the contracts with the profits divided three ways.

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140.

At first Warren Harding did not believe it, but Sawyer secured proof in January 1923.

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141.

Warren Harding did not want an open scandal and allowed Forbes to flee to Europe, from where he resigned on February 15,1923.

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142.

Warren Harding had an extramarital affair with Carrie Fulton Phillips of Marion, which lasted about 15 years before ending in 1920.

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143.

Allegations of Warren Harding's other known mistress, Nan Britton, long remained uncertain.

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144.

Warren Harding's biographers, writing while Britton's allegations remained uncertain, differed on their truth; Russell believed them unquestioningly while Dean, having reviewed Britton's papers at UCLA, regarded them as unproven.

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145.

Sinclair suggested that a harsher standard was applied to Warren Harding compared with Grover Cleveland, who was elected president in 1884, although it was known he had a mistress and may have fathered a son out of wedlock.

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146.

Warren Harding was called a man of peace in many European newspapers.

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147.

Warren Harding has traditionally been ranked as one of the worst presidents.

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148.

Warren Harding has been last in many other polls since, which Ferrell attributes to scholars reading little but sensational accounts of Harding.

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