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Calvin Coolidge's Private War
November 11, 2004
Robert E. Gilbert professor, political science, Northeastern

Dr. Robert E. Gilbert, professor of political science at Northeastern University, discusses how profoundly affected President Coolidge was by the death of his 16-year-old son, Calvin Jr., as a result of blood poisoning in 1924. This experience plunged him into a deep and devastating depression from which he never fully recovered.

Calvin Coolidge, governor of Massachusetts and 30th president of the United States has often been described as a do-nothing, incompetent president who slept 15 of every 24 hours, despite having been a respected and capable governor.

Health & Science | History
Biographies | Calvin Coolidge | Human Rights | Military & Warfare
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Image of The Tormented President: Calvin Coolidge, Death, and Clinical Depression (Contributions in American History)
Author: Robert E. Gilbert
Publisher: Praeger (2003)
Binding: Hardcover, 312 pages
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