Hello Lovelies and welcome to the second edition of Travel through TIME . Today’s exploration is the life of Warren Harding. Prior to researching this post, the only things I knew about Warren Harding came from watching Boardwalk Empire. Turns out he wasn’t a terrible guy, especially not if we are setting the curve with our current president.
The Daily Star
Warren Harding’s first career was that of a newspaper man. His father had previously invested in a newspaper, which is where Harding learned the basics of how the business worked. Then at the age of 19, he and two friends purchased The Daily Star in Marion, Ohio. Harding did just about every job, from reporter, to printer and sales. He had a policy of positivity. Even when he didn’t agree with something, he didn’t write to bring people down. We could use more of that now a days.
Carrie Phillips
James and Carrie Philips were friends with Warren and Florence Harding in Marion, Ohio. The two couples socialized and traveled together. Unfortunately for Florence, Carrie had her sights set on Warren. The two carried on an affair for at least 10 years, based on letters that she saved.
Those letters were found in 1964 and currently reside in the Library of Congress. They were not made public until 2014. They are incredibly detailed, some being 40-50 handwritten pages long, and graphic as well, as evidenced by the nickname for his genitalia being Jerry and hers being Mrs Pouterson.
Porch Campaign for Presidency
After Warren Harding received the nomination to run for president by the Republican Party, he returned home to Marion Ohio to begin a front porch campaign. This idea was really hard to wrap my head around, because today presidential candidates visit every state, sometimes more than one in a day. But Harding welcomed people to come visit him at home, to listen to him speak and to get to know who he was as a person. This simplicity appeals to me. It doesn’t pander to lobbyists. It’s lowers his carbon footprint, although if too many people travel to see him it will increase above that. And it offers the opportunity to see the candidate without all the bells and whistles of a campaign.
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Warren Harding was president at the dedication ceremony of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from WW1 in Arlington National Cemetery on November 11, 1921. He officiated the ceremony and placed the Medal of Honor on the casket. The tomb remained unguarded until November 17th 1925, when a civilian guard began doing daytime shifts.
The Scandals
The second year of Warren Harding’s presidency was plagued by scandals. First his friend, Charles Forbes, stole money from the newly formed veterans bureau, which he was appointed to run. The breach of trust devastated the president, but this didn’t cause him to doubt his other friends.
He should have become more skeptical though. Maybe that would have made him listen to the concerns about his Secretary of the Interior, Albert Fall. Fall created the scandal known as Teapot Dome in which he granted lucrative oil contracts in exchange for kickbacks. The extent of his deception was unknown before Harding’s death, but have tainted the legacy of Warren Harding just the same.
Death
Warren Harding died at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco. He had over extended himself during his trip to Alaska and was diagnosed with an enlarged heart. After a couple days of rest, the president was thought to be on the mend. Dr Sawyer, the White House physician, declared the scare had passed. Then a day later, President Harding died from a suspected heart attack in his hotel room with his wife. No autopsy was performed.
Resources
Presidential Chronicles: The Life of Warren Harding by David Fisher
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrie_Fulton_Phillips
This post took me forever to write and I apologize. I have yet to figure out how to balance work and blogger life.
Sorry,
Kristie
Kristie's Craziness 
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