1. Warren Gamaliel Harding “… a poor president,… a very good friend.” David Jacobs

2. Background  Oldest of 8 children  Born in 1865 in Ohio  After graduating Ohio Central College, became the editor of the Star  Married Florence Kling DeWolf (a brassy divorcee with a son)  She somewhat took over the business of the Star (and is said to have spanked the paper boys when they did not do their jobs)

3. Politics on the Horizon  1890s Harding began to take an active role in Republican politics  1898 elected an Ohio State Senator  Charming, friendly, enthusiastic, an ideal unifier for the faction-ridden Republican party  People were frustrated with the Democratic party of WWI so the Republicans won easily.

4. Harding Nominated  Did poorly in the primaries  Yet the bosses were very sure of his nomination  Legend states that at the Chicago convention, there was a secret meeting in a “smoke filled room” where a deal was made for Harding to become the next president.  No proof of any deal

5. Harding Elected  Harding won in a landslide  He appealed to the average American who was tired of war and fearful of losing control  He pushed a “return to normalcy”  Won 60% of the popular vote against two other strong contenders  Won 404 to Cox’s 127 Electoral Votes

6. The Beginning of the End  Harding’s friends felt as though they had gotten him elected and deserved spoils  Harding knew these men did not possess amazing political giftedness, but he brought them into his administration anyway  “God, I can’t be and ingrate!”

7. 1922  The year of suicide began  Two of Harding’s federal employee’s killed themselves One of them left a suicide note that Harding refused to read Charles Cramer; Jesse Smith Smith had been arranging protection for bootleggers from raids by prohibition agents and for selling permits for alcohol production (despite 18 th Amendment and the Volstead Act)

8. 1923  The president was worried and depressed  He headed on a trip across the country with his Secretary of Commerce, Herbert Hoover  As he traveled the news of the scandals in the top ranks of his cabinet were brought out by the media

9. Friends and enemies  “I have no trouble with my enemies… but my **** friends, their the ones that keep me walking the floors at nights.” http://teachpol.tcnj.edu/amer_pol_hist/fi/000001 3c.htm

10. San Francisco  Harding never made it back to Washington, DC  He died en route of a heart attack  There are many myths and rumors surrounding his death http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/spe cials/elections/1920/harding.html http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/spe cials/elections/1920/harding.html

11. Last Words  In a eulogy by Herbert Hoover, it was said of Harding: “Here was a man whose soul was seared by a great disillusionment… Warren Harding had a dim realization that he had been betrayed by a few of the men whom he had believed were his devoted friends. That was the tragedy of… (his) life…”

12. Bibliography  Beschloss, M. (Ed.). (2000). The Presidents: Every Leader from Washington to Bush., NY: American Heritage.