Warren G. Harding

Warren G. Harding
Portrait by Edmund Hodgson Smart
29th President of the United States
In office
March 4, 1921 – August 2, 1923
Vice PresidentCalvin Coolidge
Preceded byWoodrow Wilson
Succeeded byCalvin Coolidge
United States Senator
from Ohio
In office
March 4, 1915 – January 13, 1921
Preceded byTheodore E. Burton
Succeeded byFrank B. Willis
28th Lieutenant Governor of Ohio
In office
January 11, 1904 – January 8, 1906
GovernorMyron T. Herrick
Preceded byHarry L. Gordon
Succeeded byAndrew L. Harris
Member of the Ohio Senate
from the 13th district
In office
January 1, 1900 – January 4, 1904
Preceded byHenry May
Succeeded bySamuel H. West
Personal details
Born(1865-11-02)November 2, 1865
Near Blooming Grove, Ohio
DiedAugust 2, 1923(1923-08-02) (aged 57)
San Francisco, California
NationalityAmerican
Political partyRepublican
Spouse(s)Florence Kling Harding

Warren Gamaliel Harding (November 2, 1865 – August 2, 1923) was the 29th president of the United States from 1921 to his death. Before becoming president, he was a senator and the assistant governor of Ohio. Before he was in government, he was an important newspaper manager. He was a Republican.

Presidency

After World War I, he was elected on the promise to return the United States back to normal. He supported limited government in the economy. During his term, he lowered taxes and believed that the economy should not be regulated too much. In 1922, Harding became the first president to have his voice transmitted by radio when he addressed a crowd in Baltimore.[1]

Harding made the mistake of appointing his friends to high political positions. As a result, they corruptly abused their power for their personal gai,n and several scandals happened during his presidency, including the infamous Teapot Dome scandal, based in Teapot Dome, Wyoming, and involving Secretary of the Interior Albert Fall. Other untrustworthy people included Edward Doheny and Harry Sinclair.

Death

He died in office of a heart attack in 1923 in San Francisco while he was on a speaking tour. Vice President Calvin Coolidge then became president after .

Personal life

Harding cheated on his wife with Carrie Phillips, a family friend eho supported Germany during World War I. In fact, many people thought that she was a spy.

He also cheated with Nan Britton, who was over 30 years younger, and fathered a child with her . Afterward, she wrote a book, The President's Daughter, telling her story, but most people did not believe her. However, in 2015, DNA testing confirmed that she had told the truth about the baby.

Legacy

Historians consider him one of the worst presidents because of all the scandals that happened while he was president, including much corrupt and bribery, though he was not involved personally.

References

  1. "Moment 64: Warren G. Harding Becomes First President to Have His Voice Transmitted by Radio". We Are Broadcasters. Retrieved December 20, 2024.

Other websites