Calvin Coolidge, the 30th president of the United States, was a relaxed Republican president. He enjoyed getting head massages with Vaseline while he ate breakfast, he slept over 10 hours a day, worked no more than fours hours a day, and made sure to take a daily afternoon nap. However, with all his leisure time he still managed to satisfy the public.
On this day, February 12th, in 1924, Calvin Coolidge makes the first presidential address via radio. In his State of the Union address, Coolidge paid homage to President Harding (who died right before Coolidge became president). He spoke on political matters such as foreign affairs and government finances. The radio broadcast was a success and over 5 million Americans were tuned in. Coolidge jump started radio use in politics and later Democratic and Republican conventions were broadcast. At least once a month, Coolidge made radio announcements and his frequent contact with the public developed a personal bond.
During his tenure, Coolidge settled the Boston Police Strike in 1919, regained the public’s trust in the White House after previous scandals and managed to reduce the size of the government by limiting its interference with businesses.