Calvin Coolidge
Ginger-haired, painfully shy
not an athlete, and lacking in social skills
this Vermont Farmer’s son was a misfit
on the campus of Amherst College
No fraternity would have him
and they labeled him an “Ouden”
(Greek for nothing)
Woefully homesick, still grieving
the loss of his mother and sister
Cal muddled along, friendless
and nearly penniless
with undistinguished grades
but gaining in writing and speaking skills
In time, Cal and fellow students
discovered he had a funny bone
A dry, sharp wit (at lightening speed)
came easier than small talk
which lead, at last, to friends
and a coveted fraternity invite
Without funds for law school
he moved across the river
apprenticed in a firm, passed the bar
took a fancy to a teacher
and called Northampton home for the rest of his life
A devoted public servant
guided by the law, the Constitution
and a good woman named Grace
Cal’s integrity and work ethic lead
to the highest office in the country
Not bad for an “Ouden”
(Coolidge served, among other distinguished titles, as city councilor, mayor,
state senator, president of State Senate, lieutenant governor, governor,
vice president, president, elected in 1924.)
Christine Nolan
Retired city teacher and volunteer at Calvin Coolidge Presidential Library, Forbes Library, Northampton