Passed Presidents - # 29 – Warren G. Harding

This date prompts a change in the order the presidents’ grave sites will be presented. It might be a bit of a jolt since we jump from the 18th century and the significant contributions of our Founding Fathers [See #1 - GW; #2 – JA; #3 – TJ and #4 – JM] to the 20th century and a man who said of himself, while in office, “I am not fit for this office and never should have been here.” That’s a quote they’ll carve on a wall someday.

President Harding and his Airedale, Laddie Boy

From exhibit of Presidents’ pets at The Newseum (7 March 2010)

So, instead of presenting the sites in the order of each president’s term, our next guest is up because today is the 90th anniversary of Mr. Harding’s death. He was on an extended tour of the American West, including the Alaska Territory, when he died suddenly in San Francisco on August 2, 1923. He is one of eight presidents to die in office...four by assassination and the third from Ohio on that short list. Now there’s a creepy distinction – “Welcome to Ohio – Home to Half the Murdered Presidents”. More on that in September.

It was the second road trip after my retirement...a three-day swing through Ohio to visit four burial sites. I travelled with good buddy, Frank. I call him ‘Frnak’ because when I type his name too fast, it often comes out that way. Now his wife calls him “Fer-nak”...I love it. Anyway, I pick him up the day after his Penn State Nittany Kittens lost a football game to the Ohio State Buckeyes. I suggested that as long as we were going to Marion first, we could swing by Columbus and I could shoot the capitol building. Funny thing happened while it was his turn to drive. He conveniently missed the interstate exit toward Columbus and we were well on our way to Pittsburgh before I noticed. While he claims it was an honest mistake, deep down, he was not going anywhere near Columbus that day. The ‘Frnak Diversion’ has become legend...and sounds like a classic chess move.

Warren Gamaliel Harding was raised in Marion, Ohio. He was a newspaper publisher before he entered politics. His home is there as is his final resting place...one of the prettiest of all the presidents’ graves.

Home of 29th President, Warren Harding, 
Marion, OH (25 September 2006)

Consider how different campaigning was then. In 1920, while his Democrat challenger toured the country, Harding stayed here, enjoying the comforts of home. The press came to him. They paid to see him give pronouncements from his porch and then spread the word around the nation. The campaign didn’t need a half billion dollar war chest to feed the TV ad machine. 

It was the first election where women were allowed to vote and unfortunately, they turned out for the handsome, philandering, empty suit of a ladies man. He was the first sitting senator to be elected president. I believe only Kennedy and Obama can also make that claim. He was the first president to ride to his inauguration in an automobile and the first to speak on radio. Instead of doing his job, he was known for his all-night poker games at the White House. His wife, Florence [her friends called her ‘Flossie’; the President called her ‘The Duchess’] served alcohol in violation of the 18th Amendment...upholding our fine political tradition that the laws elected officials pass don’t really apply to themselves.

I have to admit, before I read about him recently, the only thing I could associate with his administration was the infamous Teapot Dome Scandal. In another ‘first’ for the Harding times, Albert Fall, his Secretary of the Interior, became the first Cabinet member to be sent to prison. For this and other failures, the man has been a fixture on every ‘Bottom Ten’ list of U.S. presidents. At least he appointed Taft to the Supreme Court.

The Harding Tomb, Marion, OH (25 September 2006)

The man was not a picture of good health and fitness. He had heart disease and suffered from fatigue and depression. His dalliances alone would have run a healthy man ragged. He had mistresses and affairs galore, some producing children. When he went on the trip west, he was also stressed about the pending poop storm his corrupt ‘friends’ in the Cabinet had created. Most documents say he died of a coronary. Some mention food poisoning because his quack doctor said that’s what happened in Alaska but he wouldn’t allow anyone else to examine the president. I’m in the camp that strongly suspects The Duchess poisoned his two-timing butt. She was alone with him when he died and then refused to permit an autopsy. Death by natural causes...wink, wink.

Warren G. Harding

29th President; Served 1921-1923

Born: November 2, 1865, Blooming Grove, OH

Died: August 2, 1923, San Francisco, CA

Grave Location: Harding Tomb, Marion, OH

Date Visited: 9/25/2006

The man was a zero. His administration was a kleptocracy. His cronies were scoundrels and thieves. At least the ladies liked him.

In addition to the simple caution that we should watch out for how power can corrupt the powerful, we are also reminded of just how easy it is for this to happen. The two administrations before Harding’s were more active and disciplined and the nation was eager to recover from the First World War. Harding won by promoting a “Return to Normalcy” and the public ate it up. As a more recent administration demonstrated, when it’s all about helping your friends more than the people; and the priorities are tax breaks, lax regulation and public risk for the sake of private gain, the nation gets shafted. Is this a great country or what?