Grace (Goodhue) Coolidge (1879-1957)

She was one of America's most beloved First Ladies. Born in Burlington, Vermont, she attended the University of Vermont and became a teacher at the Clarke School for the Deaf in Northampton, Massachusetts, where she developed a lifelong commitment to deaf education. She met Calvin Coolidge in 1904, and they married the following year. Her warm, outgoing personality contrasted sharply with her taciturn husband's reserved nature. When he became the 30th President in 1923, Grace charmed the nation with her gracious manner, fashion sense, and genuine approachability. She modernized the White House social scene and became a cultural icon of the 1920s. The Coolidges' time in office was marked by personal tragedy when their younger son, Calvin Jr., died in 1924. After leaving the White House in 1929, she continued her work for the deaf and people with hearing disabilities. She remained a respected public figure until her death, remembered for bringing warmth and humanity to the presidency.