Famous Citizens:

Chester Arthur
The son of a Baptist clergyman and abolitionist, Chester A. Arthur, was born in the Green Mountain country of Vermont. He became a successful lawyer in New York City, served as the state’s quartermaster general during the Civil War, and was appointed collector of customs at the port of New York by President Grant in 1871.

Arthur was named James A. Garfield’s presidential running mate at the Republican National Convention in 1880 and served as Vice President from March 4 to September 19, 1881. He became the 21st President of the United States (1881-1885) after Garfield was assassinated by Charles Guiteau, a disgruntled office-seeker.

Arthur, who enjoyed high living and lavish entertaining, felt that the White House was too austere and gloomy for his taste. He refused to move into the Executive Mansion until extensive renovations were made.

Although his strong-willed leadership alienated many members of the Republican Party, Arthur won the respect of the American public for his honest and resourceful administration. He insisted on using increased government revenues from a rapidly growing economy to rebuild the Navy and reduce the national debt. He also reformed the civil service system and established competitive exams for federal jobs.

 

 

Calvin Coolidge
Born in Plymouth, Vermont, in 1872, Calvin Coolidge was the 30th President of the United States (1923-1929), and the only President born on Independence Day.

The reserved and frugal community in which he was raised had a profound influence on him throughout his life. Quiet and industrious, Coolidge graduated from Amherst College, set up a law practice in Massachusetts, and began a long career of public service. He held 19 offices over a period of twenty years, ranging from town councilman to state governor.

Coolidge established himself as a man of decisive action while governor of Massachusetts. His firm stance in the face of rioting following a police strike in Boston led to his nomination for vice-president in 1920 under Warren G. Harding.

On August 2, 1923, Vice President Coolidge was vacationing on his family’s farm in the foothills of the Green Mountains of Vermont when the news came of President Harding’s sudden death. Coolidge’s father, a notary public, administered the oath of office to his son at 3:00 AM by the light of a kerosene lamp.

Coolidge did much to rectify the scandals of the Harding administration. He returned illegally sold oil lands to the federal government and prosecuted the offenders. His actions restored confidence in the Republican Party and removed any hint of blame for the scandals.

He was elected to a full term of office in 1924. Stating, “The business of America is business,” Coolidge reduced the national debt by $2 billion, opposed reduction of Europe’s war debt, and led the country in a post-war economic boom. Although he was known as “Silent Cal,” he was the first President to have his “State of the Union Address” broadcast on the radio.

 

 

John Deere
John Deere was born in Rutland, Vermont, and spent his boyhood and young adulthood in Middlebury. He apprenticed as a blacksmith, and in 1825, began his career. He soon developed a reputation for careful workmanship. In the 1830s, business conditions deteriorated, and John Deere migrated westward with other Vermonters. In 1836, he established a blacksmith’s forge in Grand Detour, Illinois. He discovered that the cast-iron plows being used by farmers were inefficient in the rich soil of the Midwest, so he developed a steel plow that revolutionized farming for the settlers of the area. Within ten years, his company was producing 1,000 plows a year.

 

 

George Dewey
Naval officer; born in Montpelier, Vt. George Dewey served under David Farragut during the Civil War, then followed the standard career of a peacetime naval officer. In 1897 he was assigned command of the Asiatic Squadron, and in May 1898 he directed the action in Manila Bay that totally defeated the Spanish fleet (during which he is said to have commanded his flagship's captain, "You may fire when you are ready, Gridley.") Dewey stayed on for over a year to oversee the American takeover of the Philippines, then returned to a tremendous hero's welcome. He was honored with a special rank, admiral of the navy, and urged to run for U.S. president; but he settled for presidency of the General Board of the Navy Department, serving as an adviser on naval affairs to his death.

 

 

John Dewey
John Dewey was born in Burlington, Vermont and graduated from the University of Vermont. In 1896, he established a Laboratory School at the University of Chicago to put his educational theories into practice. He has been thought of as the “father of progressive education” and his theories emphasized the combination of learning with concrete activity.