On the August 2, 1923, Warren G. Harding drew his last breath. He would be the sixth out of eight presidents so far to die in office, and third of four who died of illness as opposed to assassination.
Beloved when he was alive, Harding’s reputation took a sharp downturn once the truth of his administration was revealed. Teapot Dome showed his political failings. His extramarital affairs and illegitimate daughters showed his moral and personal failings.
As we hit one hundred years since the death of Harding, let’s explore about the man remembered for his affairs and scandal. We’ll cover who he was, who he became, his personal life and what really happened when he died.
Early Life
Warren Gamaliel Harding was born on the November 2, 1865 in the rural area of Blooming Grove, Ohio. Whilst some presidents came from great wealth and others came from great poverty, Harding was from a relatively comfortable family. His father George, usually known by his middle name of Tryon, was a physician whose family had their origins in early America. Tryon had been afforded a premier education and was a teacher and farmer. When Harding was young, his father retrained as a doctor.
His mother Phoebe was a midwife, and unusually for the time, was granted a medical license. She and Tryon had eloped in 1864. Following Phoebe’s death in 1910, Tryon had two more wives- Eudora, whom he married in 1911 and divorced in 1916, and Alice, whom he was married to from 1921 until his death.
Harding was the eldest of eight children. He would recall a very happy childhood on the farm. Harding attended a one-room schoolhouse, likely due to the rural nature of his upbringing.
At age fourteen, Harding would attend Ohio Central College, his father’s alma mater. It was here that Harding would begin his newspaper career when he and a friend created the Iberian Spectator. He graduated in 1882.
The Rise of Harding
His mother Phoebe had given him the middle name of Gamaliel in hopes that her son would enter the church. In Christian tradition, Gamaliel was a powerful figure who saved the Apostles from being executed. This did not occur. Harding would grow up a Baptist who often talked about Christianity, though he did not attend church.
Harding tried his hand at several occupations, all unsuccessfully, upon graduation. It was not until he helped buy a newspaper, the Marion Star, that things started to look up. Harding proved a talented editor and good businessman. His wife Florence was also an integral part of the paper, as will be discussed later.
His first real entry into politics occured in 1884. Harding attended the Republican National Convention. He would become a diehard Republican with a begrudging acceptance of Democrats. His reputation as a fair editor of a balanced newspaper made him popular with both parties and his star soon began to rise.
Harding made lots of friends, but few enemies, due to his general choice of not rocking the boat. In 1899, he easily won a seat in the Ohio state senate. His affability and charm made him a huge hit among fellow politicians. This early political career also showed the corrupt side of Harding, such as his use of nepotism regarding his sister.
He also saw losses, such as failing to gain the nomination for Lieutenant Governor and Governor on his first try. In this wilderness period, Harding returned to journalism. This did not last long. In 1912, Harding had become so well-known and liked that he placed William H. Taft’s name in nomination. Two years later, he won the election to become Senator for Ohio.
Harding once again kept neutral on important issues such as prohibition. His affability and willingness to work hard made him a well-liked member of the Senate. One issue that he was strong on, however, was the League of Nations. Harding totally opposed it and used his strength to oppose America joining it. He and other critics would be successful.
The Wife and the Women
One cannot talk about Harding and his life without mentioning two things: his wife and his lovers.
His wife was Florence Kling DeWolfe. Florence was an intelligent woman whose father Amos had taught her lots of practical skills. Amos was, however, a very domineering man who had raised Florence as a boy. Florence eloped with Henry DeWolfe, likely to escape her father and also because she was pregnant. Amos despised DeWolfe. DeWolfe proved to be a poor husband and he soon abandoned his family. Amos would care for Florence’s son Marshall but refused to provide for his divorced daughter.
Soon after, Florence met Harding. Amos Kling despised Harding for three main reasons- the first was that Harding had trashed Kling in the press, the second that there were rumours that he had African-American ancestry and the third that he was a social climber . Amos once chased Harding around with a gun.
Harding and Florence eloped in 1891. Florence soon proved herself a formidable woman who essentially ran her husband’s newspaper. It was her work that really improved the Marion Star. Florence would also hire Ohio’s first female journalist against all advice. She would also be an active supporter of his campaigns. In order to protect Harding’s political career, Florence would say that she was widowed.
Florence would prove to be a very popular and modern First Lady. She invited prominent women to the White House, drove her own car, used the press, kept up with political goings on and pushed for women to be in public life. You can read more about her in this piece.
Unfortunately, Harding was not a faithful husband. His first known mistress was a woman named Carrie Phillips. She was a resident of Marion, Ohio and a good friend of Florence. The families became friends and often travelled together. In 1905, Florence became dangerously ill and required emergency surgery. It was around this time that Harding and Phillips began an affair. Thousands of love letters were exchanged when they were apart. Florence would not discover this until 1911. She was extremely angry and was undoubtedly pleased when the Phillips family headed to Germany. Florence never spoke to her again. Whilst she considered divorcing Harding, she was too focused on their shared political ambitions.
It was unfortunately not the last that they heard of Phillips. During her time in Germany, Phillips became sympathetic to the nation. During WW1, during which the family had returned to America, Phillips urged Harding to vote against sending troops over there. Harding ignored said advice.
She would pop up once again in 1920. As he had been nominated for the Republican ticket, Harding thought it wise to inform the party brass of his affair and the love letters. Concerned, the party reached out to Phillips. She was given an all expenses paid trip to the Far East as well as a yearly sum that would be paid until her death. It’s estimated that she could have been paid up to $25K along with her hush money. This affair was hushed up until 1963, three years after Phillips’ death and forty years after Harding’s.
A mistress who was significant for a different reason was Nan Britton. She’d had a crush on Harding since she was a teenager-even having posters of him on her bedroom wall- and that did not change with time. Britton took on work as a secretary aged eighteen and that was when the affair was believed to have started. The two even slept together in a White House closet as Secret Service agents kept watch. He took her virginity in a hotel room that was promptly raided by police. It was only when the police recognised Harding that they got off.
In 1927, Britton published a book with an extraordinary claim. She stated that her daughter Elizabeth was actually Harding’s natural child. Harding had promised to take care of Elizabeth, but his death put a stop to that. This led to the need for Britton to make money. For years, the claim was unverified. It wasn’t until 2015 that DNA confirmed that Elizabeth Britton Blaesing was indeed the daughter of Harding.
Harding may have had other lovers, and it is indeed likely, but their names are not known.
A President
Harding, along with Vice Presidential candidate Calvin Coolidge, won easily in the 1920 election. The campaign slogan was a ‘return to normalcy,’ referring to the hardships endured during WWI. It also happened to be the first year that women could (generally) vote alongside men, which meant that Florence was the first First Lady to vote for her husband.
His cabinet included several people who would go on to have even more prominent careers. One is obviously Vice President Coolidge, who would succeed Harding as president upon his untimely death. Well-respected and prominent Secretary of Commerce Herbert Hoover would succeed Coolidge in 1929. Secretary of State Charles Evan Hughes would become Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in 1930.
Harding had a generally good relationship with Coolidge and invited him to cabinet meetings, a first for any vice President.
Domestic issues included the Great Railway Strike of 1922, building of highways and veterans’ issues. Foreign issues included the question of the League of Nations, the official ending of U.S. involvement in WWI and naval disarmament.
Harding was notably very progressive on civil rights issues and is not recorded to have said anything intolerant. In one 1921 speech, Harding spoke eloquently and passionately for civil rights in front of a crowd of both blacks and whites. The whites, including Governor of Alabama Thomas Kilby, sat in stunned silence. Meanwhile, the African-American audience responded with deafening cheers. Harding openly supported a federal anti-lynching bill, something that would he opposed by Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Despite his extremely high popularity, Harding and his administration were involved in scandals that never reached the public until after his death. Bribes and kickbacks were aplenty. Favouritism was evident. One case even led to death. Harry M. Daugherty was attorney-general and his appointment was criticised. One of his aides was his old friend Jess Smith. He was a well-connected man with access to the White House and dinner privileges. They resided at an address in DC that became a den of sin. In an era of prohibition, drinks flowed. Questionable appointments were made. Eventually, arrangements were made to sell government liquor to bootleggers among other things. Smith became a liability and Harding ordered him out of the White House.
Almost as soon as he’d heard the news, Smith started burning all of his documents. Not long later, a gunshot was heard. The first law enforcement officer on scene was the director of the Bureau of Investigations, later the FBI. No doctors was called and that wasn’t just because there was a gaping hole in Smith’s head. The gun had ‘disappeared’ before police arrived. No autopsy was ordered. Despite it being ruled a suicide- something that was actually likely- not everybody agreed. Smith’s ex-wife had remained a very good friend and adamantly believed that he was killed in order to protect the administration. It’s still up to debate.
The most famous scandal was that of the Teapot Dome. In short, Secretary of the Interior Albert Fall took bribes from friends in return for allowing them the drilling rights at several federal land sites. A final lease was signed on the April 7, 1922 for the Teapot Dome site. Fall earned at least $369K.
Everything seemed fine until a week later. The story was leaked to the Wall Street Journal, mentioning Teapot Dome and the other sites. There was immediate uproar. Despite this, Harding backed Fall, even offering him a Supreme Court seat when he resigned. Hearings would begin later in the year, with Harding dying in the interim. At first, it seemed that Fall was going to get away with it, but the discovery of a $100K ‘loan’ changed things. After a long investigation lasting several years, Fall would be found guilty and spent a year inside.
As Harding died before the truth of Fall’s involvement, he would remain blameless upon his death. It was only the subsequent discoveries that would see Harding’s reputation nosedive.
Death in a San Francisco Hotel Room:
In June 1923, Harding started his ‘Voyage of Understanding.’ This whistle stop tour would involve a trip to Alaska and the Western United States. Doctors were wary of him going on the trip, but both Harding and Florence were desperate to see Alaska. Stops included Missouri, Kansas, Oregon and Washington. Harding started to feel tired after Alaska and Canada, but plowed through. In Seattle, he started experiencing stomach problems. This forced them to cancel trips in Portland, but they went on to San Francisco.
Harding insisted on walking from the car to the Palace Hotel, but collapsed. He had to be helped inside. Doctors diagnosed pneumonia and food poisoning, ordering Harding to stay in bed. He was given heart medication. Things seemed to be going well and Harding seemingly began to recover.
On the evening of the August 2, 1923, Harding was sat up in bed. Florence was reading favourable newspaper coverage at his bedside. He requested ‘That’s good. Go on, read some more.’ Seconds later, Harding started to convulse before dropping onto the bed. Florence ran out and summoned for help, but it was no use. Warren Gamaliel Harding died at the age of 57 in room 8604 of the Palace Hotel, San Francisco.
Whilst doctors initially said that it was a cerebral hemorrhage, Harding actually died of a heart attack. He’d actually had heart problems for a long time but they were not picked up on.
Vice President Calvin Coolidge was at his father’s home in Vermont without any means of direct communication. He was asleep when a messenger arrived at the home to announce Harding’s death and his subsequent ascension. With his wife by his side, Coolidge was sworn in by his father at 2:47am.
The nation immediately went into mourning for the beloved president. Millions lined the tracks as his funeral train travelled from San Francisco and D.C. His body lay in state and he received a large funeral before he was taken to Marion. Harding was buried in the Marion Cemetery Receiving Vault and was later reinterred at the Harding Tomb upon its completion.
Harding was survived by his father George, who would die in 1928. Florence chose not to have an autopsy performed for her husband, leading to accusations that she’d poisoned him because of his affairs. She would only outlive Harding by a year- her kidney ailment would finally catch up with her and she died on the November 21, 1924. Florence would be buried with her husband.
The Legacy
In the immediate years after his death, Harding remained a well-liked president. It wasn’t until his administration’s scandals came out and his involvement in them that opinion changed. He is historically ranked as one of the worst presidents of all time, with the likes of James Buchanan usually hitting the absolute bottom. Historians usually cite his corruption and lack of decisiveness as a reason.
That being said, Harding has seen somewhat of a renaissance in terms of his legacy. Scholars and historians are more sympathetic to him as both a man and a president. They point to his economic success and help in stabilising Europe as proof of this. His lack of racism is positively compared to the views and actions of his predecessor Woodrow Wilson.
Whilst rumours of the parentage of Elizabeth Britton Blaesing swirled for decades, it wasn’t until 2015 that DNA confirmed it.
For many, Warren G. Harding is the historical example of a corrupt president. He is not remembered for anything magnificent in the way Lincoln is for the Emancipation Proclamation or George Washington for being Father of the Nation. Whilst he did not share the great sins of James Buchanan and Andrew Johnson, Harding was still embroiled in scandal.
As a person, Harding was clearly not the most moral. He was an adulterer who cheated on his wife whilst she was recovering from illness. Whilst Harding did promise to provide for his love child, his death put an end to that. Harding did show some goodness though- he was a genial fellow with an active dislike for racism.
One hundred years after his death, Harding has seen his reputation go up and down. He went from hero to villain to something in between. America has seen two presidential deaths since then, both popular presidents who get much higher approval ratings than Harding. He may not be completely complex, but he is deserving of proper scholarly analysis.
What would Harding make of his legacy? He had an obsession with being liked and popular, so being so poorly regarded might not sit well with him. That being said, would he have minded a little notoriety?
I think not.
