By now, readers of this blog know that Grace Goodhue Coolidge is one of my favorite First Ladies. She was a charter member of the Vermont Beta Chapter of Pi Beta Phi and the chapter was installed in the Goodhue home. She attended two Pi Beta Phi conventions, one as a chapter delegate and the other as an alumna.
She was a founder and first president of the Springfield, MA, Alumnae Club of Pi Beta Phi and she served as a Province Vice-President. In 1924, the Eastern Conference of Pi Beta Phi, an event that took place only once, had as its cornerstone the dedication of the First Lady’s official White House portrait. Mrs. Coolidge greeted all of the 1,200+ attendees and a picture was taken on the White House lawn.
How I wish I could have been among those in attendance on that April day in 1924! I just located this talking movie clip of the First Lady from Historian Carl Anthony’s collection. I urge you to watch and listen. I love her smile at the end.
