CALVIN COOLIDGE (R) - 1923-1929
The 30th President has been disparaged by many historians, but the more I read about him, the more I can't help but admire what this boring man was able to do.
When Pres. Harding died, all the news of his corrupt administration came out, but somehow Coolidge was able to stay above it and reassure the American public that normalcy would remain. The Roaring Twenties happened on his watch, and while he was introverted and uncomfortable, his laissez-faire approach allowed for a lot of innovation. (It also needs to be noted that the Federal government was a lot less involved back then.)
Coolidge was given some leeway when his son died in 1924. He handily won a quiet re-election with his motto "Keep Cool with Coolidge." He fought for civil rights and made sure no members of the Ku Klux Klan were in his administration. Southern Democrats in congress filibustered all of his attempts at anti-lynching legislation.
He actually didn't want Hoover to be the next Republican nominee when he chose not to run again, but he didn't fight it. Perhaps he should have.
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