Warren G. Harding

Warren Gamaliel Harding was the 29th president of the United States.

He served from 1921 until his death in 1923. Harding was a member of the Republican Party. At the time of his death, he was a very popular leader. However, his reputation changed after he passed away. Many scandals involving his administration were revealed later. These events caused his historical standing to drop significantly. For many decades, historians ranked him among the worst presidents. Recently, some scholars have begun to reassess his actual record in office.

Harding was born on November 2, 1865, in Blooming Grove, Ohio. He was the eldest of eight children. His father, Tryon, was a farmer and a doctor. His mother, Phoebe, worked as a licensed midwife. The family moved to Caledonia in 1870. They were known to be abolitionists.

Harding learned the basics of journalism as a young boy. He worked at a local weekly newspaper called The Argus. By age 14, he was already publishing a small paper with a friend. He graduated from Ohio Central College in 1882. After graduation, he worked as a teacher and an insurance agent. He also briefly studied law before entering the newspaper business.

In 1883, Harding purchased a failing daily newspaper called The Marion Star.

He raised $300 to buy the paper with partners. The Star was the weakest of three papers in Marion. Harding worked hard to build it into a successful business. He adopted a tempered editorial stance to attract more readers. He published a nonpartisan daily and a moderately Republican weekly. This strategy helped him outcompete other local papers. Harding was the only U.S. president to have full-time journalism experience. His success in business helped him build an estate worth $850,000 by 1923.

Harding married Florence Kling on July 8, 1891.

Florence was a very determined and business-minded woman. She managed the circulation department of The Marion Star. She helped turn the newspaper into a very profitable enterprise. Many people believe she pushed Harding toward his political career. She was a constant partner in his professional life. Harding often relied on her strict management and economy. Their marriage produced no children. They lived in a home they designed in the Queen Anne style.

Harding's political rise began in the Ohio State Senate. He served there from 1900 to 1904. He also served as lieutenant governor for two years. In 1914, he was elected to the United States Senate. This was a major event because it was Ohio's first direct election for that office. In 1920, he ran for the Republican nomination for president. He was not considered a favorite to win at first. The convention was deadlocked among the leading candidates. Support for Harding grew, and he won the nomination on the tenth ballot.

He ran a "front porch campaign" in Marion. He allowed voters to come to him instead of traveling. He promised a "return to normalcy" after World War I. This message helped him win a landslide victory against James M. Cox.

During his presidency, Harding made several important decisions. He appointed respected leaders to his cabinet. These included Andrew Mellon at Treasury and Herbert Hoover at Commerce.

One major achievement was the Washington Naval Conference of 1921–1922. During this conference, major naval powers agreed to a naval limitations program. This agreement lasted for ten years. Harding also released political prisoners who had opposed World War I.

In 1923, Harding died of a heart attack in San Francisco. He was on a tour of the West at the time. Vice President Calvin Coolidge succeeded him as president.

After Harding died, his reputation suffered due to corruption scandals. The most famous was the Teapot Dome scandal. His interior secretary, Albert B. Fall, was involved in corruption.

Fall was eventually convicted in court. His attorney general, Harry Daugherty, was also tried for corruption.

Although Daugherty was not convicted, the scandal damaged the administration. These dishonest acts by his associates eroded his popularity. For a long time, people viewed his presidency through the lens of these failures. Today, historians continue to study his actual policies and leadership. They look past the scandals to understand his full impact on the country.