Mark your calendars for the Emergency Services Open House from 9 AM to 1 PM on Saturday, 5/13. Come check out the equipment and these wonderful volunteers.

News From the Notch May 5th, 2023 Coolidge liked apple pie—especially apple pie with a Vermont twist. Two Coolidge fans, Rebecca Cox and Jane Hemenway, served apple pie at Coolidge gatherings this spring. Jane “Vermonted up” her pie with a square of Vermont cheddar on the side, an extra gift because a dab of whipped cream decorated the dessert as well. Rebecca for her part offered apple pie made with two other Vermont favorites—maple syrup and bacon lard. Both pies were tested by Coolidge staffers and rated outstanding.The occasion for Jane’s culinary offering (pictured above) was a Women’s National Republican Club showing of the new Coolidge documentary, Coolidge: Rediscovering an American President. Guests engaged in a Coolidge conversation after the main course (New England style chicken). Rebecca’s event was one of many Coolidge jury sessions taking place these past few weeks. And yes, if you’re wondering, there were more 1920s favorites on the menu—from Vermont pickles to chop suey, a novelty in Coolidge’s era. Bravo Coolidge Chefs!A High School to EmulateCoolidge’s education made him—especially his high school education. The emphasis on elocution, declamation, and oratory brought out the shy young man. It was at his high school, Black River Academy in Ludlow, Vermont, that Coolidge came to see the power of the word, telling an audience at graduation time in 1890: “It would be hardly too much to say, that since the dawn of civilization, the triumphs of the tongue have rivaled, if not surpassed, those of the sword.” This summer, visitors will have a chance to see the institution that made Coolidge, Black River Academy, and learn about both the Academy and its successor, Black River High School. On June 10, the Black River Academy Museum will open a new exhibit on the history of Ludlow’s Black River High School, which served the town from 1939 to 2020. Visitors will also get a feel for the old Academy of Coolidge’s time. Coolidge Foundation Ambassador Tracy Messer will join the celebration in character as President Coolidge to help bring the Academy’s history to life for the occasion. This special commemoration will begin at 11 AM and conclude at 3 PM. Admission costs $5 for the general public and $3 for seniors and students.North Carolina Students Debate Free TradeHigh school students debated the merits of free trade last weekend at the final regular season tournament of the 2022-2023 Coolidge debate season, which also served as a qualifier to the 2023 Coolidge Cup. Nearly seventy students traveled to Franklin Academy in Wake Forest, North Carolina to argue both for and against the resolution: Resolved: the U.S. federal government should adopt a policy of unilateral free trade.Making the case for unilateral free trade to debaters, CaptiveAire Founder Bob Luddy shared real world evidence from his life in manufacturing. Coolidge Debate Director Jared Rhoads elucidated the case against the resolution. Students debated in teams of two, with Sofia Cornicelli and Sophia Damian taking the first prize in the High School Varsity division. Ten students earned an invitation to compete in this year’s Coolidge Cup. The Foundation thanks 1890 Society members Justin Marwad, Jaden Rams, and Cormac Lynch for volunteering to help run the tournament. The Coolidge Debate League would not be possible without the help of our enthusiastic alumni community. Debaters advancing to the Coolidge Cup were honored onstage.Plan Your Summer at the NotchJuly 2-4: Coolidge Cup Speech and Debate Tournament On July 4, the Foundation will host the Coolidge Cup at the President Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site—culminating a year of qualifying tournaments held from Idaho to Texas to North Carolina. Debaters and declaimers qualified from across the country and will travel to Plymouth, Vermont to compete for prizes and scholarships, with a grand championship round under the big tent capping off the tournament on the Fourth.Move Cal up to the Top Ten? In this centennial year, debaters will argue both for and against including President Coolidge among the top ten greatest presidents in American history. C-SPAN’s presidential rankings poll of historians has consistently ranked Coolidge below the top twenty presidents. Debaters will consider whether Coolidge warrants a top spot.Want to spend more than one day at the Notch? The competition is open to the public, and the Foundation seeks volunteer citizen judges to score the debates throughout the tournament, which runs July 2-4. Don’t have any experience with competitive debate? We will provide all the information you need at each day’s briefing session. Learn more and sign up to judge on our website here.July 4: Fourth of July Celebration at the Notch To honor the birthday of President Coolidge and the nation that he so loved, the Coolidge Foundation and State of Vermont will lead a memorial procession from the village green to the Coolidge gravesite on the Fourth of July. Speeches about Coolidge’s legacy and declamations of Coolidge speeches will follow. Check the Coolidge Foundation’s website to stay up to date. August 2-3: Homestead Inauguration CentennialThis August marks the centennial of Calvin Coolidge’s remarkable homestead inauguration. We hope you and your family will consider making a trek to the hamlet where it all took place in this special year. We have a series of family-friendly events planned, including a 2:47 AM reenactment of President Coolidge’s legendary homestead inauguration and a Centennial Gala at the Notch. Click here to learn more about our inauguration events and here to purchase tickets to the Inauguration Gala. A Forgotten Coolidge Speech A Chickering Piano President Coolidge was one of the last American presidents to write the majority of his speeches. Indeed, Coolidge took such pride in his oratory that he published three volumes of his speeches, including Have Faith in Massachusetts which was recently republished by the Coolidge Foundation. Coolidge, however, did not write every speech that he delivered. One-hundred years ago, he spoke in Boston to celebrate the centennial of the Chickering Piano Company. Ishbel Ross reports that Grace Coolidge was “amazed at the outflow of comment on composers and rare musical items. She knew that Calvin simply did not have this knowledge. When it was over… she burst into laughter, in which her husband finally joined.”Needless to say, the piano speech never made it into any of Coolidge’s speech books. Click here to read the full speech on the Foundation’s website. Terrifying Tax Forms Friend of Coolidge and historian of taxation Joseph Thorndike recently wrote an article for Forbes about the federal income tax’s rocky beginnings in the 1910s. Thorndike notes that complexity and uncertainty challenged the taxpayer unnecessarily. Click here to read the full article online. Coolidge CalendarJuly 2-4: Coolidge Cup Speech and Debate TournamentJuly 4: Coolidge Birthday Celebration August 2-3: Centennial of Coolidge’s Homestead Inauguration About “News From The Notch” News From the Notch is the Coolidge Foundation’s email newsletter, designed to keep you connected and up-to-date on all the activities of the Foundation. We encourage you to contribute to News From the Notch. You can share stories, photos, tips, or tidbits for inclusion by emailing editor William Pettinger at wpettinger@coolidgefoundation.org. Please forward the e-blast to a friend and click here to subscribe to News From the Notch. Donate Today Copyright © 2023 Calvin Coolidge Presidential Foundation. All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: info@coolidgefoundation.org