The Coolidge Scholars Program is a program of the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Foundation and its supporting organization, the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Fund.
The Calvin Coolidge Presidential Foundation, based in Plymouth Notch, Vermont and Washington, D.C., is the official foundation dedicated to preserving the legacy and advancing the values of America’s thirtieth president. In the absence of an official presidential library, the Coolidge Foundation was formed in 1960 by John Coolidge, the president’s son, along with a group of fellow Coolidge enthusiasts. In the past several years, the Foundation has expanded programming across the country to increase Americans’ knowledge of Coolidge and the values he promoted throughout his life.
In addition the the Coolidge Scholars Program, the Foundation also operates a growing national high school debate program. The centerpiece of the debate program is the Coolidge Cup National Debate Championship which begins with tournaments held in cities
across the country—from Dallas to Raleigh to New York to Vermont. The winners of these tournaments are invited to compete for the Coolidge Cup on the Fourth of July, Coolidge’s birthday, in Plymouth Notch. In all Coolidge debate tournaments, students confront pressing and relevant debate resolutions that relate to economics and public policy. Through the course of their debates, students learn about all sides of policy issues and develop critical thinking and presentation skills necessary to be successful citizens. Most importantly, the students enjoy an encounter with President Coolidge and his timeless values. To date, thousands of students have participated in Coolidge Debate, hundreds of whom have come to Plymouth Notch on scholarships funded by the Foundation.
In addition, the Foundation organizes and hosts visits to Plymouth Notch for hundreds of students each year and organizes conferences, symposia, lectures, and public events both in Plymouth Notch and around the country. Furthermore, the Foundation conducts original research on President Coolidge, publishes a periodical, the Coolidge Review, maintains a website of Coolidge resources, and houses a modest collection of Coolidge papers and artifacts. All these efforts work together to create a community of Coolidge. We invite you to get involved and support our work to advance the ideals of Silent Cal.