The 1920 Republican National Convention nominated Ohio Senator Warren G. Harding for president and Massachusetts Governor Calvin Coolidge for vice president. The convention was held in Chicago, Illinois, at the Chicago Coliseum from June 8 to June 12, 1920, with 940 delegates. Under convention rules, a majority plus one, or at least 471 of the 940 delegates, was necessary for a nomination.

Many Republicans sought the presidential nomination, including General Leonard Wood, Illinois Governor Frank Lowden and California Senator Hiram Johnson. Dark horse Harding, however, was nominated. Many wanted to nominate Wisconsin Senator Irvine L. Lenroot for vice president, but Coolidge was nominated instead, because he was known for his response to the Boston Police Strike in 1919.

The convention also adopted a platform opposed to the accession of the United States to the League of Nations. The plank was carefully drawn up by Henry Cabot Lodge to appease opponents of the League such as Johnson, while still allowing eventual American entry into the League.

Presidential nomination

Presidential candidates

<gallery perrow="4" style="text-align:center;">

File:Warren G Harding portrait as senator June 1920.jpg|Senator<br />Warren G. Harding<br />of Ohio

File:Leonard Wood, administrator, soldier, and citizen (1920) (14579077497) (grayscale).png|Major General<br />Leonard Wood<br />of Massachusetts

File:Frank O Lowden portrait (1).jpg|Governor<br />Frank Orren Lowden<br />of Illinois

File:Portrait of Senator Hiram Johnson of California, 1926.jpeg|Senator<br />Hiram Johnson<br />of California

Image:William Cameron Sproul in 1918.jpg|Governor<br />William C. Sproul<br />of Pennsylvania

File:Nicholas Murray Butler ppmsca.03668.jpg|Columbia President<br />Nicholas Murray Butler<br />of New York

File:Calvin Coolidge-by Garo-1923.jpg|Governor<br />Calvin Coolidge<br />of Massachusetts

File:Robert La Follette Sr crop.jpg|Senator<br />Robert M. La Follette<br />of Wisconsin<br><small>(Not Nominated)</small>

Image:Jeter_Connelly_Pritchard.jpg|Circuit Court Judge<br />Jeter Pritchard<br />of North Carolina

File:POINDEXTER, MILES. SENATOR LCCN2016857260 (cropped).jpg|Senator<br />Miles Poindexter<br />of Washington

Image:SUTHERLAND, H. HONORABLE LCCN2016862408.jpg|Senator<br />Howard Sutherland<br />of West Virginia

Image:Herbert Hoover, head of the U.S. Food Administration - NARA - 31480857.jpg|ARA Director<br />Herbert Hoover<br>of California

</gallery>

Potential or declined candidates

  • Henry Cabot Lodge, U.S. senator from Massachusetts <small>(declined to run)</small>
  • Henry Justin Allen, Governor of Kansas
  • Albert J. Beveridge, former U.S. senator from Indiana
  • William Borah, U.S. senator from Idaho
  • Omar Bundy, General from Indiana
  • T. Coleman du Pont, businessman from Delaware
  • Will H. Hays, chairman of the Republican National Committee
  • Charles Evans Hughes, former U.S. Supreme Court Justice, former Governor of New York, 1916 Republican candidate for President <small>(declined to run)</small>
  • Myron Herrick, former Governor of Ohio
  • Frank B. Kellogg, U.S. senator from Minnesota
  • Philander C. Knox, U.S. senator from Pennsylvania
  • Irvine Lenroot, U.S. senator from Wisconsin
  • Edwin P. Morrow, Governor of Kentucky
  • John J. Pershing, General of the Armies from Missouri
  • Theodore Roosevelt, former President of the United States <small>(died January 6, 1919)</small>
  • William Howard Taft, former President of the United States
  • James E. Watson, U.S. senator from Indiana
  • Frank B. Willis, former Governor of Ohio

thumb|Delegates gathered on the convention floor

At the start of the convention, the race was wide open. General Leonard Wood, Illinois Governor Frank Lowden, and California Senator Hiram Johnson were considered the three most likely nominees. Ohio Senator Warren G. Harding had been a front-runner, but his star had faded by the time of the convention.

thumb|Inside the convention hall

As the balloting continued the next day, Wood, Lowden, and Johnson remained in the lead, and party leaders worked to find a candidate acceptable to both the progressive and conservative wings of the party. Conservatives strongly opposed Wood, while Lowden was opposed by the progressive wing of the party.

thumb|After being nominated, Harding delivers an acceptance speech [[Front porch campaign|from the front porch of his home]]

Harding jumped into the lead on the ninth ballot, and clinched the nomination on the tenth ballot. Many thought that Johnson could have stopped the Harding movement by throwing his support behind Knox, who could have displaced Harding as the compromise candidate. Johnson disliked Harding's policies and disliked Harding personally, and was friends with Knox. However, Johnson never released his supporters, and Harding took the nomination.

Daugherty's prediction described essentially what occurred, but historians argue that Daugherty's prediction has been given too much weight in narratives of the convention. The "smoke filled room" was actually a suite rented by National Chairman Will H. Hays. For six hours the leaders considered numerous alternatives, including Wood, Lowden, and Johnson. However, there were objections to all of them. Headlines in the next morning newspapers suggested intrigue. Historian Wesley M. Bagby argues, "Various groups actually worked along separate lines to bring about the nomination - without combination and with very little contact." Bagby finds that the key factor in Harding's nomination was his wide popularity among the rank and file of the delegates.

Vice Presidential nomination

Vice Presidential candidates

<gallery perrow="3" style="text-align:center;">

File:Calvin Coolidge-by Garo-1923.jpg|Governor<br />Calvin Coolidge<br />of Massachusetts

File:LENROOT, IRWIN L. SENATOR LCCN2016857277 (cropped).jpg|Senator<br />Irvine Lenroot<br />of Wisconsin

File:Henry Justin Allen in 1918.jpg|Governor<br />Henry Justin Allen<br />of Kansas

File:Colonel Henry Watkins Anderson circa 1915.jpg|ARC Commissioner<br />Henry W. Anderson<br />of Virginia

File:Portrait of Senator Hiram Johnson of California, 1926.jpeg|Senator<br />Hiram Johnson<br />of California<br><small>(Not Nominated –<br>Declined Consideration)</small>

</gallery>

Before Harding was nominated, Johnson, Kansas Governor Henry Justin Allen, Massachusetts Governor Calvin Coolidge, Wisconsin Senator Irvine Lenroot, Kentucky Governor Edwin P. Morrow, and Harding himself were all seen as possible vice presidential nominees. When Johnson turned down the offer, they approached Lenroot, who accepted. Coolidge, who was not at the convention during the vice presidential nomination, agreed to join the ticket.

|-

! Candidate !!1st!! Unanimous

|-

!Coolidge

|style="background:#fbb;"|674.5

|style="background:#fbb;"|984

|-

!Lenroot

|style="background:#fdd;"|146.5

|style="background:#d3d3d3"|

|-

!Allen

|style="background:#fee;"|68.5

|style="background:#d3d3d3"|

|-

!Anderson

|28

|style="background:#d3d3d3"|

|-

!Gronna

|24

|style="background:#d3d3d3"|

|-

!Johnson

|22.5

|style="background:#d3d3d3"|

|-

!Pritchard

|11

|style="background:#d3d3d3"|

|-

!Not Voting

|9

|style="background:#d3d3d3"|

|}

<br>

Vice Presidential Balloting / 5th Day of Convention (June 12, 1920)

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File:1920RepublicanVicePresidentialNomination1stBallot.png|1st<br>Vice Presidential Ballot

</gallery>

See also

  • 1920 Democratic National Convention
  • 1920 United States presidential election
  • History of the United States Republican Party
  • List of Republican National Conventions
  • Margaret Hill McCarter
  • 1920 Republican Party presidential primaries
  • United States presidential nominating convention

Notes

References

Bibliography

  • Official Report of the Proceedings of the Seventeenth Republican National Convention, Held in Chicago, Illinois, June 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12, 1920
  • Republican Party platform of 1920 at The American Presidency Project
  • Harding acceptance speech at The American Presidency Project