Parke H. Davis' Impression

In view of the impression being established that President Coolidge is an extremely odd and eccentric personality, a reporter of an eastern newspaper recently interviewed Parke H. Davis, former Jamestown man, who has been a life-long friend of the new president and asked him for his impression of Mr. Coolidge. Mr. Davis was coach of the Amherst football team in 1894 when Mr. Coolidge was a senior at that institution. The president, although not a player, was an ardent follower of the team and was present at many football conferences that autumn. Mr. and Mrs. Davis and daughter, Miss Katherine Davis, were entertained by Mr. and Mrs. Coolidge t the Hotel Touraine in Boston, last fall, the night before the Harvard-Princeton game and the latter in turn were the guests of Mr. and Mrs. Davis at the game the following day. Mr. Davis is a nationally known Democrat and one of the leading sponsors for Woodrow Wilson.

"Mr. Coolidge is not different from any other quiet, thoughtful, deliberate man," said Mr. Davis this morning. "As an undergraduate at Amherst, he was grave, but talked freely on any subject which interested him. He was not a fellow, however, to talk for the love of talking. I have never noticed any change in him thru life. He has, it is true, exercised a discreet judgment in discussing political subjects in visits which were social, preferring to leave these topics out of the conversation. On other subjects, which were of mutual interest, sports, college reminiscences and the hundred and more themes outside of politics, which men discuss when they meet, Mr. Coolidge is no different from any other man of his type—quiet, grave, thoughtful, sound in his judgments, but far from being a verbal recluse, or extremely taciturn.

"Those who say Mr. Coolidge is cold-blooded must be those who have failed to use him for their advantage. His intimate social friends have always found him to be a genial, courteous and generous gentleman.

"The president's fondness for football and his expert knowledge of the game have not fallen off since his undergraduate days and he possesses a marvelous knowledge of the rules, for a mere spectator. At the Harvard-Princeton game last fall, he amazed me repeatedly by his ability to discern and discuss the most intricate of expert plays."