1923 Booklet For President Harding’s Visit To SF Church – Cancelled By His Death
Item History & Price
Offered is a small booklet titled Lest WE Forget. The booklet waspublished especially for President Warren G Harding’s visit to the FirstCongregational Church in San Francisco on July 31, 1923. The president had beenvisiting Alaska and is said to have eaten bad crab meat. President Harding wentto bed early on the evening of July 27, 1923, a few hours after giving a speechat the University of Washington. Later that night, he called for his physicianCharles E. Sawyer, complaining of pa...in in the upper abdomen. The press was toldHarding had experienced an "acute gastrointestinal attack" and thePresident's scheduled weekend in Portland was cancelled. He felt better thenext day, as the train rushed to San Francisco; they arrived on the morning ofJuly 29 and he insisted on walking from the train to the car, which rushed himto the Palace Hotel where he suffered a relapse. Doctors found not only thathis heart was causing problems, but also that he had pneumonia, and he wasconfined to bed rest in his hotel room. Doctors treated him with liquidcaffeine and digitalis, and he seemed to improve. The next day he had a feverof 102 and was diagnosed with pneumonia, prompting the remainder of hisCalifornia appearances to be canceled. This was followed, however, by a slightrecovery. By the afternoon of August 2, doctors allowed him to sit up inbed. At around 7:30 pm that evening, Florence was reading "A Calm Reviewof a Calm Man, " to him, a flattering article from The SaturdayEvening Post; she paused to fluff his pillows and he told her, "That'sgood. Go on, read some more." which were to be his last words. She resumedreading when a few seconds later, Harding suddenly twisted convulsively andcollapsed back in the bed, gasping. Florence Harding immediately called thedoctors into the room, but they were unable to revive the President withstimulants; Warren G. Harding was pronounced dead a few minutes later at theage of 57. The booklet is 4 ¼” x 7”. Eight pages stapled in. Mild general wear.
