[lbo-talk] First black presdinet (tm)?

[C. G. Estabrook]

That seems to be a case.  A relative of mine -- an Ohio Democrat and 
professor at Wooster --  wrote about Harding's blackness (by American 
definitions -- see W. B. Michaels' discussion), just before the 1920 
election, intending to out him.  For his pains he was fired from the 
college, his pamphlets were seized by federal authorities and destroyed. 
(In toto five copies apparently still exist).

 From Wikipedia: "William Estabrook Chancellor (September 25, 1867 – 
February 4, 1963) was an American academic and writer. Chancellor was 
born in Dayton, Ohio. After graduating from Amherst College, he went 
into teaching, and also wrote prolifically, publishing around 40 books 
and hundreds of articles. He married into the family of Harriet Beecher 
Stowe. He was a Democrat...

"After Harding was elected, Chancellor published his biography of 
Harding; however, federal agents acted immediately to suppress the 
distribution of the book. Henceforth, Chancellor was monitored by 
federal agents. Unable to research or find a teaching position, 
Chancellor moved to Canada.

"According to John Dean, author of Warren G. Harding, Chancellor's 
theories were partly based upon a rumor spread by Amos Kling, the father 
of Harding's wife, Florence. Dean, who lived in Marion as a teenager 
claims that the rumor was spread as retribution for positions taken by 
Harding in the newspaper that he published, The Marion Star..."

Shane Mage wrote:
> On Jan 28, 2008, at 8:30 PM, shag wrote:
> 
>> 
>> I've heard that a lot about Clinton. Today, I was talking about the
>>  primaries with a guy I met recently. He's the one I wrote about 
>> recently -- struggling to make it and asking my advice. He brought
>> this up about Bill Clinton and it made me wonder: *why* did people
>> say he was the first black presdinet(tm)?
> 
> 
> But he wasn't.  That was Warren Harding.
> 
> Shane Mage