Mrs. Calvin Coolidge holding her pet raccoon Rebecca. Grace Anna Goodhue Coolidge (January 3, 1879 - July 8, 1957) was First Lady from 1923-29. She graduated from the University of Vermont in 1902 and then joined the faculty of the Clarke School for the Deaf in Northampton, Massachusetts, as a lip reading instructor. She married Calvin Coolidge in 1905. She took her part in town activities, attended her church, and offset his shyness with a cheery friendliness. As First Lady, she was a popular hostess. The Coolidges were a particularly devoted couple, although the president never discussed state matters with her. Coolidge summed up his marriage to Grace in his autobiography: "For almost a quarter of a century she has borne with my infirmities, and I have rejoiced in her graces." After her husband's death, she continued her work on behalf of the deaf. She was also active in the Red Cross, civil defense, and scrap drives during WWII. She kept her sense of fun and her aversion to publicity until her death in 1957 at the age of 78.. National Photo Company, circa 1921-23.