1924 Republican National Convention

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The 1924 Republican National Convention took place in Cleveland, Ohio, at the Public Auditorium, from June 10 to 12. Incumbent President Calvin Coolidge was nominated for a full term and would go on to win the election.

Vice president discussion
- Frank Orren Lowden of Illinois was nominated for vice president on the second ballot, but he declined the nomination.
- Charles G. Dawes of Illinois was then selected as the vice presidential nominee. Charles Curtis of Kansas had been considered as well.

Delegate rules and presence of the KKK
- The convention changed how delegates were allocated to reduce the overrepresentation of the South, but the effect was only partly successful; Southern delegates remained fairly overrepresented compared with 1916 and 1920.
- There were 120 female delegates, about 11% of the total.
- The Republican Party also approved a rule to have a national committeeman and a national committeewoman from each state.
- Hiram Wesley Evans, head of the Ku Klux Klan, attended the city but kept a low profile. Time magazine called the event “the Kleveland Konvention.” Some delegates wanted to condemn the Klan in the party platform, but they didn’t have enough support.

Primaries and running mates
- Coolidge faced challenges from California Senator Hiram Johnson and Wisconsin Senator Robert M. La Follette in the primaries, but he won convincingly.
- La Follette ran a strong third-party campaign after the primaries.
- On the convention’s final day, several men were considered for the vice presidency, including William E. Borah (Coolidge’s reported first choice), Marion Burton, Charles Warren, Wesley Jones, John Coulter, James Harbord, and Dawes.
- Lowden was nominated for vice president on the second ballot but declined, which was a rare move. The convention then chose Dawes on the next ballot. Although some hoped for Hoover to balance the ticket, Dawes was ultimately selected to balance Coolidge’s leadership.

Opening prayers
- The three days began with a long prayer by different faith leaders: June 10 by Methodist Bishop William F. Anderson; June 11 by Rabbi Samuel Schulman; and June 12 by Bishop Joseph Schrembs of Cleveland. They spoke about law, rights, and hope for America.