The REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION OF 1924 (10-13 June 1924) was called to select the party's nominees for the presidential election—the first national political convention held in Cleveland and the first ever to be broadcast on RADIO. At the behest of Congressman THEODORE BURTON, Cleveland civic leaders offered the Republican Natl. Committee free use of PUBLIC AUDITORIUM, a $125,000 expense fund, and a written pledge that current hotel and restaurant prices would prevail throughout the convention. Arrangements were made to broadcast the convention to 9 cities simultaneously, using long-distance telephone wires. Locally WTAM and WJAX carried the convention proceedings.
The convention opened on Tuesday, 10 July with 1,109 delegates, of which 118 were women, and Congressman Burton delivered the keynote address. On the second day, committee reports were read, deliberations on the platform began, and John Philip Sousa and his band provided the entertainment. There was little doubt that Calvin Coolidge, who had become president on the death of Warren G. Harding, would be the party's nominee for president, and would continue government support of business interests. On the third day he was nominated on the first ballot and Brig. Gen. Chas. G. Dawes was chosen as the vice-presidential nominee after former Illinois governor Frank O. Lowden refused the nomination. Neither Coolidge nor Dawes attended the convention. Coolidge stayed in Washington and listened to the proceedings on the radio.
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