The Time President Coolidge Pardoned A Thanksgiving Raccoon

For as many Thanksgiving dinners as you've been to, you've probably never talked about the Presidents of the United States and raccoons in the same conversation. This is no metaphor for politics but rather a real historical event that involved the 30th President of the United States Calvin Coolidge, Thanksgiving dinner, a raccoon, and an official presidential pardon. It's a story about family, a new pet, and an odd presidential tradition. 

Ever since Thanksgiving was first officially celebrated during the infant years of the United States in 1789 (via The National Archives), a turkey has been a common sight at most Thanksgiving feasts — including those of our presidents. But, unlike the usual Thanksgiving meal where the turkey's role at dinner is separated into white or dark meat and served with cranberry sauce, the United States Presidents have a tradition in which they officially "pardon" a lucky turkey. As The White House History explains, ever since the 1940s (and perhaps even earlier), Presidents such as Harry Truman, Richard Nixon, John. F. Kennedy,  Ronald Reagan, and George H.W. Bush have all been known to give turkeys sent to the White House an official "pardon," sparing them a fate from being served on a presidential platter. 

President Calvin Coolidge, however, broke this tradition by pardoning not a turkey, but a raccoon. Would this imply that the White House was serving raccoons instead of turkeys at Thanksgiving? If not, what exactly was Coolidge pardoning the nocturnal mammal for? 

As Atlas Obscura explains, Calvin Coolidge wasn't exactly demanding raccoons be served at the annual White House Thanksgiving dinner. Instead, the raccoon — a live one at that — was actually sent to the President as a sort of "gift" from a woman in Mississippi, who reassured Coolidge and his family that the animal would have a "toothsome" flavor. The bizarre gift made headlines around the nation, with newspapers such as The Boston Herald quipping that Coolidge "probably won't eat" his rather unique present for dinner.

So now President Coolidge had a live raccoon in the White House, which was supposed to serve as Thanksgiving dinner. What was good old Cal to do? What any good president would do, of course: he pardoned it and made it a family pet! According to the Library of Congress, the raccoon — now called "Rebecca" — was treated like any dog or cat would be. In fact, Coolidge had a little house built for his furry pet, where she would sleep in between frolicking through the White House lawns and apparently enjoying bubble baths. When Coolidge left office, Rebecca was moved to the Rock Creek Zoo where she spent the rest of her days.

As CBS News summarizes, "Silent Cal" Coolidge may have been a man that had a dry sense of humor and a very quiet disposition, but he was also a lover of animals — even ones intended to be dinner.