Our debut episode brings you the story of a good boy. A very good boy. Laddie Boy, the First Dog of the United States. A wonderful, charming terrier whom Americans loved even more than they hated his owner: Warren G. Harding, one of the worst presidents the country has ever known. Read a full transcript of this episode on the Something True website. Follow Something true on Twitter @atruepodcast. (Or just follow Duncan and Alex.) Music on this week’s episode: The U.S. Marine Corps Band – Stars and Stripes Forever* Jason Shaw – Jenny’s Theme* Latché Swing – Rythme Gitan* U.S. Army Band – America the Beautiful* Dave Depper – Heartstrings* *modified for the podcast.
It's 1921.
America, recovering from a bloody victory in the first World War, yearns to move on.
Warren G.
Harding has been elected the 29th president of the United States on a promise to restore the country to normalcy.
The task ahead is immense.
The first meeting of Harding's cabinet is just getting down to business when there is a knock on the door.
Its an aide bringing the president a dog.
Look at this dog.
Exclaims Warren Harding of the fluffy seven month old Airedale terrier.
This is an amazing dog.
Harding immediately cancels the meeting to go and run around with the puppy.
Now, of course, being the president, he cant really make a habit of leaving cabinet meetings to play with a dog.
So he decides, lets make a little chair for this dog so he can sit at the cabinet table, too.
Well make him an honorary cabinet secretary.
And if youre someone like, say, the secretary of the treasury, youve got to be thinking, what is this shit?
Youre listening to something true stories from the footnotes of history, written by Duncan Fife and read by Alex Ashby.
This week's episode, the president's dog.
As long as the United States has had presidents, those presidents have had pets.
Since George Washington and his staghounds, no president has lacked for animal companionship, with the possible exception of old sad sack 17th President Andrew Johnson.
The closest Johnson ever got to having pets were some white mice scurrying around in his bedroom, which he hung out with and fed while he was being impeached by Congress.