Cary T. Grayson Diary

Cary T. Grayson Diary

Grayson, Cary T. (Cary Travers), 1878-1938

WWP20702

1913 March 4

Note by Cary T. Grayson about the inauguration of Woodrow Wilson as President.

Cary T. Grayson Papers, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library, Staunton, Virginia

English

Admiral Grayson.

INAUGURATION.
NOTES.

Mrs. Howe fell on the evening of Inauguration. Sewed up the wound. First medical experience with the Wilson family. President came to Mrs. Howe’s room and asked if there would be any disfigurement from the wound. There was none. Had first-aid material on hand. Just the things I needed. The President commented on how promptly it was done and wanted to know if I was prepared for the operation before the accident occurred. I took him very seriously in that remark. I did not know he was joking. I did not see the President after that for a few weeks. About the second week on a Sunday morning Mrs. Wilson sent for me. I went down to the White House. She wanted me to come to see the President; said he was sick; laid up with an attack of indigestion and sick headache, slight cold with it; some fever; had to keep him in bed. He got up in a few days and was all right again. In the meantime, I had attended Mrs. Howe. The next time I saw the President he asked me what my status was. I think I told him I did not have a status. He made a remark to me about a number of people who had applied to be his doctor, and that he had not heard anything from me. I told him it was too personal a matter to ask anybody to say a word in my behalf. This was all that was said. The next time he asked me to come to lunch and he had Mr. Daniels also as a guest. He said to Mr. Daniels: “This is a part of the Navy that I am going to appropriate.” Mr. Daniels said: “If you want to find good things you will have to go to the Navy.” He told me then about his condition. Mrs. Wilson also told me of his frailties and how she had been worried about his health. I told him what I thought he ought to do. He said it was out of the question; that he did not have the time to devote to himself in that way. He spoke of the various programs that different individuals had for him to follow. He believed that I demanded more time in taking care of his health than most anyone else that he had met. I told him that mine was the most important program of all; that the others did not amount to anything. For months he rebelled against playing golf. It was in May before I could finally get him to play. I told him that his new duties consisted of a campaign and that he must prepare himself physically for them; that if he appointed me as his health master I did not want to bore him but it was absolutely necessary that he take the time to take care of himself; that it would save time and make for happiness in the long run. He said: “Yes, I think that is good sense and I would like to follow your prescription but really I haven’t the time.” I got him to start in May for the first time. Nine holes exhausted him very much. I found his blood pressure to be 110 at that time, which is pretty low.

Diary