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Today in History: Republican leaders meet at Blackstone, coin “smoke-filled room”

6/11/2026

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Summary

Story summary

At the June 8-12, 1920 Republican National Convention in Chicago, party bosses retreated to the Blackstone Hotel, where they brokered Warren G. Harding’s presidential nomination and Calvin Coolidge’s vice-presidential pick. The secretive, cigar-smoke-filled meeting coined the term “smoke-filled room,” symbolizing behind-the-scenes power deals.

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Story summary

At the June 8-12, 1920 Republican National Convention in Chicago, party bosses retreated to the Blackstone Hotel, where they brokered Warren G. Harding’s presidential nomination and Calvin Coolidge’s vice-presidential pick. The secretive, cigar-smoke-filled meeting coined the term “smoke-filled room,” symbolizing behind-the-scenes power deals.