CARRIE FULTON PHILLIPS

Carrie Fulton Phillips was born on September 22, 1873. She was raised in Dayton, Ohio. She was known for her beauty in her youth. In 1896, Carrie married James Phillips, the owner of a dry good supply store. The couple relocated to Marion, Ohio. They would have two children together. A daughter, Isabella, born in 1897 and a son, James, born in 1902. Their son passed away when he was only two years old. In 1905, she began an affair with Warren G. Harding, who was the owner of the local newspaper at that time. Their romance was documented in the letters they regularly sent to one another. Harding and his wife were close friends with The Phillips. The group traveled abroad to Europe in 1909. It is believed that Mrs. Harding became aware of the situation in 1911 and this was the reason The Phillips relocated to Germany that year. In 1914, as the war in Europe was starting, Carrie and her family returned to the United States. When Harding decided to run for President in 1920, Carrie successfully blackmailed The Republican Party in return for her silence about their relationship. In 1939, her husband died. Carrie passed away on February 3, 1960. After her death, a court battle ensued over the love letters she had received from Harding. His family fought to keep them sealed, but ultimately they were unsuccessful. The letters are available to the public through the Library of Congress.