The President’s desk at the White House, 1923
“When you substitute patronage for [instead of] patriotism, administration breaks down. We need more of the Office Desk and less of the Show Window in politics. Let men in office substitute the midnight oil for [instead of] the limelight” – Address at the home of Augustus P. Gardner, Hamilton, Massachusetts, September 1916.
The Importance of the Obvious 
The most inspiring quote I’ve ever seen attributed to Coolidge was essentially about work ethic: “Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not: the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”
Now that’s a wise man.