“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.”
— Calvin Coolidge
Attributed in McKee's 'Coolidge: Wit and Wisdom' (1933). Yale Book of Quotations (2006), p. 173, cites it as written for New York Life Insurance Company.
I climbed every rung. City council, solicitor, mayor, senator, governor, president. No shortcuts. No family money. No charm. People called me boring and silent. My own son died from a blister while I sat in the White House unable to save him. I know what it costs to keep going. I also know nothing else works. Talent fades. Genius stalls. Degrees collect dust. Press on.