Bess Goodykoontz was born in 1894 and raised in Waukon, Iowa. She earned BA and MA degrees from the University of Iowa, then taught in rural Iowa schools, supervised elementary schools in Green Bay, Wisconsin and taught at the University of Pittsburgh for five years. In 1929, Goodykoontz was appointed Assistant Commissioner for Education within … Continue reading Women’s History Sources at the Hoover Library: Bess Goodykoontz-Educator and Writer
Author: Matthew Schaefer
Brazilian President-Elect Prestes Visits the Hoover White House
The goodwill tour of Latin America by the Hoovers had ripples that extended long after they returned to the United States. Reciprocal visits by Latin American heads of state included: Pascual Ortiz Rubio, President of Mexico in December 1929, Dr. Enrique Olaya, President-elect of Columbia in early June 1930, and Dr. Julio Prestes, President-elect of … Continue reading Brazilian President-Elect Prestes Visits the Hoover White House
Campbell Hodges reports on visit of Columbia President-Elect and First Lady
The Hoovers were not the only First Couple to go on a goodwill trip. Enrique and Maria Olaya Herrera, President-Elect and First Lady of Columbia, visited the Hoover White House in early June 1930. After serving eight years as Columbian Minister to the United States, Olaya was elected President in February 1930, but he did … Continue reading Campbell Hodges reports on visit of Columbia President-Elect and First Lady
Writers and Deadlines
At times, our social media guru has had to scramble to meet our weekly goal of posting a Hoover blog. At times, it is not easy to generate a 400-word article of interest, or not of interest, under a deadline. Clearly this is not a new problem for newspaper writers, many of whom had to … Continue reading Writers and Deadlines
Ernie Shackleton: A Lesson in Leadership
I have often posted stories here about a humanitarian whose efforts led him to ensure that millions of people would not starve. These are the stories about Herbert Hoover or, as I call him, Bert. Let me now tell a story about Ernie. Ernie was blessed with a boundless energy and an unquenchable passion for … Continue reading Ernie Shackleton: A Lesson in Leadership
Christmas Gift Exchanges in the Waldorf-Astoria
My colleagues here sometimes tease me about ‘my favorite thing’ in the archives. It is Hoover’s reading copy of a speech he gave at Cairo in April 1946. It is inscribed to Kitty Milbank, one of Hoover’s close friends: ‘Dear Kitty, This is one of the most important speeches I have ever delivered.’ Hoover gave … Continue reading Christmas Gift Exchanges in the Waldorf-Astoria
Chance and Circumstance: Pearl Harbor in History
History is strange. It has a perverse way of folding back on itself like a Mobius strip. I once listened to an entire lecture by a seasoned historian who, after years of research and thought, ascribed the cause of the 1967 Detroit riots to chance and circumstance. Really? Can we resolve complex events to such … Continue reading Chance and Circumstance: Pearl Harbor in History
When New Communications Media Reach Maturity
While drawing analogies too closely from history is perilous, I am sometimes struck by parallels between events of today and events of the past. Our world today is not the only world facing disruptive technologies which test the minds of men and the flexibility of institutions. Men and institutions today are wrestling with challenges presented … Continue reading When New Communications Media Reach Maturity
Who was Elijah Parrish Lovejoy? Why Should Hoover Invoke Him? Why Should We Care?
On November 7th, 1937, Hoover addressed students and faculty at Colby College, invoking Elijah Parrish Lovejoy, American martyr who died defending freedom of the press. Hoover’s audience knew the Lovejoy story well. I did not. Lovejoy was a Colby College graduate and class poet who moved to St. Louis in 1827. He became an abolitionist … Continue reading Who was Elijah Parrish Lovejoy? Why Should Hoover Invoke Him? Why Should We Care?
Herbert Hoover: Elder Statesman on the Move, November 1954
Traveling to Germany at President Eisenhower’s behest, Hoover gave three speeches in three days to German audiences. Hoover was eighty years old at the time, yet he did not hesitate. When his President called, Hoover answered. He wrote three major policy speeches, edited them en route to Germany, and delivered them to three distinct audiences. … Continue reading Herbert Hoover: Elder Statesman on the Move, November 1954