The American flag flying in front of the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library-Museum Did you know that on March 3, 1931 President Hoover signed the law that designated "The Star Spangled Banner" as our national anthem? For more than a century, the people of the United States debated what song, if any, should be our National … Continue reading Herbert Hoover and “The Star Spangled Banner”
Peggy Ann, Joan and Peter Hoover at the White House, December 1930. Herbert and Lou Henry Hoover’s grandchildren were an important but little publicized part of the Hoover White House. Their youngest son, Allan, had just graduated from Stanford University and was still single when his father became President, but, their older son, Herbert Jr., … Continue reading The Hoover grandchildren at the White House
Ninety years ago today, on December 6, 1932, President Herbert Hoover sent his fourth and final State of the Union message to Congress. “In accord with my constitutional duty, I transmit herewith to the Congress information upon the state of the Union together with recommendation of measures for its consideration,” Hoover wrote. Yes, Hoover delivered … Continue reading President Hoover’s final State of the Union
Former president Hoover, Queen Elizabeth II and New York City Mayor Robert Wagner at luncheon at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, 10/21/1957. (HHPL-M photo 31-1957-49) As the world mourns the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, we have been asked if Herbert Hoover ever met the Queen. The answer is yes, in 1957. Despite being from different … Continue reading Remembering the Queen: When Herbert Hoover met Queen Elizabeth II
Herbert Hoover and Charles Curtis, June 1928 (HHPL-M image 31-1928-46) One question often asked is whether Vice President Charles Curtis attended Cabinet meetings during the Hoover Administration. At that time, it was a novel idea; only President Warren Harding had routinely included his vice president, Calvin Coolidge, in Cabinet meetings. Under most previous administrations, the … Continue reading Did Vice President Charles Curtis attend Hoover’s Cabinet meetings?
On May 20, 1932, the fifth anniversary of Charles Lindbergh’s record-setting non-stop solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean, Amelia Earhart took off from Newfoundland on her own non-stop solo flight. Fifteen hours later she landed in Ireland, becoming just the second person and the first woman to achieve the feat. She was subsequently awarded medals … Continue reading Amelia Earhart and the Distinguished Flying Cross
The Nobel Peace Prize medal. Herbert Hoover was known as “The Great Humanitarian” for the many food relief programs he led during and after both World Wars. The precise number of people Hoover saved from starvation remains a matter of debate, but most scholars agree it is in the hundreds of millions. Despite his achievements, … Continue reading Herbert Hoover’s Nobel Peace Prize nominations
Here at the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library-Museum, we often receive questions about other famous people named Hoover, and which Hoover did what. There are a surprising number of Hoovers and Hoover families in the United States, many of whom are entirely unrelated to each other. It is not unusual for different Hoovers to be confused … Continue reading Do you know your Hoovers? An historical field guide
When Herbert Hoover became President in 1929, one of his early initiatives was to call for a national conference on child health. Hoping to build on the work of the non-profit American Child Health Association, an organization he had founded in 1923, President Hoover announced that the purpose of his proposed conference was “to study … Continue reading Herbert Hoover’s vision for healthy children – Part 2: The Children’s Charter
This image is from the Commerce Years gallery at the Hoover Presidential Museum. Of the many charitable organizations that Herbert Hoover led, one of the most important was the American Child Health Association. In its almost 13 years of existence, from its founding by Herbert Hoover in 1923 to its liquidation in 1935, the ACHA … Continue reading Herbert Hoover’s vision for healthy children – Part 1: The Child’s Bill of Rights
