By Thomas F. Schwartz Lou Hoover was a prodigious letter writer. Her correspondence provides great insight into both the life of her husband as well as her own activities. Lou presents a graphic description of their efforts to assist stranded Americans in London at the beginning of World War I in a letter written to … Continue reading And the War Came: Lou Hoover and the Great War
By Thomas F. Schwartz History, some argue, is the study of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. It is also the study of extraordinary people doing seemingly impossible things. Jan Karski is an example of the latter. A Polish diplomat, Karski was taken prisoner by Soviet military forces during the 1939 invasion by both Nazi Germany … Continue reading Jan Karski and Herbert Hoover
By Thomas F. Schwartz A popular children’s game is rock, scissors, paper: rock breaks scissors, scissors cut paper, paper covers rock. Hoover’s eye doctor, Maynard C. Wheeler offered an interesting variation on the game in his oral history about Herbert Hoover. Previous blog posts have detailed Hoover’s habit of smoking Cuban cigars and pipe smoking … Continue reading Rock, Scissors, Sandpaper
By Thomas F. Schwartz A recent viral video shows a famous Hollywood actor performing magic tricks. Surprisingly, it is not the actor at all but someone with an uncanny resemblance. “Deep fakes,” the use of artificial intelligence to create videos showing images so real, such as Queen Elizabeth performing a TicTok dance, that the fake … Continue reading The Phantom President
Herbert Hoover with President Elect Franklin D Roosevelt as they leave the White House on their way to the Inauguration ceremonies. By Thomas F. Schwartz Much ink has been spilled on the relationship between Herbert Hoover and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. What began as friendly mutual cooperation ended in a bitter transition of power. It … Continue reading A Troubled Relationship
By Thomas F. Schwartz Lou Hoover never voiced an interest in running for political office. Her philosophy of “lead from behind” preferred a role as quiet mentor and not outspoken leader. This did not prevent her from voicing her opinion on the larger role that women play in leadership and governance. Speaking before a gathering … Continue reading Lou Hoover on Women and Politics
By Thomas F. Schwartz George Aubrey Hastings served as an administrative assistant to President Herbert Hoover. After Hoover left office, Hastings was asked to speak about his time in the White House and what he observed. In a talk before the National Republican Club on May 16, 1933, Hastings provided a glimpse into the … Continue reading An Average Day in the Life of a President
By Thomas F. Schwartz Many young people are in a hurry to grow up and be able to do things that their age prevents. Once they get older, they begin to pine for the previous unencumbered joys of childhood. It remains a great irony of life. Herbert Hoover was one of the many precocious youth … Continue reading A Problem of Youth: Herbert Hoover’s Changeable Age
By Thomas F. Schwartz The Olympic games originated in ancient Greece as a religious and athletic festival, providing a forum of friendly competition among otherwise factious city-states. Revived in the late 1800s, the tradition of holding games every four years was well established by the 1920s. The United States hosted the 1932 winter games in … Continue reading Hoover and the 1932 Olympic Games
By Thomas F. Schwartz A tradition observed by Herbert and Lou Hoover annually invited the Diplomatic Corps and the public to the White House on New Year’s Day. The President and First Lady would head a receiving line and greet the Diplomatic Corps first and then the public. It was an exhausting event where several … Continue reading New Year’s Day, January 1, 1931
