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
By Thomas F. Schwartz At the end of a bruising 1932 campaign, Hoover travelled to Iowa where he gave a series of speeches in early October. While much of the content focused on issues of the day, Hoover also used the opportunity to reminisce about his early youth in Iowa. Hoover reminded his audience that … Continue reading Christmas During the First “Great Depression”
By Thomas F. Schwartz Marion Redman is not a familiar name in the Hoover presidency, although she had a front row seat from December 1930 until the end of May 1931 as the governess for baby Joan, Peggy Ann, and Herbert “Pete” Hoover III. Tuberculosis was widespread during the Hoover presidency, affecting his eldest son, … Continue reading A 1930 White House Christmas Recollection
Last year at about this time Thomas Schwartz wrote a blog here about Hoover’s ‘Invisible Guest’ dinners, innovative efforts to raise private funds to pay for the feeding of Europeans after World War I. Congress had originally appropriated $100 million to this humanitarian effort, but was reluctant to expend funds beyond this commitment. Hoover recognized … Continue reading The Invisible Guest-Part II
By Thomas F. Schwartz Bruce Barton is not a familiar name to most people but they certainly know some of his iconic brands such as Betty Crocker. Barton was a principal in the advertising agency Batten, Barton, Durstine & Osborn. The writer/director Matthew Weiner used the advertising industry as a model for his 2007 show … Continue reading Mad Men and Miss Manners: A Hoover Christmas Carol
By Thomas F. Schwartz A previous blog described Christmas gifts Lou Henry Hoover gave to people in 1930. Made from century-old pine beams original to the White House and removed in the 1927 renovation by Calvin Coolidge, some of the oral histories conducted with associates of Herbert Hoover conflate these gifts with the 1929 fire … Continue reading The Oval Office Roasting on a 1929 Christmas Fire
By Thomas F. Schwartz A previous blog described Christmas gifts Lou Henry Hoover gave to people in 1930. Made from century-old pine beams original to the White House and removed in the 1927 renovation by Calvin Coolidge, some of the oral histories conducted with associates of Herbert Hoover conflate these gifts with the 1929 fire … Continue reading The Oval Office Roasting on a 1929 Christmas Fire
By Matthew Schaefer Christmas is a holiday laden with memories--family, fun, food, and faith form the warp and woof of these memories. This held true for Herbert Hoover. Late in his life, Hoover began to collect his Christmas reminiscences to share with family and friends. One set of such memories is found in Hoover’s Post-Presidential … Continue reading Herbert Hoover’s Many Facets of Christmas
By Thomas F. Schwartz December 1931 was like any other except that more Americans were feeling the effects of what would later be known as the Great Depression. Herbert and Lou Hoover had a long history of assisting those in need. The First Lady decided that the annual Christmas party would have a different emphasis. … Continue reading Santa Claus Lives at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
