The front of the Inaugural Medal given to Herbert Hoover, dated March 4, 1929. The back of Herbert Hoover's Inauguration Medal. In March 1921, after having served for four years as United States Food Administrator and Commissioner for Belgian Relief, Mr. Hoover was appointed as Secretary of Commerce by President Warren G. Harding. Beloved for … Continue reading Much Ado About Medals Act III: The Secretary, The Flood, and The Chief
by Spencer Howard Herbert Hoover is remembered today primarily as the President who struggled to contain the Great Depression. It’s hard for us to imagine how incredibly popular he was before entering the White House, and how he dazzled the world with his meteoric rise to fame. Hoover’s adult life leading up to the Presidency … Continue reading Wonder Boy — Herbert Hoover as Secretary of Commerce
by Spencer Howard The following story is filed with Bureau of Standards reports to Secretary of Commerce Herbert Hoover: On Sunday morning, March 20, 1921, the arrest of a young man and the recovery of a truck full of Government radio equipment was reported to the Superintendent of the Bureau of Standards. The robbery was … Continue reading Make Sure Your Getaway Vehicle Doesn’t Break Down
Secretary Hoover had this small radio receiver installed in his home in order that he could better understand the complaints received by the Commerce Dept. from citizens with similar equipment. By Thomas F. Schwartz An old joke in the media industry is to indicate to something that they have “a face for radio.” I have … Continue reading A Face for Radio
by Spencer Howard One of the most interesting documents at the Hoover Library is a handwritten, five-page personal letter from King Albert of Belgium to Secretary of Commerce Herbert Hoover. A transcript of the entire letter can be found at https://hoover.archives.gov/KingAlbertltr.pdf. King Albert wrote to ask Hoover to intervene with the U.S. Shipping Board on behalf … Continue reading A Letter from a King
Cartoon from 1921 by William Morris by Spencer Howard When President Harding was inaugurated in 1921, a sharp recession was underway that had begun the year before. By mid-1921, some five million people were out of work - perhaps 12% of the workforce. Concerns arose about the possibility of widespread hardship through the coming winter, … Continue reading The President’s Conference on Unemployment – 1921
From the left: Anton Fokker, Herbert Hoover, F. Trubee Davison and Edward Warner Those of a certain age have fond memories of Charles Schultz's Peanuts comic strip. Among the memorable characters that lived out his fantasies was Charlie Brown's dog Snoopy. A reoccurring fantasy was being a World War I fighter pilot in a Sopwith … Continue reading Hoover “Meets the Fokker”
by Spencer Howard On January 31, 1921, a five-masted schooner was spotted aground on Diamond Shoal, off the coast of North Carolina, with sails set but no sign of the crew. Due to high seas, the Coast Guard was unable to identify or board the ship until February 4. When finally boarded, the ship was … Continue reading The Wreck of the Carroll A. Deering
In the summer of 1923 President Harding left Washington D.C. to travel across the country and visit the U.S. territory of Alaska. He initiated the visit to Alaska - feeling that Washington, with its great distance from Alaska, could never have a proper appreciation of their problems if they were only presented on paper. Harding wanted … Continue reading Alaska and the Voyage of Understanding
by Spencer Howard During and after World War I, Herbert Hoover led two great humanitarian organizations, the Commission for Relief in Belgium and the American Relief Administration. Of special concern to both organizations was the plight of children in war-ravaged Europe, and under Hoover's direction over 15 million children received food, clothing, and other assistance. … Continue reading Child Health Day
