Lou Henry Hoover died on Friday January 7, 1944 at the Waldorf-Astoria suite that she shared with her husband Herbert Hoover. The following Monday more than 1500 mourners attended her memorial service at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church. There was no eulogy. After the service, the Hoover family took the mortal remains of Lou Henry Hoover … Continue reading On the Passing of Lou Henry Hoover
by Matthew Schaefer The relationship between successive Presidents can sometimes be contentious regardless of political affiliation. These relationships have been given due attention by historians. The relationship between successive First Ladies has garnered far less attention, as historians have focused attention on First Ladies individually. The relationship between Grace Coolidge and Lou Henry Hoover merits … Continue reading Bleeding Heart and Lily
by Spencer Howard When Lou Henry Hoover became First Lady in 1929, one of her main responsibilities was to coordinate the social functions at the White House, and the first major event on her agenda was to invite the wives of the members of Congress to the White House for tea. The Congressional teas served … Continue reading Tempest in a Teapot – Lou Henry Hoover and the DePriest Tea Incident
“May you have the happiest new year imaginable.” By Thomas F. Schwartz The recent film Jackie (2016) by Pablo Larrain offers an artistic interpretation of a life based on a 1963 Life magazine interview by Theodore H. White with the recently widowed Jacqueline Kennedy. One typically would not connect Herbert Hoover with this fashionable First … Continue reading The Hoover/Kennedy Letters.
Traditionally the First Lady of the United States stays above the fray during campaign season, not wanting to sully the office in the mire of hand-to-hand politicking. This year Michelle Obama has ventured into the public sphere, acting as a proxy campaigner for Hillary Clinton. The First Lady has stepped out of her comfort zone … Continue reading First Ladies and Presidential Campaigns
