Category Archives: Herbert Hoover
National Proposal Day! What Next?
National Proposal Day! What will they think of next? I know from personal experience that my memory of proposing to my wife does not align with her memory of the event. No matter, we’re still happily married 30+ years on. … Continue reading
The Smoot-Hawley Tariff of 1930
In any discussion of President Hoover’s economic policies, the Smoot-Hawley Tariff often takes center stage. What’s typically omitted, however, is the context in which the bill emerged. From the earliest days of the republic, a protective tariff was one of … Continue reading
Preventing Tragedy and Statistics
By Thomas F. Schwartz It is easy to overlook the significance of Herbert Hoover’s food relief efforts by looking merely at numbers. The precise number of people Hoover saved from starvation remains murky but most scholars agree it is in … Continue reading
Desegregating the Commerce Department
In 1928, Secretary of Commerce Herbert Hoover took action for the civil rights of African Americans that was both momentous and trivial – he desegregated the Commerce Department. As his assistant, George Akerson pointed out, the official policy of … Continue reading
Valentine’s Day Cards
Like many men [thousands? millions?], I approach Valentine’s Day with a measure of trepidation. The weight of choosing the appropriate card grows heavier each year. Perhaps I’m losing strength to carry on the tradition. Despite the thousands [millions?] of commercially … Continue reading
Assessing Presidents at One Year
History serves as a reminder that all political times are tempestuous. Ardent advocates champion their side of the cause no matter the year or the context. The President’s recent State of the Union message ballyhooed the accomplishments of the first … Continue reading
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Herbert Hoover and Fishing
Herbert Hoover’s lifelong passion for fishing is well-known. For no other President has a biographer written a 350-page book subtitled, The Fishing President, as Hal Elliott Wert has done for Hoover. In this book, Wert describes Hoover’s fishing exploits and … Continue reading
Hoover’s November 5, 1938 Address Inspires A Political Cartoon
By Thomas F. Schwartz In an address delivered to a joint Republican organizations in Spokane, Washington, November 5, 1938, former president Herbert Hoover rebutted President Franklin Roosevelt’s claim of “his success in creating economic stability, prosperity and security for the … Continue reading
Hoover and His Young Advisors
By Thomas F. Schwartz Presidents receive endless unsolicited advice on what to do and how to do it. Modern Presidents, even with the most vigilant staff, cannot prevent unsolicited advice from reaching their boss, especially in open public settings. Hoover … Continue reading
From Plenty to Thrift
By Thomas F. Schwartz Many families in the United States are fortunate enough to celebrate the holidays with a plethora of food. At a time of gift-giving and worrying about expanding waistlines, we often forget about the needy and hungry … Continue reading
