By Thomas F. Schwartz President Hoover and First Lady Lou Hoover at a dinner at the Waldorf Astoria, Feb. 12, 1933. A common approach to short biography today is to provide a series of questions asking the interview subject to list their favorite foods, movies, music, etc. The archivists are frequently asked these same questions … Continue reading An Eclectic Taste in Music: Herbert Hoover’s Favorite Tunes
Part 2 By Thomas F. Schwartz Though the original ten reel production never was released for general viewing, the existing scripts give a sense of its contents. Because it was a silent film, the subtitles clearly describe the film footage that preceded it. It begins by stating: “This is not a picture of actors … Continue reading The Lost Documentary Film of the Commission for Relief in Belgium
By Thomas F. Schwartz Herbert Hoover, American Relief Administration, Brussels, Belgian ca. 1919 Among the innovative methods to publicize the work of the Commission for Relief in Belgium [CRB] and the American Relief Administration [ARA] were two documentary film efforts, both which are lost to history. George Barr Baker served with Herbert Hoover in both … Continue reading Herbert Hoover, American Relief Administration, Brussels, Belgian ca. 1919
By Thomas F. Schwartz Collaborating Collectors, the new temporary exhibit at the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum, explores the collecting habits of Herbert and Lou Hoover. But it ultimately poses the question “What do you collect?” When someone posed that question to me, I gave an unhelpful answer: “dust.” But a more serious and … Continue reading What Do You Collect?
By Thomas F. Schwartz When historians mention Herbert Hoover’s influence abroad, most cite his humanitarian efforts with food and emergency relief. Less studied is the influence of his writings such as American Individualism which was translated into many languages and his work as Secretary of Commerce and President. The Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum … Continue reading Hoover’s Influence in Japan
Stanford University, 1941 By Matthew Schaefer While in a research dalliance regarding Allan Hoover’s graduation from Stanford, I learned that his father, Herbert Hoover, was tapped twice to deliver the commencement address at Stanford. This brought me up short. Even though I recognize that commencement addresses are largely forgettable exercises in oratory, I was abashed … Continue reading Rites of Spring: Public Addresses to Graduates
Part of series of photos on presidential candidates and their families. Secretary of Commerce Herbert Hoover and Lou Hoover with King Tut on the porch of their Washington, DC home. 5/21/1928 By Thomas F. Schwartz Napoleon’s invasion of Egypt in 1798 served both a military function in disrupting British access to India as well as … Continue reading The Neo-Egyptian Revivals
By Thomas F. Schwartz W. J. Loring and Herbert Hoover, mining in Australia, Hoover on the left. ca. 1903 November As part of an ongoing exploration of Herbert and Lou Hoover’s connection with the Rosetta Stone exhibit, this blog post examines Herbert Hoover’s brief efforts to revive a turquoise mine in the Sinai Peninsula. The … Continue reading An Explosive Story: Hoover and the Sinai Peninsula Turquoise Mine
By Thomas F. Schwartz Beginning on Saturday, April 13, 2019 and running through October 27, 2019 will be a unique temporary exhibit at the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum entitled Written In Stone: The Rosetta Stone Exhibit. The exhibit will feature an exact replica made from a cast of the original Rosetta Stone at … Continue reading Herbert and Lou Hoover’s Connection to the Rosetta Stone
By Thomas F. Schwartz, PhD Herbert Hoover during his years at Stanford. A story often cited claims that when Hoover was a student at Stanford, he invited the famed Polish pianist, Ignacy Jan Paderewski, to perform at Stanford for a promised fee of $2,000. Much to Hoover’s chagrin, the ticket sales fell short of the … Continue reading Hoover and Paderewski
