Herbert Hoover with President Elect Franklin D Roosevelt as they leave the White House on their way to the Inauguration ceremonies. By Thomas F. Schwartz Much ink has been spilled on the relationship between Herbert Hoover and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. What began as friendly mutual cooperation ended in a bitter transition of power. It … Continue reading A Troubled Relationship
By Thomas F. Schwartz George Aubrey Hastings served as an administrative assistant to President Herbert Hoover. After Hoover left office, Hastings was asked to speak about his time in the White House and what he observed. In a talk before the National Republican Club on May 16, 1933, Hastings provided a glimpse into the … Continue reading An Average Day in the Life of a President
By Thomas F. Schwartz Many young people are in a hurry to grow up and be able to do things that their age prevents. Once they get older, they begin to pine for the previous unencumbered joys of childhood. It remains a great irony of life. Herbert Hoover was one of the many precocious youth … Continue reading A Problem of Youth: Herbert Hoover’s Changeable Age
The goodwill tour of Latin America by the Hoovers had ripples that extended long after they returned to the United States. Reciprocal visits by Latin American heads of state included: Pascual Ortiz Rubio, President of Mexico in December 1929, Dr. Enrique Olaya, President-elect of Columbia in early June 1930, and Dr. Julio Prestes, President-elect of … Continue reading Brazilian President-Elect Prestes Visits the Hoover White House
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 can be neatly … Continue reading Wonder Boy — Herbert Hoover as Secretary of Commerce
By Thomas F. Schwartz The Olympic games originated in ancient Greece as a religious and athletic festival, providing a forum of friendly competition among otherwise factious city-states. Revived in the late 1800s, the tradition of holding games every four years was well established by the 1920s. The United States hosted the 1932 winter games in … Continue reading Hoover and the 1932 Olympic Games
By Thomas F. Schwartz A tradition observed by Herbert and Lou Hoover annually invited the Diplomatic Corps and the public to the White House on New Year’s Day. The President and First Lady would head a receiving line and greet the Diplomatic Corps first and then the public. It was an exhausting event where several … Continue reading New Year’s Day, January 1, 1931
Former president Herbert Hoover talks with Bernard Baruch at the final dinner of the Boys' Clubs of America's 45th annual convention at New York's Hotel Commodore. 05/10/1951. By Thomas F. Schwartz The relationship between Herbert Hoover and Bernard Baruch was both mutual admiration and petty jealousy. They saw in one another tremendous strengths and skills … Continue reading Respectful Partisans: Herbert Hoover and Bernard Baruch
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”
