“Viva Hoover” exhibit – but what’s that thing that looks like a clock?

by Spencer Howard A number of visitors to the temporary exhibit "Viva Hoover!  The 1928 Goodwill Tour" have asked about one of the large photographs of the battleship USS Maryland -- what is that clock-like thing on the mast? It's a device called a "range clock," and you will see it in pictures of battleships … Continue reading “Viva Hoover” exhibit – but what’s that thing that looks like a clock?

Herbert Hoover’s Good Will Tour – by Battleship

by Spencer Howard When Herbert Hoover was elected President in 1928, long-distance air travel was still in the future; Franklin Roosevelt would become the first President to travel internationally by air.  Hoover left the continental U.S. twice: first, as President-Elect in 1928, he traveled to Latin America on a "Good Will Tour," then in 1931 … Continue reading Herbert Hoover’s Good Will Tour – by Battleship

The Second Purpose of Hoover’s 1928 Goodwill Tour

Herbert and Lou Henry Hoover were experienced travelers when they embarked on their trip to Latin America in late November 1928.  This was not the case for many of their fellow travelers.  Lou Hoover felt that it was incumbent on her to bring everyone up to speed by distributing a three-page typed memorandum on the … Continue reading The Second Purpose of Hoover’s 1928 Goodwill Tour

The Purpose of Hoover’s 1928 Goodwill Tour

Shortly after Herbert Hoover won the Presidency in November 1928, he began planning a trip to Latin America. This would make him the first President-elect to make such a journey.  His experience as Secretary of Commerce convinced him of the economic importance of Latin America and of the need to walk back some North American … Continue reading The Purpose of Hoover’s 1928 Goodwill Tour