At the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month in the year 1918, church bells rang out across Europe. They rang to celebrate the armistice which ended more than four years of grueling total warfare on the continent. The erstwhile combatants hoped that they could negotiate an enduring peace. This would … Continue reading The End of the Great War
by Matthew Schaefer During his fifty years of public service, Herbert Hoover wrote at least one million letters. Carbon copies of these letters constitute the bulk of the Herbert Hoover papers. Most of the letters from his later years are terse, honed by long practice to speak only to the point. Hoover’s prose in these … Continue reading From the Herbert Hoover Snark-ives
by Spencer Howard At his news conference on March 22, 1929, President Hoover announced that he had ordered the Presidential yacht, USS Mayflower, decommissioned. He explained, "The Secretary of the Navy reports that it costs over $300,000 a year to maintain the yacht and that it requires a complement of 9 officers and 148 enlisted … Continue reading When is a yacht not a yacht?
Groucho and Other Solicitations Made to an Ex-President. By Thomas F. Schwartz It was not uncommon in the Nineteenth Century for sitting and former presidents to publically endorse commercial products and services, usually without compensation. In 1862, Abraham Lincoln wrote a glowing endorsement for his foot doctor: “Dr. Zacharie, has, with great dexterity, taken some … Continue reading Who’s Buried in Grant’s Tomb?
Part 2 by Matthew Schaefer This post is the second in an intermittent series describing the continuing saga of Herbert Hoover’s connections to U.S. Presidents. In 1910, the 36 year-old Hoover wrote letters to friends explaining that he’d grown bored with the game of making money and that he’d welcome a new challenge. Well-connected friends … Continue reading Herbert Hoover and American Presidents of the 20th century
by Matthew Schaefer Theodore Roosevelt Box 12 of the Allan Hoover papers contains an intriguing folder titled ‘People Herbert Hoover Knew.’ The names on these twenty-seven pages obviously did not list every one that Hoover knew, just those with sufficient political prominence to catch Hoover’s attention. One page was especially noteworthy. On it Hoover listed … Continue reading Herbert Hoover and American Presidents of the 20th century
by Matthew Schaefer Many years after Hoover left the White House, he became a respected elder statesman. Hoover relished this role, giving advice to Democrats and Republicans alike as he entered his eighties. At this late stage of his life, Hoover came to be seen as a model of vigorous aging. Magazine articles were written … Continue reading Days of Reckoning-Herbert Hoover’s Birthdays at age 80+
by Spencer Howard Visitors to the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library-Museum often ask, what ever happened to the Hoovers' kids? Both of their sons lived productive lives, though neither achieved as much fame as their father. Herbert Charles Hoover was born in London on August 4, 1903. He was named for his father, Herbert Clark Hoover, … Continue reading What ever Happened to Herbert Hoover’s Kids?
Part 3 By Thomas F. Schwartz Sustained by Hoover’s loan of 100,000 francs, Chevrillon also received infrequent shipments of food aid through Hoover’s Lisbon agents. By 1942 Chevrillon reported that, “the markets are empty….the harvests for next year are announced as poor.” He added, “already the ration itself is insufficient for normal feeding and the … Continue reading War and Peace: The Friendship of Louis Chevrillon and Herbert Hoover
Part 3 By Matthew Schaeffer After Herbert Hoover left the White House on March 4, 1933, Hoover Ball disappeared from the public awareness. Clearly Franklin Roosevelt, suffering from the lingering impact of polio, was not going to throw a six pound ball over a net. Like Calvin Coolidge’s mechanical horse, Hoover ball was consigned to … Continue reading Hoover Ball Rejuvenated
