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 that are right next door. As hard as it is for adults to remember the … Continue reading From Plenty to Thrift
by Matthew Schaefer In addition to the White House tradition of spending Thanksgiving as a quiet day with the family, Herbert Hoover tended to the ceremonial aspect of his official duty by issuing a Thanksgiving Proclamation. This tradition dates back to George Washington, and most Presidents hew to a predictable script—invoking forefathers, thanking God, and … Continue reading Thanksgiving Proclamations and President Hoover
by Matthew Schaefer Somehow, I’ve written more than once about Herbert Hoover and football without consulting the two folders on ‘Football, 1929-1932’ in Hoover’s Presidential Subject Files. This is written in order to rectify that oversight. These files contain a letter dated December 5, 1931 from Mrs. Helen MacLean to President Hoover. Mrs. MacLean explained … Continue reading President Hoover and Football
This piece was written by George Schaefer, for use at a corporate retreat with the theme ‘Building a Legacy of Success.’ He used this story to convey what it takes to create and sustain a legacy. It is used here with his permission. This is a story about a man named Bert. It is a … Continue reading What Will Be Your Legacy?
by Matthew Schaefer Sometimes history loops back on itself and offers timely advice for the present and for the future. In a reply to a press inquiry, October 5, 1953, former President Herbert Hoover offered advice that needs no further comment: ‘The weakest link in the whole chain of protections to liberty is the vote. … Continue reading Herbert Hoover on the Importance of Voting
By Thomas F. Schwartz Royal visits to the United States are always complicated affairs, especially when things do not go according to plans. Such was the case in 1919 when the King and Queen of Belgium were invited by Congressional invitation, the first extended since Lafayette came in 1825 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of … Continue reading Badges, “Buttons”, and Royal Visits
By Thomas F. Schwartz On March 30, 1932, a letter was sent to President Herbert Hoover from a young boy in Jackson, Tennessee along with a photograph. Perhaps his first letter ever written to a President, the young man wrote: Mr. Herbert Hoover This letter is going to be different from any other I … Continue reading A Boy Named Herbert Hoover
Matthew Schaefer Sometimes, for an archivist, what you learn while looking up other things is more interesting than the original topic. Recently a patron sought information on Herbert Hoover’s dealings with Cuba. I found the ‘usual suspects’ for a food administrator, Commerce Secretary and President and his relations with our nearest non-contiguous neighbor. But it … Continue reading Sometimes a Man Just Wants a Good Cigar
by Matthew Schaefer Even before entering the White House, the Hoovers determined that they would need to escape Washington DC’s notorious summer heat and humidity. Given their love of the outdoors, the Hoovers’ purchase and development of a summer camp on the Rapidan River in Virginia came as no surprise. The camp was in the … Continue reading Home Improvements at Camp Rapidan
By Thomas F. Schwartz One of the great Hanna-Barbera cartoons was Wally Gator that ran from 1962 through 1963. The vocal talents of Daws Butler, best known as the voice of Yogi Bear, made Wally Gator the alligator counterpart of that wily rabbit Bugs Bunny. As everyone knows, alligators are found in the United States … Continue reading Not a Croc: The Hoover Alligators
