The American flag flying in front of the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library-Museum by Spencer Howard Did you know that on March 3, 1931 President Hoover signed the law that designated "The Star Spangled Banner" as our national anthem? For more than a century, the people of the United States debated what song, if any, should … Continue reading Herbert Hoover and “The Star Spangled Banner”
On display until March 19 is our temporary exhibit, 1968: A Folsom Redemption. The exhibit tells the story of the Johnny Cash live recording concert for the inmates of Folsom and its aftermath. The concert rebooted Cash’s career and began a series of concerts he gave at various prisons. He became an inspiration for many … Continue reading Johnny Cash and Herbert Hoover Confront Prison Reform
"Monument of Gratitude" by Xawery Dunikowski, Hoover Square, Warsaw, ca. 1933. (HHPL-M image #31-1933-54) A previous blog post (see Herbert Hoover Loses His Head) dealt with the Xawery Dunikowski statue, Monument of Gratitude, dedicated in Warsaw’s Hoover Square in 1922 in memory of the American Relief Administration’s [ARA] postwar food relief efforts. Individuals who served … Continue reading A Celebration Gone Too Far
Joseph Green, one of Hoover's devoted CRB men. Most individuals appreciate complements on a job well done and welcome their superiors inquiring about their level of satisfaction at work and in family life. Critics who have painted Hoover as cold and aloof also claim he didn’t like to complement subordinates because it removed the spotlight … Continue reading Modern Hoover Myths: Part 5
President Hoover, in formal attire, greets President elect Herrera of Columbia, June 2, 1930. (HHPL-M image #31-1930-45) Critics have often claimed that Hoover lacked the social graces required of a President. What constitutes required “social graces” of any President is subjective. One of America’s greatest presidents, Abraham Lincoln, was criticized for the vestiges of his … Continue reading Modern Hoover Myths: Part 4
A jovial Herbert Hoover at Bohemian Grove, 1941. (HHPL-M image 31-1941-a49) Individuals who are inclined to be introverts in public are often assumed to be humorless. Funny people usually command the center of attention not only with their wit but larger than life personalities. The characterization that Hoover lacked a sense of humor is baseless … Continue reading Modern Hoover Myths: Part 3
Herbert Hoover in Poland, 1946. Science fiction depicts certain aliens and robots as possessing no emotion and basing their actions entirely on logic. The popular television series Star Trek introduced Vulcans who evolved replacing emotions with logic. Herbert Hoover was neither a Vulcan nor a robot, but writers have often depicted him as lacking any … Continue reading Modern Hoover Myths: Part 2
Popular history reaches a wide audience and often inspires readers to delve more deeply into a topic. All history contains some misinformation. In most cases, it is based on sources that have since been replaced with writings that benefit from new primary materials that better inform the topic. Bill Bryson’s widely read One Summer: America … Continue reading Hoover and the Charge of Treason
President Harry Truman and former President Herbert Hoover, 06/17/1947.(HHPL-M image #31-1947-30). The defeat of the Axis Powers in World War II did not usher an era of peace. Rather, decades of unease between the United States and the Soviet Union characterized the postwar world. This period would be termed the Cold War—the absence of direct … Continue reading Hoover and Postwar Humor
Admiral Kichisaburō Nomura and President Herbert Hoover outside the White House, September 27, 1929. (HHPL-M image 31-1929-a88) During his four years in office, President Hoover met a variety of foreign leaders, both military and civilian. On September 27, 1929, Hoover met Admiral Kichisaburō Nomura of Japan and a group of midshipmen under his command to … Continue reading A Friendship Through Peace
