by Spencer Howard In late June, 1932, a few hundred unemployed World War I veterans boarded freight trains in Portland, Oregon. Out of work and overwhelmed by the Depression, they had decided to go to Washington, D.C. to lobby Congress for early payment of a soldier's bonus that was scheduled to be paid in 1945. … Continue reading Bonus Army
by: Matthew Schaefer It should come as no surprise that Herbert Hoover gave thought to the nature and operation of the National Archives. When World War I was winding down, Hoover [in addition to work with Wilson at the Paris Treaty talks and overseeing the feeding of Europe] created the Hoover Institution of War, Revolution … Continue reading National Archives and Herbert Hoover
By Thomas F. Schwartz Although Abraham Lincoln predates Sigmund Freud, the Illinois lawyer did write to famed Cincinnati physician Dr. Daniel Drake for help during his emotional crisis of “the hypo” in 1841. If Drake replied to Lincoln’s letter, it has never surfaced. Since then, both professionals and amateurs have tried to explain Lincoln’s personality. … Continue reading An Appeal to President Hoover to Prevent Putting Lincoln on the Couch
by Spencer Howard The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum presented a program by art conservator Barry Bauman entitled "The Demise of Mary Lincoln: An Artistic Conspiracy." In short, Mr. Bauman discovered that a painting that had hung for years in the Illinois governor's mansion, which was believed to be an original portrait of Mrs. … Continue reading Lincoln Portrait Fraud
by Thomas Schwartz In a recent CBS 60 Minutes interview, president-elect Donald Trump told Lesley Stahl, “I’m not going to take the salary. I’m not taking it.” The annual salary of the President of the United States is currently $400,000 plus other provisions for expenses such as entertaining and travel. President-elect Trump will not be … Continue reading “I’ve never accepted compensation…for federal service…”
by Spencer Howard There is a widespread but unfounded myth that President Hoover ordered the deportation or "repatriation" of large numbers of Hispanics, primarily Mexicans, during his administration (1929-1933). "Deportation" is the legal process for formally expelling a non-citizen from the United States; "repatriation" is a term that refers to various methods for persuading or … Continue reading Hoover on Immigration
A stereotype frequently attributed to Herbert Hoover is that he was cold and aloof. He did not have an official White House photographer (that would come with his successor, Franklin D. Roosevelt) and refused to have his family and private life as fair game for media coverage. Unlike later Presidents that used the media to … Continue reading Hoover and the Teleprompter
Author Charles Rappleye is an award-winning investigative journalist and editor. He has written extensively on media, law enforcement, and organized crime. The author of Sons of Providence: The Brown Brothers, the Slave Trade, and the American Revolution; Robert Morris: Financier of the American Revolution; and his new book - Herbert Hoover in the White House: The … Continue reading Herbert Hoover in the White House
by Spencer Howard When President Herbert Hoover entered the White House in 1929, Prohibition was the law of the land. For decades, social reformers – at first mostly women – had argued that alcohol was a scourge on society, linked to wife-beating and child abuse. Over time, business interests joined the cause, concerned about the … Continue reading Law of the Land
In March, 1931, Herbert Hoover decided to take a Caribbean cruise. He had taken only one brief vacation during the first two years of his Presidency, and badly needed some rest. The battleship Arizona had just finished a two year overhaul and was scheduled to make a "shakedown" cruise off the east coast, so the … Continue reading Caribbean Vacation
