Eisenhower Interstate Sign Attentive drivers will notice that the highways connecting America are named the Dwight Eisenhower Interstate Highway System. This is a nod to Eisenhower’s commitment to securing passage of the 1956 Interstate Highway Act, a concrete legacy of his presidency. When discussing improvements to infrastructure today, some policy wonks invoke Ike, calling for … Continue reading The Interstate Highway System, Dwight Eisenhower and Lou Henry Hoover
by Spencer Howard Today we know Inauguration Day falls every four years on January 20, but for much of American history it was March 4, almost four months after election day. Herbert Hoover was the last and perhaps most unfortunate President to serve four months as a “lame duck.” What changed? The ratification of the … Continue reading The 20th Amendment : the obscure amendment that changed Inauguration Day
By Thomas F. Schwartz The Olympic games originated in ancient Greece as a religious and athletic festival, providing a forum of friendly competition among otherwise factious city-states. Revived in the late 1800s, the tradition of holding games every four years was well established by the 1920s. The United States hosted the 1932 winter games in … Continue reading Hoover and the 1932 Olympic Games
Traveling to Germany at President Eisenhower’s behest, Hoover gave three speeches in three days to German audiences. Hoover was eighty years old at the time, yet he did not hesitate. When his President called, Hoover answered. He wrote three major policy speeches, edited them en route to Germany, and delivered them to three distinct audiences. … Continue reading Herbert Hoover: Elder Statesman on the Move, November 1954
By Thomas F. Schwartz In his memoir, The Making of a Public Relations Man, John W. Hill, founder of the public relations firm Hill and Knowlton, Inc., devoted a chapter, “Hoover and Kennedy—A Study in Contrasts.” Hill was a friend of Herbert Hoover so much of his assessment was not based upon hearsay from others … Continue reading John W. Hill on Herbert Hoover and John F. Kennedy
High Jacked, Doctored Photographs, and Authentic Speeches from the 1928 Campaign By Thomas F. Schwartz Few people will recognize the name Edward Anthony today. A writer for major newspapers and popular magazines, his career spanned four decades and included a stint working for Herbert Hoover’s 1928 presidential campaign. In an entertaining published recollection, This Is … Continue reading Campaign Graphic Novels
Earlier this month a researcher asked: ‘What did President Hoover do on the Fourth of July?’ This question had never been put to me, so my answer was: ‘I don’t know; I’ll get back to you.’ A quick review of Hoover’s calendar and his Public Papers was revealing. July 4th, 1929 fell on a Thursday, … Continue reading President Hoover and the Fourth of July
by Thomas Schwartz Springfield eagerly anticipated the presidential visit by Herbert Hoover to rededicate the remodeled Lincoln Tomb on June 17, 1931. In advance of the visit, Hoover received an unusual request from famed Lincoln collector Oliver R. Barrett proposing an offer that he hoped the president could not refuse. Writing on June 2, 1931, … Continue reading Hoover and Lincoln: A Strange Offer
A recent reference inquiry reminded me of one my earliest projects at the Hoover Library. A researcher wanted to know if any website still hosted the documentary history of the Hoover-Truman relationship. I’d been part of a team that scanned these documents for the web, but I hadn’t noticed that the links were dead. The … Continue reading Hoover and 20th Century Presidents: Harry Truman
