Herbert Hoover a Superhero?

On August 10, 1962, Herbert Hoover celebrated his 88th birthday by attending the dedication and opening of the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library -Museum in West Branch, Iowa. Accompanied by friend and former president Harry S. Truman, Hoover fondly reminisced about growing up in West Branch and celebrating the Fourth of July with firecrackers purchased by … Continue reading Herbert Hoover a Superhero?

Caribbean Vacation

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

Oscar Winner Ethel Barrymore’s Birthday Greeting from a former President

By Thomas F. Schwartz In nineteenth-century America, the ruling family of the stage was the Booth family.  John Wilkes Booth forever ruined the family reputation by assassinating President Abraham Lincoln.  In the twentieth-century, the Barrymore family were the stars of stage and screen.  Beginning with Maurice Barrymore and his three children, John, Lionel, and Ethel, … Continue reading Oscar Winner Ethel Barrymore’s Birthday Greeting from a former President

Hoover and Books

A love of books is rarely innate and usually the result of careful cultivation. Herbert Hoover described a moment when he was a teenager in Salem, Oregon when Miss Jennie Gray took an interest in his education. "She took me to the small library in the town," according to Hoover's published memoirs, "and borrowed for … Continue reading Hoover and Books

Divided Loyalties: Herbert Hoover and the Rose Bowl

by Spencer Howard The 2016 Rose Bowl Game will be a contest between the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Stanford Cardinal.  The two football teams have never met on the gridiron, but the universities share a unique connection:  the thirty-first President of the United States, Herbert Hoover. Herbert Hoover was born August 10, 1874 in West … Continue reading Divided Loyalties: Herbert Hoover and the Rose Bowl

The Making of the Modern Myth

Herbert Hoover mentored and befriended many young men and women who latter achieved prominence in diverse fields of endeavor.  One such relationship was with a young diplomat, Hugh Gibson, serving as secretary of the legation in Brussels, Belgium during the early years of World War I.  Gibson was present during the meeting when the United … Continue reading The Making of the Modern Myth

Hoover on Baseball

by Spencer Howard Fall means it is time for "America's pastime" playoffs! Herbert Hoover was a fan of baseball throughout his life; as President he had the traditional honor of throwing the ceremonial first pitch to open the season for the Washington Senators, and he attended other games when he had the time. He even made a … Continue reading Hoover on Baseball