by Matthew Schaefer Many years after Hoover left the White House, he became a respected elder statesman. Hoover relished this role, giving advice to Democrats and Republicans alike as he entered his eighties. At this late stage of his life, Hoover came to be seen as a model of vigorous aging. Magazine articles were written … Continue reading Days of Reckoning-Herbert Hoover’s Birthdays at age 80+
by Spencer Howard Lou Henry Hoover's papers include numerous files documenting some of the secretaries, servants and aides that worked for her over the years. Among them is a folder of letters that tell the story of a Filipino, Matias Estella. Matias Estella was born in the Philippines around 1896. Two years later, the United … Continue reading Asian Pacific American Heritage Month: Not Quite American
by Hunter Staskevich, Intern Father’s Day is coming up and thoughts turn to grilling out and a round of golf. Here at the Hoover, work continues as normal but these reflections came to mind while answering a reference question on Hugh R. Wilson. Wilson was a U.S. diplomat during the 1920’s and 1930’s who served in … Continue reading Traditional Links: Father’s Day & Golf
By Thomas F. Schwartz After leaving the presidency in March 1933, Herbert and Lou Hoover returned to their home in Palo Alto, California. By nature, they were not homebodies and were always traveling. Visiting friends in Chicago allowed them to attend the Chicago World’s Fair that used as its theme “A Century of Progress.” Unlike … Continue reading Lou Hoover’s Critique of the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair
by Spencer Howard As noted previously in this blog, the Hoovers continued the tradition, which began during the Theodore Roosevelt administration, of sponsoring concerts or "musicales" at the White House, usually following important dinners or receptions. The Hoovers' tastes, and therefore the programming, tended toward classical music. Unfortunately, as far as we know, none of … Continue reading White House Musicales: The Rest of the Story
by Spencer Howard When Lou Henry Hoover became First Lady in 1929, one of her main responsibilities was to coordinate the social functions at the White House, and the first major event on her agenda was to invite the wives of the members of Congress to the White House for tea. The Congressional teas served … Continue reading Tempest in a Teapot – Lou Henry Hoover and the DePriest Tea Incident
From the left: Anton Fokker, Herbert Hoover, F. Trubee Davison and Edward Warner. by Spencer Howard The inauguration of the first air passenger service between Washington DC and Philadelphia on July 16, 1926 was a major milestone in the development of the nation's capital, and of unusual personal significance for Secretary of Commerce Herbert Hoover. … Continue reading Hoover Field – Washington DC’s First Airport
A recent Hoover blog described Herbert Hoover’s speech upon accepting the Mining and Metallurgical Society of America’s Gold Medal for his contribution in translating and republishing Agricola’s De Re Metallica. Herbert Hoover traced the history of the mining profession, beginning with Vulcan, continuing through Thucydides and Jeremiah, before closing with the observation that German mining … Continue reading Lou Henry Hoover and the Translation of De Re Metallica
Once upon a time in America, elections, even the most bitterly contested elections, included high flying rhetoric and deeply held principles to counter balance the general mud-slinging. One such election was held in the fall of 1932. Incumbent President Herbert Hoover engaged in a heated campaign against challenger Franklin Roosevelt, Governor of New York. There … Continue reading Once upon a time in America
Traditionally the First Lady of the United States stays above the fray during campaign season, not wanting to sully the office in the mire of hand-to-hand politicking. This year Michelle Obama has ventured into the public sphere, acting as a proxy campaigner for Hillary Clinton. The First Lady has stepped out of her comfort zone … Continue reading First Ladies and Presidential Campaigns
