By Thomas F. Schwartz World War I provided much of the impetus for the development of aviation as a weapon of war. In the aftermath of the war, aviation continued to be developed by governments largely for military purposes. In the United States, it became the reserve for daredevils and interested amateurs. Planes were noisy, … Continue reading The New Frontier of Aviation: the Guggenheim/Hoover Connection
By Thomas F. Schwartz One of the great architectural icons of the twentieth century is Frank Lloyd Wright’s design for the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. Unlike most art museums with a series of square rooms displaying paintings, sculpture and other media, the Guggenheim is a spiral walkway with the art displayed on the walls along … Continue reading Hoover and Harry F. Guggenheim on the Opening of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
by Spencer Howard During the Hoover Administration, arguably the most famous pet in Washington belonged not to the Hoovers, but to Secretary of State Henry Stimson, who was the proud owner of a profane parrot named The Old Soak. Tales of The Old Soak include a long-distance relationship, scandalous behavior, and a horrifying disease, all … Continue reading The Old Soak
by Spencer Howard The fall of 1929 is typically remembered for the October stock market crash, but did you know that 1929 also witnessed a pandemic scare, one that ended almost as soon as it started? It wasn’t Covid-19 or even the Spanish Flu; it was Parrot Fever. Known to science as Psittacosis, parrot fever … Continue reading Parrot Fever — the 1929 pandemic
by Spencer Howard Visitors to the gravesite of Herbert and Lou Henry Hoover are often struck by its dignified simplicity. Two ledger stones of Vermont white marble mark their resting place, inscribed only with their names and life dates. No epitaph records their achievements or honors. Located at the top of a small rise known … Continue reading Army and Navy Union USA at the Hoover Gravesite
By Thomas F. Schwartz Most people would be hard pressed to see any connection between the Renaissance polymath Leonardo Da Vinci and the thirty-first President, Herbert Hoover. The first individual conjures up images of the artist who painted the Mona Lisa while the latter individual is known as “The Great Humanitarian.” Yet much of Da … Continue reading Leonardo Da Vinci and Herbert Hoover: Imperfect Visionaries
Aside from August 10th, his birthday, Herbert Hoover gave more significant speeches on November 11th than on any other day in the calendar. Acting on behalf of President Coolidge, Hoover gave his first Armistice Day address in 1924 to the American Legion, two years before Congress officially named November 11th Armistice Day. Hoover spoke each … Continue reading Hoover. Armistice Day and Veterans’ Day
Dwight D. Eisenhower and Lewis L. Strauss had much in common. Both began their public service during the First World War. Each served when America was drawn into World War II. Both rose to national office after the war. Both were Republicans committed to American victory in the Cold War. Much to his chagrin, Eisenhower’s … Continue reading Dwight D. Eisenhower and Lewis L. Strauss: A Bull____ Story
Western civilization has long esteemed heroes on horseback, those men who rode valiant steeds into battle then rode them into political power. Perhaps the first such hero on horseback was Alexander the Great who rode Bucephalus into battles that led to Alexander ruling the known world before age 33. Tales of such heroes echo down … Continue reading Heroes on Horseback; Hoover on Horses
By Thomas F. Schwartz Alphonse “Al” Capone remains one of the most legendary mobsters. His extensive empire of bootlegging during Prohibition and bribing leading political figures from the mayor to law enforcement officials in Chicago, made him the kingpin of the city. Capone tried to soften his ruthless acts protecting his criminal empire by providing … Continue reading Hoover’s Efforts to Jail Al Capone
