The goodwill tour of Latin America by the Hoovers had ripples that extended long after they returned to the United States. Reciprocal visits by Latin American heads of state included: Pascual Ortiz Rubio, President of Mexico in December 1929, Dr. Enrique Olaya, President-elect of Columbia in early June 1930, and Dr. Julio Prestes, President-elect of … Continue reading Brazilian President-Elect Prestes Visits the Hoover White House
The Hoovers were not the only First Couple to go on a goodwill trip. Enrique and Maria Olaya Herrera, President-Elect and First Lady of Columbia, visited the Hoover White House in early June 1930. After serving eight years as Columbian Minister to the United States, Olaya was elected President in February 1930, but he did … Continue reading Campbell Hodges reports on visit of Columbia President-Elect and First Lady
At times, our social media guru has had to scramble to meet our weekly goal of posting a Hoover blog. At times, it is not easy to generate a 400-word article of interest, or not of interest, under a deadline. Clearly this is not a new problem for newspaper writers, many of whom had to … Continue reading Writers and Deadlines
by Spencer Howard Herbert Hoover is remembered today primarily as the President who struggled to contain the Great Depression. It’s hard for us to imagine how incredibly popular he was before entering the White House, and how he dazzled the world with his meteoric rise to fame. Hoover’s adult life leading up to the Presidency … Continue reading Wonder Boy — Herbert Hoover as Secretary of Commerce
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 Spencer Howard In the spring of 1885, 18-year-old Laura Ingalls did not graduate from high school in De Smet, South Dakota, though perhaps she should have. Of course, high school in the current sense didn’t exist then, especially in rural areas. Most Americans had no opportunity to attend school beyond 8th grade, and many … Continue reading Graduations that never happened — Laura Ingalls Wilder
by Spencer Howard Among the hidden gems at the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library-Museum are the papers of Rose Wilder Lane, which document the extraordinary lives of Rose and her mother, Laura Ingalls Wilder. Laura’s Little House books are a fictionalized account of her childhood, but they contain many charming and vivid descriptions of pioneer life … Continue reading Searching for the real Laura Ingalls Wilder
by Spencer Howard Mary McLeod Bethune was a prominent African-American educator and public servant in the early 20th century. Born in South Carolina in 1875, she was the 15th of 17 children of former slaves Samuel and Patsy McLeod. As a child she excelled in her studies at a mission school and won scholarships for … Continue reading Mary Bethune: Adviser to Presidents
I have often posted stories here about a humanitarian whose efforts led him to ensure that millions of people would not starve. These are the stories about Herbert Hoover or, as I call him, Bert. Let me now tell a story about Ernie. Ernie was blessed with a boundless energy and an unquenchable passion for … Continue reading Ernie Shackleton: A Lesson in Leadership
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
