This past September marked the eightieth anniversary of the beginning of the Second World War, an event that shocked many who felt that civilization had moved beyond such barbarous means. Herbert Hoover offered this trenchant commentary to a San Francisco audience, September 1st 1939: This is one of the saddest weeks that has come to … Continue reading Herbert Hoover on the Outbreak of the European War
Lou Hoover and the Early Days of World War I
London, 1914, American Women's Committee. Lou Hoover is sitting at the table, the fourth one from the right. Last month we made a presentation to our local Questers group. They are big fans of Lou Hoover, so they asked us to speak on Lou and relief work during World War I. I felt that we’d … Continue reading Lou Hoover and the Early Days of World War I
Naturalization Ceremony
Naturalization ceremony at the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum. The Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum will host a naturalization ceremony on Friday, September 20 at 2 p.m. Seventy candidates from thirty countries will take the oath of allegiance to the United States of America renouncing and abjuring all allegiance and fidelity to any … Continue reading Naturalization Ceremony
Seasons Change, but Football Remains
1940 official rule book - American Football for Boys A Safe Game. Official Rules If it is autumn, Americans’ attention turn to football. The cool crisp autumnal air is the perfect vector to carry the satisfying sound of leather meeting leather on the gridiron. The satisfaction of a well-executed tackle was held just as dear … Continue reading Seasons Change, but Football Remains
Tangible and Intangible Uses of Historical Knowledge
Lou Henry Hoover sitting at the "Monroe Desk" which was reproduced for the White House collection. ca 1931 By Thomas F. Schwartz Another of Lou Henry Hoover’s undeveloped musings addresses the problem of people who only mine the past for practical applications in the present. A deeper understanding of the context that gave rise to … Continue reading Tangible and Intangible Uses of Historical Knowledge
Parodies of the New Deal
By Thomas F. Schwartz New York Stock Exchange, ca. 1929 Much of the negativity connecting Herbert Hoover to the Great Depression was a relentless effort on the part of Charles Michelson a publicist hired by the Democratic National Committee in 1930 to attack Hoover’s policies and person. It was Michelson who created a series … Continue reading Parodies of the New Deal
Herbie the Cat
Herbie the cat sits on top his house in front of the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum. ca. 1996 In honor of International Cat Day, August 8, 2019, I would like to take the time to remember Herbie the Cat. Herbie was an adult stray or runaway cat that appeared at the Herbert Hoover … Continue reading Herbie the Cat
Comparing Earnings of Presidents and Baseball Players.
08/13/1960 Former President Hoover throws out the first ball at the Old Timers game, Yankee Stadium. Red Rutting, Bob Feller and Joe DiMaggio. In exploring the Hoover-Ruth salary story, I indulged myself to compare salaries of other baseball players in light of the annual salary of the President. Given that the POTUS’s salary changed only … Continue reading Comparing Earnings of Presidents and Baseball Players.
Herbert Hoover and Babe Ruth
Herbert Hoover and Babe Ruth before the Stanford vs. University of Southern CA. football game. 11/11/1933 Summer is here and it is time to recall some trivial links between baseball, America’s national pastime, and the Presidency, America’s highest public position. Although they met only once, at a Stanford-USC football game in November 1933, there are … Continue reading Herbert Hoover and Babe Ruth
When Typewriter Rentals Were Banned
This Royal typewriter is on display at the Hoover Museum, it is typical of what Herbert Hoover would have used while living in the Waldorf-Astoria. By Thomas F. Schwartz As the manuscript collections clearly document, Herbert Hoover was a compulsive writer. Typically, drafts were typed, edited, amended, and retyped ad nauseam before Hoover was … Continue reading When Typewriter Rentals Were Banned