Herbert Hoover and Charles Curtis, June 1928 (HHPL-M image 31-1928-46) by Spencer Howard One question often asked is whether Vice President Charles Curtis attended Cabinet meetings during the Hoover Administration. At that time, it was a novel idea; only President Warren Harding had routinely included his vice president, Calvin Coolidge, in Cabinet meetings. Under most … Continue reading Did Vice President Charles Curtis attend Hoover’s Cabinet meetings?
by Spencer Howard On May 20, 1932, the fifth anniversary of Charles Lindbergh’s record-setting non-stop solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean, Amelia Earhart took off from Newfoundland on her own non-stop solo flight. Fifteen hours later she landed in Ireland, becoming just the second person and the first woman to achieve the feat. She was … Continue reading Amelia Earhart and the Distinguished Flying Cross
The Nobel Peace Prize medal. by Spencer Howard Herbert Hoover was known as “The Great Humanitarian” for the many food relief programs he led during and after both World Wars. The precise number of people Hoover saved from starvation remains a matter of debate, but most scholars agree it is in the hundreds of millions. … Continue reading Herbert Hoover’s Nobel Peace Prize nominations
One of the U. S. Food Administration "Girls Club" lunchrooms established by Lou Henry Hoover, ca. 1918. Herbert Hoover issued a circular for the employees of the US Food Administration stating: “For some time I have felt that the Food Administration should make a special effort insuring satisfactory living quarters for our women workers. Mrs. … Continue reading Mrs. Hoover and Washington Housing Shortages: Part 2
Some of the women who worked for the U. S. Food Administration, 1917. These women are in the Food Conservation Division. Washington, D.C. witnessed notorious shortages of affordable housing for the many single women who filled government positions during World War I and World War II. Several Hollywood films alluded to it, the most famous … Continue reading Mrs. Hoover and Washington Housing Shortages: Part I
By Thomas F. Schwartz As previous blog posts have demonstrated, Herbert and Lou Hoover enjoyed viewing Hollywood films. One of the most powerful individuals in Hollywood was not a studio head but the executive assistant to Louis B. Mayer of MGM, Ida Koverman. Ida began her career in the jewelry business and became an executive … Continue reading Ida Koverman, Hollywood, and Herbert Hoover
I’ve been working at the Herbert Hoover Library for more than twenty years. I’ve given hundreds of museum tours to groups. A featured aspect of our exhibits are Belgian flour sacks given to the Hoovers as gifts of thanks for leading food relief during World War I. We have 366 such sacks, with four or … Continue reading What You Learn After You Know it all is What Matters
My three brothers-in-law are poets and songwriters. I am constantly amazed at their verbal dexterity in turning the commonplace into art. It is from them that I first learned of found poetry. Found poetry is a poem consisting exclusively of an external text, fashioned into a poem. It is sort of a literary collage, making … Continue reading Herbert Hoover, Found Poetry and Responsible Citizenship
Several years ago I began a series of blogs about Herbert Hoover and his connections to 20th Century American Presidents. Somewhere along the line, my train of thought was derailed, and I faltered in my task. Now I aim to get back on track. In my last blog, I wrote about Hoover and Truman. Rather … Continue reading Hoover and 20th Century Presidents: Ronald Reagan
The Great Stock Market Crash of 1929: Why History Textbooks and the Conventional Wisdom Get It Wrong By Thomas F. Schwartz History textbooks tell us that the 1929 stock market crash signaled the beginning of the “Great Depression.” Warning signs of overvaluation and buying on the margin were flashing red lights that a corrective path … Continue reading The Great Stock Market Crash of 1929: Why History Textbooks and the Conventional Wisdom Get It Wrong
