The Hoover Museum just opened its temporary exhibit, ‘Deliverance: America and the Famine in Soviet Russia, 1921-1923.’ In walking through, I recalled that I’d once seen some letters in the Lewis Strauss papers which discussed famine relief in Russia and Ukraine. Eventually, I remembered the name of the correspondent. Boris Bogen, coordinating the work of … Continue reading One Hundred Years Ago in the Ukraine
By Thom as F. Schwartz Lewis Strauss, one of Herbert Hoover’s close personal advisors, broached the idea of both Hoover and Franklin Roosevelt issuing a joint statement early in 1933 condemning the mistreatment of German Jews. FDR declined and Hoover privately instructed Frederic Sackett, the US Ambassador in Germany, to “exert every influence of our … Continue reading Emergency Conference to Save the Jews of Europe: Herbert Hoover’s CBS Broadcast
by Spencer Howard Here at the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library-Museum, we often receive questions about other famous people named Hoover, and which Hoover did what. There are a surprising number of Hoovers and Hoover families in the United States, many of whom are entirely unrelated to each other. It is not unusual for different Hoovers … Continue reading Do you know your Hoovers? An historical field guide
By Thomas F. Schwartz Herbert Hoover relied on accurate reporting from a variety of sources on the impact famine and food shortages were affecting area in Russia from 1921-23. As Secretary of Commerce for President Harding, Hoover could not travel abroad to see for himself the tragedy already gripping many parts of the Russian empire. … Continue reading James Putnam Goodrich: Witness to the Famine
By Thomas F. Schwartz Wars are always highlighted in the history books for later generations to read about. The humanitarian efforts that follow in the aftermath of wars rarely receive as much attention except by the people who are the immediate beneficiaries. After World War I, significant problems of food shortages faced many countries. Herbert … Continue reading “To All Honest People”: Hoover’s Response to Famine
by Spencer Howard When Herbert Hoover became President in 1929, one of his early initiatives was to call for a national conference on child health. Hoping to build on the work of the non-profit American Child Health Association, an organization he had founded in 1923, President Hoover announced that the purpose of his proposed conference … Continue reading Herbert Hoover’s vision for healthy children – Part 2: The Children’s Charter
This image is from the Commerce Years gallery at the Hoover Presidential Museum. by Spencer Howard Of the many charitable organizations that Herbert Hoover led, one of the most important was the American Child Health Association. In its almost 13 years of existence, from its founding by Herbert Hoover in 1923 to its liquidation in … Continue reading Herbert Hoover’s vision for healthy children – Part 1: The Child’s Bill of Rights
Lynn Smith On January 7, 1944 former first Lady Lou Henry Hoover died. For several decades of her life she was active with the Girl Scouts of America, serving in many leadership positions ranging from Troop Leader to National President. To pay tribute to this dynamic lady, the Girl Scouts created Lou Henry Hoover Memorial … Continue reading Memorial Forest and Wildlife Sanctuaries
Lynn Smith Sitting on a hillside in Burlingame, California is Hoover Elementary School. Originally founded in 1932, the neighborhood school closed its doors in 1979 due to declining enrollment. The school district sold the building to Buddhist monks. In 2010, the school district purchased the building back and after extensive renovations and the construction of … Continue reading Lou Henry Hoover Amphitheater
Herbert Hoover won the 1928 election in a landslide over Democrat Al Smith of New York. Four years later Hoover lost the 1932 election in a landslide to New York Democrat Franklin Roosevelt. The intervening four years marked the onset of the Great Depression. Ever pragmatic, Hoover knew that the American people would place their … Continue reading Herbert Hoover on Public Acceptance of the President
