Christmas Gift Exchanges in the Waldorf-Astoria

My colleagues here sometimes tease me about ‘my favorite thing’ in the archives.  It is Hoover’s reading copy of a speech he gave at Cairo in April 1946.  It is inscribed to Kitty Milbank, one of Hoover’s close friends: ‘Dear Kitty, This is one of the most important speeches I have ever delivered.’  Hoover gave … Continue reading Christmas Gift Exchanges in the Waldorf-Astoria

Santa Claus Lives at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

By Thomas F. Schwartz December 1931 was like any other except that more Americans were feeling the effects of what would later be known as the Great Depression.   Herbert and Lou Hoover had a long history of assisting those in need.  The First Lady decided that the annual Christmas party would have a different emphasis.  … Continue reading Santa Claus Lives at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

What to Give a Friend Who Has Everything?

by Spencer Howard What do you give a friend who has everything? For the last twenty years of his life, Herbert Hoover lived in suite 31A of the Waldorf Towers in New York. The Waldorf was one of the most exclusive addresses in New York, and Hoover's neighbors included General Douglas MacArthur, Ambassador Henry Cabot … Continue reading What to Give a Friend Who Has Everything?

Recollections Of A Piece of Wood 1930

One of the many improvements to the White House was undertaken by President Calvin Coolidge.  In 1927, Coolidge replaced 100-year-old pine beams with an expanded third floor using a steel frame.  Of the most under-appreciated endeavors of First Lady Lou Henry Hoover are her efforts to preserve and document the rich history of the White … Continue reading Recollections Of A Piece of Wood 1930