Here are some quick facts, opinions, quotes and other information on President Herbert Hoover:
Personal Information on Herbert Hoover:
- Thirty-first President (1929-1933)
- Birthday: August 10, 1874 (Monday)
- Birthplace: West Branch, Iowa
- Birthplace Website: President Herbert Hoover’s Birthplace
- Zodiac Sign: Leo
- Date of Death: October 20, 1964 (Tuesday)
- Place of Death: New York City, New York
- Place of Burial: Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum
- Cause of Death: Many
- Age: 90 years old
- Length of Retirement: 11553 days
- Burial website: President Herbert Hoover’s Grave
- Presidential Library Website: Hebert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum
Interesting Herbert Hoover facts:
- The Hoover Dam was named after Herbert Hoover. When Franklin Roosevelt was President it was renamed the Boulder Dam. Roosevelt’s Secretary of Interior, Harold Ickes said, “Hoover had very little to do with the dam.” Hoover was not even invited to the grand opening. In 1947, President Harry Truman signed a law changing the name back to the Hoover Dam.
- Herbert Hoover was a very poor orphan when he was younger. An uncle, who was a doctor, took him in and Hoover’s life improved. He was able to get into the inaugural class, in 1891, of Stanford. At Stanford he would serve as the financial manager of the football and baseball teams. He also won election as class treasurer. Hoover would also met his future wife, Lou, while attending geology classes at Stanford. Hoover, who would become one of the richest Presidents elected, would donate his Presidential salary to charity.
- Four US Presidents have won the Nobel Peace Prize. Herbert Hoover was not one of them. The four winners were: Woodrow Wilson (for his League of Nations work), Theodore Roosevelt (for his help negotiating the end of the bloody war between Japan and Russia), Jimmy Carter (for his accomplishments for peace and human rights), Barack Obama (for his “efforts to strengthen international diplomacy,” his “vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons” and for inspiring hope and creating “a new climate in international politics.”). Herbert Hoover, who was President from 1929-1933, was nominated five times for a Nobel Peace Prize, though. He was nominated in 1921, 1933, 1941, 1946 and 1964.
My favorite Herbert Hoover Quotes:
Children are our most valuable natural resource.
A good many things go around in the dark besides Santa Claus.
Freedom is the open window through which pours the sunlight of the human spirit and human dignity.
It is just as important that business keep out of government as that government keep out of business.
About the time we can make ends meet, somebody moves the ends.
Honor is not the exclusive property of any political party.
Blessed are the young for they shall inherit the national debt.
All men are equal before fish.
Herbert Hoover blogs (click the title to go to that page):
Herbert Hoover page on Presidential Crossroads (click “Herbert Hoover” below):
Herbert Hoover
Herbert Hoover Blogs:
Truman and Hoover Working Together on Food Crisis
What similar traits do I have with Presidents Harding to LBJ
Personal thoughts on Herbert Hoover:
Strengths:
Successful (rose from nothing), Very big heart, Smart
Weaknesses:
Poor speaker, Lack of vision, Allowed others to define him
Presidential Greatness Scale (1-poor to 5-great): 1.8
Comments:
The roaring twenties were coming to a close. Prosperity was everywhere, and people were beginning to believe poverty would be permanently banned in America. Then, for some strange reason, and many historians still can’t agree on the reason, Americans got spooked. Maybe they were just losing faith in our financial system. The twenties were a time of rising stocks and an attitude that the bubble would float sky high forever. But the spooked Americans started spending less. Inventories piled up with unsold items. Stock prices kept rising and rising. Then one day, October 24, 1929, Black Thursday to be exact, when Herbert Hoover was President, someone called out the emperor with no clothes and said, “this really doesn’t make any sense why these stock prices keep rising.” Everyone panicked. Stocks tumbled and many became worthless. The ten year Great Depression had started. At its worst, The Great Depression saw a quarter of the work force out of work. Those who could find jobs saw their wages drop drastically. Production dropped in half, foreclosures were everywhere, and there were four bank panics. Herbert Hoover, who had a heart of gold, did nothing. He believed it would correct itself. He also believed that if the government got involved it would eventually make the citizens too dependent on the Federal Government. He believed it was up to the states and charities to provide relief. Every bad thing that happened had Hoover’s name attached to it. Hoovervilles, for instance, was a term coined by Democratic National Committee Publicity Director and former newspaper reporter Charles Michelson. It was used to describe villages of homeless people in large American cities. Some of their homes were made of cardboard or were just holes dug into the ground. I tend to favor Presidents of action, rather than Presidents of “Principle.” The plain and simple truth is that the American people were suffering and Herbert Hoover failed to act. Even though most of his predictions, the people would become dependent on the Federal Government, seem to be true today, is that a reason to ignore the unfortunate plight of your citizens in their daily lives?
Favorite Herbert Hoover book:
Hoover – The Fishing President – Portrait of the Private Man and His Life Outdoors by Hal Elliott Wert
Favorite Herbert Hoover story:
George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, and Donald Trump have been some of the richest Presidents we have had. But each of those had help getting their fortune. Whether through marriage or family, they had a financial advantage that most of us will never have the opportunity to experience. Herbert Hoover was also a very rich man, but he literally had nothing to start with and he made his fortune on his own. His rise from being a poor orphan to becoming one of the richest Presidents is my favorite Herbert Hoover story.
Most memorable Herbert Hoover memory:
Finding my Washington Nationals’ Herbert Hoover Bobble Head at a yard sale.
Favorite Herbert Hoover possession (see picture at the top):
My Washington Nationals’ Herbert Hoover Bobble Head
