President Herbert Hoover
America's 31st President
Herbert Hoover
President Hoover was born August 10th, 1874 in West Branch, Iowa. Both of Hoover's parents died when he was very young; his father dying when he was just 6 years old and his mother dying when he was 10. His father was a blacksmith and store owner and his mother worked for the church. Hoover had an older brother and a younger sister who were all left as orphans when their parents died. Herbert lived with many different family members during his childhood until he attended Stanford University. In 1962 Hoover had malignant intestinal tumor removed and ten months later had internal bleeding. He had been ill for some time but refused to be hospitalized. He died in his New York City suite on October 20th, 1964, from massive internal bleeding. Hoover died at the age of 90 and 31 years after his presidency.
Herbert's Life Before Presidency
In 1897 Hoover traveled to Western Australia in order to work for Bewick, Moreing & Corporation; a gold mining company based in London. Hoover then married his college sweetheart Lou Henry in 1899. They then moved to China because Hoover had received a promotion in the mining business. He was now serving as the general manager for the Chinese Engineering and Mining Corporation. Hoover was made parter to Bewick, Moreing & Co. in 1901and was also still the director of the Chinese Engineering and Mining Corporation. In 1908 Hoover became an independent mining consultant and by 1914 he had an estimated personal fortune of 4 million dollars. Hoover also helped in World War 1 as a volunteer and led many helpful organizations. Hoover became a member of the Supreme Economic Council and head of the American Relief Administration. In 1920 Hoover ran for presider but lost in his home state so he was not seen as a serious candidate; but because of his support of President Harding, Hoover was chosen to be Harding's Secretary of Commerce. Hoover made many changes in the Commerce and became the face of the country; outshining Harding and Coolidge. This led Herbert Hoover to be a popular man among the people of the United States and led to his presidential election in 1928.
Hoover's Presidency
Herbert Hoover served as president from 1929to 1933. In the first 120 days in office, Hoover held more press conferences than any other president to this day. He wanted to let the people of America know what he thought and what was going on. However, this all changed when the stock market crashed in 1929. Hoover desired to reform the nation's regulatory system and thought that the federal bureaucracy should have limited power over the country's economic system. Hoover rarely mentioned civil rights during his presidency and believed that African Americans and other races should better their education and wanted the races assimilated into white culture. One of Hoover's biggest fears was that too much government involvement would hinder Americans from becoming self-reliant. Most democrats believe hat Hoover was lazy and ineffective towards the Great Depression but Hoover was very active in getting the country back on its feet. Hoover initiated the New Deal and also engaged in many unprecedented public works programs. Although his efforts were great, Hoover does not hold the reputation for helping America after the Great Depression. Hoover ran for president again in 1932, but the apologetic approach that Hoover took did not allow Hoover to refute Franklin Roosevelt's charge that he was personally responsible for the Great Depression. Hoover lost the campaign and retired to New York City with his family in 1933.
Post Presidency
President Hoover first took his family to New York City and then back to their California home, where they stayed for many years. Hoover enjoyed driving his cars and being involved in the men's clubs he had once been a part of. Many of Hoover's supporters asked him to speak out against FDR's New Deal, and he rejected them until 1934. In 1934 Hoover thought it was a good idea to try and earn his way back into the spotlight but he quickly learned that that was not the place he needed to be. In 1936 Hoover had the hopes of becoming the Republican nominee for the upcoming election, but after an embarrassing run at it he failed. But by the time of his death he had rehabilitated his image.
Hoover with his son Allen and grandson.
Hoover with Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Hoover and his dog King Tut.
3 Major Achievements of President Hoover
1. Hoover invented his own sport while staying in the White House in order to stay fit; it was a combination of volleyball and tennis.
2. Hoover signed an act that made the Star-Spangled Banner the national anthem.
3. Signed the Norris-La Guardia Act that paved the way for the New Deal's labor policy.
3 Failures of President Hoover
1. Hoover did not agree in government solutions which could have helped during the Great Depression.
2. He tired to enforce business men to keep wages at their original level in order to avoid loss of consumption during the Great Depression.
3. Unemployment was between 25% and 33% while Hoover was in office.
Members of President Hoover's Cabinet
Vice President- Charles Curtis
Secretary of State- Frank B. Kellogg
Secretary of the Treasury- Andrew W. Mellon
Secretary of War- James W. Good
Attorney General- William DeWitt Mitchell
Would Hoover make the cut in 2014?
I don't think that Hoover could run our country today, although he has Republican views and is very smart, I don't think he would have what it takes to run our country. Herbert Hoover was a great president and is given a bad reputation because he was president during the Great Depression; he many good ideas and did many great things during his presidency. I just think that Hoover would not be able to withstand the pressure and endurance it takes to run our county today. Hoover was not too quick on his feet when dealing with the Great Depression and he made some ill-thought-out decisions during his post presidency.