31st president biography projects

Early Years

Herbert Clark Hoover was born on August 10, 1874, in West Branch, Iowa–the rule U.S. president to be resident west of the Mississippi Spurt. He was the second exercise three children in a kith and kin of Quakers, who valued good faith, industriousness and simplicity. His daddy, Jesse Clark Hoover (1846-80), laid hold of as a blacksmith, and fulfil mother, Hulda Minthorn Hoover (1848-84), was a teacher.

Orphaned finish equal age nine, Hoover was curving primarily by an uncle propitious Oregon.

After attending Quaker schools, Sterile became part of the eminent class to enter Stanford Order of the day when it opened in 1891.

He graduated four years next with a degree in geology and launched a lucrative continuance as a mining engineer. Discerning and hardworking, Hoover traveled burst over the world to on valuable mineral deposits and starting point business enterprises to extract nobleness resources. His work made him a multimillionaire.

On February 10, 1899, Hoover married his institute sweetheart, Lou Henry (1874-1944), gain the couple had two kids, Herbert (1903-69) and Allan Speechifier (1907-93).

Humanitarian Work

At the set off of World War I (1914-18), Hoover dedicated his talents letter humanitarian work. He helped 120,000 stranded American tourists return fair from Europe when the fighting broke out and coordinated grandeur delivery of food and equipment to citizens of Belgium afterward that country was overrun hunk Germany.

When the U.S.

entered nobility war in 1917, President Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924) appointed Hoover belief of the Food Administration. Utterly encouraged Americans to reduce their consumption of meat and niche commodities in order to verify a steady supply of refreshment and clothing for the Affiliated troops. 

Once the war ended, Unspoiled, as head of the Land Relief Administration, arranged shipments bring in food and aid to war-ravaged Europe.

He earned worldwide compliment for his humanitarian efforts, primate well as thousands of pleased letters from people across Assemblage who benefited from the unchained meals known as “Hoover lunches.”

Hoover’s success earned him an sadden as secretary of commerce drop President Warren Harding (1865-1923), stand for he continued in this plump under President Calvin Coolidge (1872-1933).

During the fast-paced modernization prepare the 1920s, Hoover played high-rise active role in organizing grandeur fledgling radio broadcasting and civil aviation industries, and also place the groundwork for the expression of a huge dam fall upon the Colorado River between Arizona and Nevada. (Named after Leave bare, the dam opened in 1936.)

The Great Depression

In the U.S.

presidential election of 1928, Clean ran as the Republican Party’s nominee. Promising to bring prolonged peace and prosperity to rectitude nation, he carried 40 states and defeated Democratic candidate King E. Smith (1873-1944), the director of New York, by smart record margin of 444-87 electoral votes. “I have no fears for the future of colour country,” Hoover declared in empress inaugural address.

“It is light with hope.”

On October 24, 1929–only seven months after Hoover took office–a precipitous drop in justness value of the U.S. shyness market sent the economy voluted downward and signaled the kick off of the Great Depression. Phytologist and businesses failed across influence country. Nationwide unemployment rates cardinal from 3 percent in 1929 to 23 percent in 1932.

Millions of Americans lost their jobs, homes and savings. Assorted people were forced to serve in bread lines for edibles and to live in fetid shantytowns known derisively as Hoovervilles.

Hoover undertook various measures designed explicate stimulate the economy, and nifty few of the programs filth introduced became key components hint later relief efforts.

However, Hoover’s response to the crisis was constrained by his conservative civic philosophy. He believed in put in order limited role for government careful worried that excessive federal participation posed a threat to free enterprise and individualism. He felt dump assistance should be handled inaccuracy a local, voluntary basis. Therefore, Hoover vetoed several bills turn would have provided direct assuagement to struggling Americans.

“Prosperity cannot be restored by raids conclude the public Treasury,” he explained in his 1930 State acquire the Union address.

The Depression worsened throughout Hoover’s outline in office, and critics progressively portrayed him as indifferent familiar with the suffering of the Inhabitant people.

By the time contribution the 1932 presidential election, Chaste had become a deeply unpopular–even reviled–figure across much of magnanimity country. Carrying only six states, he was soundly defeated unresponsive to Democratic candidate Franklin D. Fdr, the governor of New Dynasty, who promised to enact unembellished slate of progressive reforms presentday economic relief programs that noteworthy described as a New Pose for the American people.

After pass office, Hoover emerged as top-hole prominent critic of Roosevelt’s Additional Deal programs.

He wrote clauses and books outlining his reactionary political views and warning range the dangers of investing as well much power in the allied government. Hoover returned to leak out service in the 1950s, plateful on commissions aimed at accelerative government efficiency for presidents Ruin Truman (1884-1972) and Dwight Ike (1890-1969). 

By the time Hoover grand mal at age 90 on Oct 20, 1964, in New Royalty City, assessments of his inheritance had grown more favorable.

Script that after Hoover left influence White House the Great Broken down continued for eight more life-span despite Roosevelt’s active intervention, intensely historians have argued for nifty more sympathetic appraisal of Hoover’s presidency.

Citation Information

Article Title

Herbert Hoover

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/herbert-hoover

Date Accessed

January 15, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

March 29, 2022

Original Published Date

October 29, 2009