The Hoovers: They don’t suck
ISSUE NO. 6 //DON’T SWEEP BERTIE UNDER THE RUG
PART 2: HERBERT HOOVER
(Be sure to check out Part 1: Lou Hoover was badass.)
If I wielded the power to elect any president (living or dead) to lead us through this seemingly never-ending global pandemic, Herbert Hoover (POTUS #31) would be in charge.
He’s responsible for saving more human lives than any other person in history. Not president. Person.
One quick example from his impressive resume: at the height of the 1919 Typhus outbreak, 1 million were infected and 100,000 people died each week. Hoover and the American Relief Agency (which he founded and led) took over relief efforts and within six months, the outbreak was under control. Six. Months. (Can you even imagine?)
Herbert Hoover is ridiculously fascinating. He gets an undeserved bad rap because of the Depression and, well, sh*tty PR from FDR. Keep scrolling for more.
Presidential Doodler
PS Herbert Hoover is not to be confused with J. Edgar Hoover. J. Edgar lead the FBI and never served as president. J. Edgar and Herbert are on opposite ends of The Hoover Spectrum, IMHO.
HERBERT HOOVER: 8 FACTS
(in no particular order)
These Hoover facts are from Herbert Hoover: A Life by Glen Jeansonne. I loved this biography.
This is a must-read if you’re into presidents. But it feels particularly relevant today, what with all of the simultaneous catastrophes we have going on.
Definitely in the top 5 for cover design as well. (I’m not doing it justice! I almost decided to break my No Pencil Rule to do a better job but I’m not one to break rules. Especially semi-arbitrary self-imposed rules.)
This new segment will explore what could have been, if things gone differently.
In the interest of being concise (too late!) I’m keeping this simple. These are very complex and nuanced events. It’s worth reminding you that I’m not a fortune teller, do not have any history or political science qualifications, and probably don’t have any idea what I’m talking about.
I’m also of the opinion that the Roosevelts are (collectively) a smidgeon overrated. Admittedly, that affects my judgment.
Although Hoover tried to warn Americans about dangerous lending and agriculture practices, nobody listened. By the time it all played out, Hoover was president and “was roundly blamed for the very catastrophe he had been one of the few prescient to foresee”, according to biographer Glen Jeansonne.
“The man [who] had done perhaps more than any other to ward off the crash would be blamed for it both in his own time and in posterity.” Glen Jeansonne
Hoover was orphaned young and grew up poor. Roosevelt was, well, a Roosevelt. Very wealthy. And not nouveau riche either. That didn’t stop him from running a campaign accusing Hoover of being elitist.
MISC.
When President Hoover ran for office, it was the first presidential election pitting a Quaker against a Catholic.
Both Hoover and Al Smith tried to keep religion out of it, but they failed. Prohibition was a huge issue. Smith was opposed to it —you gotta have your wine for mass, right? (Yes… this was a real campaign button. I’m not clever enough to make this up.)
Know who were the candidates in the next Quaker vs. Catholic presidential election were? Comment below.
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Hoover’s doctor invented a sport to keep him in shape.
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