Herbert Hoover

Herbert Hoover
Underwood & Underwood · Public domain · source
Name	Herbert Hoover
Caption	31st President of the United States
Order	31st
Office	President of the United States
Term start	March 4, 1929
Term end	March 4, 1933
Vicepresident	Charles Curtis
Predecessor	Calvin Coolidge
Successor	Franklin D. Roosevelt
Office2	3rd United States Secretary of Commerce
Term start2	March 5, 1921
Term end2	August 21, 1928
President2	Warren G. Harding, Calvin Coolidge
Predecessor2	Joshua W. Alexander
Successor2	William F. Whiting
Birth date	10 August 1874
Birth place	West Branch, Iowa
Death date	20 October 1964
Death place	New York City, New York
Party	Republican
Spouse	Lou Henry, 1899, 1944
Children	Herbert Jr., Allan Hoover
Alma mater	Stanford University
Profession	Engineer, Businessperson

Herbert Hoover was the 31st President of the United States, serving from 1929 to 1933 during the onset of the Great Depression. A Republican and former Secretary of Commerce, he was a globally renowned mining engineer and humanitarian before his presidency. His term was defined by the Wall Street Crash of 1929 and his controversial efforts to combat the ensuing economic crisis, which led to a landslide defeat by Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1932 United States presidential election.

Early life and education

Born in West Branch, Iowa, Hoover was orphaned by age nine and subsequently lived with relatives in Iowa and Oregon. He worked various jobs before enrolling in the inaugural class of Stanford University in 1891, where he studied geology under Professor John Casper Branner. Graduating with a degree in mining engineering, his time at Stanford University instilled a lifelong belief in individualism and efficiency, principles that would later shape his political philosophy.

Engineering and business career

Hoover began his engineering career with the Bewick, Moreing & Co. mining firm, working in Australia and China. He gained international fame and wealth as a leading consultant, with ventures spanning Russia, Burma, and other global locales. During World War I, he chaired the Commission for Relief in Belgium, delivering food to millions in occupied Belgium and Northern France, and later served as head of the United States Food Administration under President Woodrow Wilson. His humanitarian work continued after the war as director of the American Relief Administration, aiding famine-stricken regions in Soviet Russia and Europe.

Presidency

Elected in a landslide in the 1928 United States presidential election, Hoover's presidency was immediately challenged by the Wall Street Crash of 1929 and the descent into the Great Depression. He signed the Smoot–Hawley Tariff Act, which exacerbated global trade woes, and championed the Reconstruction Finance Corporation to lend money to banks and railroads. His use of federal force to disperse the Bonus Army of World War I veterans in Washington, D.C. severely damaged his public image. Facing widespread unemployment and the Dust Bowl, he was decisively defeated by Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1932 United States presidential election.

Post-presidency

After leaving the White House, Hoover became a persistent critic of the New Deal and what he saw as the drift toward a "welfare state." He chaired the Hoover Commission under President Harry S. Truman, which recommended efficiencies in the federal government. He wrote numerous books, including *The Ordeal of Woodrow Wilson*, and remained active in Republican politics. He outlived his successor, Franklin D. Roosevelt, by nearly two decades, passing away in New York City in 1964.

Legacy and historical view

Historians initially ranked Hoover poorly due to his perceived failure to alleviate the Great Depression, but later assessments have credited his progressive actions as Secretary of Commerce and his pre-presidential humanitarianism. The Hoover Dam and the Hoover Institution at Stanford University bear his name. While his presidency is often defined by the economic catastrophe that began on his watch, his legacy as an engineer, administrator, and organizer of large-scale relief efforts remains a significant part of his historical record.

Category:Presidents of the United States Category:American mining engineers Category:Republican Party presidents of the United States