Lou Henry Hoover

Lou Henry Hoover
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Name	Lou Henry Hoover
Caption	Lou Henry Hoover c. 1929
Birth date	29 March 1874
Birth place	Waterloo, Iowa
Death date	7 January 1944
Death place	New York City
Resting place	West Branch, Iowa
Spouse	Herbert Hoover (m. 1899)
Children	Herbert Hoover Jr., Allan Hoover
Education	San Jose Normal School, Stanford University

Lou Henry Hoover. An accomplished geologist, linguist, and dedicated public servant, she was the wife of the 31st President of the United States, Herbert Hoover. Fluent in multiple languages including Latin and Chinese, she was a pioneering advocate for Girl Scouting, women's sports, and civic volunteerism. As First Lady of the United States, she presided over the White House during the onset of the Great Depression, known for her extensive renovations, gracious hospitality, and steadfast support for her husband's administration.

Early life and education

Born in Waterloo, Iowa, she moved with her family to Whittier, California and later Monterey, California. Her early interest in the outdoors and sciences was nurtured in the California landscape. She attended San Jose Normal School before enrolling at the newly founded Stanford University, where she was the only woman in the geology department. There, she met her future husband, a fellow student and mining engineer, and graduated in 1898, becoming one of the first American women to earn a degree in that field.

Marriage and family

She married Herbert Hoover in 1899 in Monterey, California, shortly before departing for China, where her husband worked for a British mining firm. The ceremony was performed in Mandarin Chinese by a Methodist missionary. Their life involved extensive international travel, with postings in Tianjin, London, and other global capitals, where she managed households and often assisted with her husband's business correspondence. The couple had two sons, Herbert Hoover Jr., who became a prominent engineer and United States Under Secretary of State, and Allan Hoover, a businessman and rancher.

Public life and advocacy

Long before entering the White House, she was a leader in numerous organizations. She served as president of the Girl Scouts of the USA and was instrumental in its national growth, emphasizing outdoor education and self-reliance. A passionate advocate for physical fitness, she supported the development of women's basketball and other athletic programs. During World War I, she worked with the American Red Cross and the Commission for Relief in Belgium, applying her linguistic skills to aid refugees. She was also a noted translator, co-authoring with her husband an English edition of the 16th-century Latin mining text De re metallica by Georgius Agricola.

First Lady of the United States

As First Lady of the United States from 1929 to 1933, she oversaw significant social events and managed the executive mansion with efficiency. She initiated a major, historically sensitive renovation of the White House, recovering antique furnishings and establishing the first systematic collection of First Ladies' portraits. Despite the hardships of the Great Depression, she maintained a full schedule of public engagements and continued her radio broadcasts to promote volunteerism, though she was criticized by some for not visibly scaling back White House activities. She was the first First Lady of the United States to make regular radio addresses to the nation.

Later life and legacy

After leaving Washington, D.C., following the 1932 presidential election, she and Herbert Hoover divided their time between Palo Alto and New York City. She remained active with the Girl Scouts of the USA and supported various charitable causes. She died suddenly of a heart attack in 1944 in New York City and was initially interred in Palo Alto. She was later reinterred beside her husband at the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum in West Branch, Iowa. Her legacy is preserved through her contributions to Girl Scouting, the preservation of White House history, and her role as a model of an independently accomplished presidential spouse.

Category:First ladies of the United States Category:American geologists Category:Stanford University alumni