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Herbert Hoover

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Herbert Clark Hoover was a man who lived many different lives.

Herbert Hoover in 1877
Herbert Hoover in 1877

He was born on August 10, 1874, in West Branch, Iowa. His family were Quakers, which is a religious group. Sadly, he lost both of his parents when he was young. He moved to Oregon to live with his uncle.

Herbert Hoover birthplace
Herbert Hoover birthplace

Hoover worked very hard to learn new things. He did not finish high school, but he went to night school. Later, he became one of the first students at Stanford University. He studied geology, which is the study of rocks and the earth.

Herbert Hoover in 1898
Herbert Hoover in 1898

After college, Hoover started a career in the mining industry. He worked as a mining engineer and a businessman. He traveled to many far-away places for his work. He spent time in Australia and also in China.

HHoover (retouched)
HHoover (retouched)

In Australia, he helped manage gold mines. He even helped a company control half of the gold made there. In China, he worked on gold mines near Tianjin. He became a very wealthy man through these many adventures. He even called himself a "doctor of sick mines" because he fixed them.

HooverCommerce1926
HooverCommerce1926

Hoover was also famous for his humanitarian work. This means he worked to help people during hard times. During World War I, he led groups to provide food.

"Wanted Immediately. 2,000,000 Garments for destitute Men, Women, and children in occupied Northern France and... - NARA - 512616
"Wanted Immediately. 2,000,000 Garments for destitute Men, Women, and children in occupied Northern France and... - NARA - 512616

He led the Commission for Relief in Belgium to feed people there. He also led the Food Administration in the United States. People called him a "food dictator" because he managed food so well. He helped millions of starving people in Central and Eastern Europe. He even helped after the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927.

In 1928, Hoover was elected as the 31st president of the United States.

Taft Hebert Hoover Oath
Taft Hebert Hoover Oath

He was a member of the Republican Party. He had previously served as the Secretary of Commerce. However, his time as president was very difficult. In 1929, the stock market crashed. This led to the Great Depression, a time of great economic trouble.

Debt1929-50
Debt1929-50

Many people thought his ideas were too conservative to fix the problems. Because of this, he lost the 1932 election to Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Franklin D. Roosevelt and Herbert Hoover on the way to U.S. Capitol for Roosevelt's inauguration, March 4, 1933
Franklin D. Roosevelt and Herbert Hoover on the way to U.S. Capitol for Roosevelt's inauguration, March 4, 1933

Hoover lived a very long life after he left the White House. He stayed retired for over 31 years. During this time, he wrote many books.

HerbertClarkHoover
HerbertClarkHoover

He often spoke out against the policies of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Later in his life, people began to respect him more. He helped other presidents, like Harry S. Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower. He even led the Hoover Commission to help the government. He died on October 20, 1964.

Herbert Hoover Presidential Library 009
Herbert Hoover Presidential Library 009
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🖼️ Images & Media (20)
File:Herbert Hoover birthplace.jpg
Herbert Hoover birthplace.jpg
File:Herbert Hoover in 1877.jpg
Herbert Hoover in 1877.jpg
File:Herbert Hoover in 1898.jpg
Herbert Hoover in 1898.jpg
File:HHoover (retouched).jpg
HHoover (retouched).jpg
File:"Wanted Immediately. 2,000,000 Garments for destitute Men, Women, and children in occupied Northern France and... - NARA - 512616.jpg
"Wanted Immediately. 2,000,000 Garments...
File:HooverCommerce1926.jpg
HooverCommerce1926.jpg
File:HerbertClarkHoover.jpg
HerbertClarkHoover.jpg
File:Hoover and Harding at baseball game.jpg
Hoover and Harding at baseball game.jpg
File:ElectoralCollege1928.svg
ElectoralCollege1928.svg
File:Taft Hebert Hoover Oath.jpg
Taft Hebert Hoover Oath.jpg
File:Herbert Hoover and Ted Joslin.jpg
Herbert Hoover and Ted Joslin.jpg
File:Debt1929-50.jpg
Debt1929-50.jpg

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