State Historical Society of Iowa

First Lady Lou Henry Hoover Comments on her Husband's Career and Public Service, 1932

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Courtesy of National Archives, Hoover, Lou H., "Mrs. Hoover comments on her husband's career and public service during the campaign of 1932," pp. 4-8, 1932

Description

This is a letter written by President Herbert Hoover's wife, Lou Henry Hoover, to her two sons in July 1932. Written during the Great Depression and President Hoover's re-election campaign, Lou Henry Hoover defends her husband from claims that he has no care for the plight of "the little man.

Transcribed Excerpt of First Lady Lou Henry Hoover's Comments on her Husband's Career and Public Service

Source Dependent Questions

  • What was Lou Henry Hoover's purpose in writing this letter? How did it reflect the time in which she wrote it? (Keep in mind that she wrote it during the Great Depression while her husband was running for re-election.)Use textual evidence to support your explanation.
  • Lou Henry Hoover attributed skills and qualities to her husband that she believed helped him successfully lead the Commission for Relief in Belgium. How does this list compare to the inferences you made for Hoover's letter to Émile Francqui?
  • How did Lou Henry Hoover connect her husband's World War I humanitarian work and his concern for "the little man" as President? What, according to Mrs. Hoover, does this say about President Hoover? Why should it be taken into consideration?

Citation Information

Hoover, Lou H., "Mrs. Hoover comments on her husband's career and public service during the campaign of 1932," pp. 4-8, 1932. Courtesy of National Archives Courtesy of Library of Congress

State Historical Society of Iowa

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