Hoover Presidential Foundation

Summer Concert Series: The Dandelion Stompers
2022-06-23 18:00 - 19:00 (America/New_York) | Herbert Hoover National Historic Site, 110 Parkside Drive, West Branch, IA, 52358, United States
The Herbert Hoover National Historic Site and the Hoover Presidential Library are pleased to host the annual “Summer Concert Series on the Green”. These concerts celebrate the composers and musical styles of America. People can pack a picnic, bring a chair to enjoy the music, and explore historic downtown West Branch during these special days. The concerts will take place on the West Branch Village Green and are FREE of charge.
Thursday, June 23 – The Dandelion Stompers (6 to 7 p.m.)
The Dandelion Stompers bring you New Orleans jazz with all the trimmings. Start with a grade-A rhythm section, add a savory selection of horns, round out the mixture with hot and spicy vocals and you’ve got a recipe for Dandelion gumbo!

Third Thursday - Lou Henry Hoover: The Foundation of Girl Scouting
2022-06-16 18:00 - 19:00 | Webinar Style Program
June 16, 2022
6 to 7 p.m. Zoom Webinar
This program will highlight the role Lou Henry Hoover played in the early stages of the Girls Scouts and it continuing mission.
Advance registration is required for this FREE virtual event and is AVAILABLE HERE.
About the Speaker: Ann Robertson is the volunteer historian for the Girl Scout Council of the Nation’s Capital and founder of the Girl Scout History Project blog and digital museum. She earned a PhD in political science from George Washington University and edited the journal ‘Problems of Post-Communism’ for nearly two decades. She is a lifetime member of the Girl Scouts and earned the Gold Award and the Thanks Badge.

VIP Exhibit Preview Reception
2022-05-26 17:00 - 19:00 | Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum, 210 Parkside Dr, West Branch, IA, 52358, United States
As a member of the Hoover Presidential Foundation you’ll be among the first to view the new special exhibit, “America’s Famine Relief Mission to Soviet Russia, 1921 to 1923.”
Exhibit creator, Prof. Bernard (Bert) Patenaude, is a guest curator and lecturer in History at Stanford University and a Research Fellow at the Hoover Institution. Bert will speak on how the Soviet government was determined to keep the American Relief
Administration out of Ukraine, and how the ARA managed to get in and set up operations there.
Members and guests of the Foundation will enjoy a complimentary wine and cheese reception before the program. Use your member guest passes to invite your friends, or purchase more if needed.
Your RSVP is appreciated by May 24, online HERE or call 319-643-5327 weekdays between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

Third Thursday - Lou Henry Hoover's White House Years 2
2022-05-19 18:00 - 19:00 | Webinar Style Program
May 19, 2022
6 to 7 p.m. Zoom Webinar
When Lou Henry Hoover moved into the White House on March 4, 1929, she looked forward to using her influence to strengthen the areas that were near and dear to her heart: women’s opportunities; the arts; and private philanthropy. The onset of what we now call the Great Depression challenged Lou’s plans, but she saw new opportunities for serving the nation and remained undaunted.
Lou continued to blaze a trail of achievements that have often been forgotten. She was the first president’s wife to address the nation by radio. She continued the work of updating the White House to accurately reflect its history and documented that work. Lou’s private philanthropy led to the building of a school for children in a remote area of rural Virginia, and she sought out and supported local artisans for a number of special projects.
Annette Dunlap, author of the soon-to-be-released biography of Lou Henry Hoover, will share stories from Lou’s White House years in a Third Thursday presentation on May 19, 2022.
Advance registration is required for this FREE virtual event and is AVAILABLE HERE.
About the Speaker- Annette Dunlap:
Annette Dunlap has been a North Carolina-based freelance writer for over 30 years. She has written for a variety of publications, including op-eds for the Fayetteville Observer, the Charlotte Observer and The Pilot, in Moore County. She was a freelance reporter for the Asheboro Courier-Tribune, and has been a contributor to inspirational magazines, business publications, and White House History. Annette is the author of Frank: The Story of Frances Folsom Cleveland, America’s Youngest First Lady; The Gambler’s Daughter; and Charles Gates Dawes: A Life. Her biography of Lou Henry Hoover, A Woman of Adventure: The Life and Times of First Lady Lou Henry Hoover, will be released by the University of Nebraska Press on June 1.
Annette has appeared on C-SPAN’s first ladies’ series to discuss Frances Cleveland and Lou Henry Hoover, and was a panelist at the Harding Symposium’s “Modern First Ladies” program in 2015. Her research on Frances Folsom Cleveland inspired the development of the program, “First Ladies and the Politics of Fashion,” which has been broadcast on C-SPAN.
Annette holds a B.A. from the University of Arizona and an M.B.A. from Washington University in St. Louis. She and her husband of 41 years live in North Carolina. They have four children and six grandchildren. She enjoys sewing, knitting, embroidery, and travel.

Digging Deeper: Episode 5: The Surprise Benefits of the Hoover Tax Credit
2022-05-17 18:00 - 18:30 | Hoover Presidential Foundation, 127 W Main St, West Branch, IA, 52358, United States
Episode 5: The Surprise Benefits of the Hoover Tax Credit
Is a tax credit better than a deduction? You bet it is! Learn how Iowa taxpayers can receive a 25% state tax credit with their qualified gift to the TV|ME campaign. It’s good on virtually any gift amount up to $1 million. The credits are first come, first served- so claim yours soon before they are gone! This episode tells you how. We’ll take your questions, too!
Can’t make it to the live program? Register anyway and we’ll send you a link to the recording.
Registration is required for this free program.

Digging Deeper: Episode 4: 5 Ways to Maximize your Gift
2022-05-12 18:00 - 18:45 | Hoover Presidential Foundation, 127 W Main St, West Branch, IA, 52358, United States
Episode 4: 5 Ways to Maximize your Gift
As we explore the finer details of the renovation campaign, this episode discusses the best ways to maximize your gift. For example, if you considered sell a stock and donating the cash proceeds, you could be losing thousands in tax savings. The episode shows you how to get the most out of your financial gift.
Burlington tax attorney Gene Anderson joins Hoover Presidential Foundation president & CEO Jerry Fleagle to discuss ways to maximize your tax deductions with a gift to the TV|ME campaign. We’ll take your questions live- immediately following the presentation.
Registration is required for this free program.

Digging Deeper: Episode 3: It's a Process - the TV|ME Campaign
2022-05-10 18:00 - 18:30 | Hoover Presidential Foundation, 127 W Main St, West Branch, IA, 52358, United States
Episode 3: It’s a Process – the TV|ME Campaign
The third in this series, you’ll learn the planning behind this renovation campaign and the steps involved in renovating a museum regulated by the federal government. It’s not as easy as you’d think!
Hoover Presidential Foundation president & CEO Jerry Fleagle and VP Development Mundi McCarty describe how the capital campaign seeks to raise $20 million for the renovation project and the value it provides to donors of all sizes.
Registration is required for this free program.

Digging Deeper: Episode 2: Re-imagining the Museum
2022-05-05 18:00 - 18:30 | Hoover Presidential Foundation, 127 W Main St, West Branch, IA, 52358, United States
Episode 2: Re-imagining the Museum
You’ve heard about the campaign for the renovation of the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum permanent exhibits, but what does it entail? This series of five virtual programs takes a look at the process piece by piece- and we’ll answer your questions live during the program!
In this episode, Hoover Presidential Foundation president & CEO Jerry Fleagle and Matt Solari, VP & creative director for BRC Imagination Arts, a premiere builder of exhibit spaces, look at the possibilities that lie ahead for the new exhibit renovation.
Registration is required for this free program.

Digging Deeper: The Timeless Values|Modern Experience Campaign, Episode 1
2022-05-03 18:00 - 18:30 | Hoover Presidential Foundation, 127 W Main St, West Branch, IA, 52358, United States
Episode 1: Why Renovate? Why Now?
You’ve heard about the campaign for the renovation of the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum permanent exhibits, but what does it entail? This series of five virtual programs takes a look at the process piece by piece- and we’ll answer your questions live during the program!
In this episode, Hoover Presidential Foundation president & CEO Jerry Fleagle discusses the need behind a modernization of the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum with HHPLM director Dr. Thomas Schwartz.
Registration is required for this free program.

Third Thursday - Hoover: A 50-Year Humanitarian Odyssey
2022-04-21 18:00 - 19:00 | Webinar Style Program
April 21, 2022
6 to 7 p.m. Zoom Webinar
Speaker: Branden Little

Herbert Hoover’s last 50 years was spent largely on humanitarian efforts. This program will detail the programs and people Hoover set up to feed millions.
About the Speaker:
Branden Little is a professor of history at Weber State University in Utah. And he has recently finished a big biography of Herbert Hoover and his humanitarian deputies that traces their influential roles in shaping American foreign policy in the twentieth century and beyond.
Advance registration is required. Sign up for FREE here.

Third Thursday EXTRA - A Prairie Village: Herbert Hoover's West Branch 1874 to 1885
2022-04-05 18:00 - 19:00 | Webinar Style Program
April 5, 2022
6 to 7 p.m. Zoom Webinar
Speaker: Peter Hoehnle

Herbert Hoover spent the first decade of his long and eventful life in the prairie village of West Branch, Iowa, a market, and railroad town that was just coming into its own during the years of his boyhood. Join us for a presentation about Hoover’s hometown filled with historic images of the people and places that Hoover knew. The presentation will place West Branch into the larger context of midwestern communities in the late 19th century and will touch on the social and economic life of West Branch during Hoover’s childhood.
About the Speaker:
Park Ranger Peter Hoehnle is a National Park Service park guide at the Herbert Hoover National Historic Site and holds a doctorate in history. He enjoys doing historical research and has been widely published on American communal societies, including volumes on Amana and the Shakers. He has served as President of the Communal Studies Association, and is a past editor of the journal Communal Societies.
Advance registration is required. Sign up for FREE here.

Third Thursday - This land is your land; the history of America's National Parks
2022-03-17 18:00 - 19:00 | Webinar Style Program
March 17, 2022
6 to 7 p.m. Zoom Webinar
Speaker: Jenny Davis

Today’s National Park system consists of 423 different sites, covers more than 85 million acres, and welcomes more than 300 million annual visitors. At their best, the National Parks shine as an innovative example for the world, uniquely American, and grounded in democratic ideals. But the 158-year evolution of the National Parks is a story about the successes and failures of a country that has taken some time to develop a deeper sense of pride and obligation for these special places.
Join us as we take a look at some of the most significant milestones in the history of the National Park Service, and how a handful of individuals (including Herbert Hoover) have impacted the development of what many consider to be “America’s Best Idea.”
About the Speaker:
Park Ranger Jenny Cripe Davis has worked for the National Park Service since 2016. She served in a “seasonal” capacity at six different park sites before becoming a year-round “permanent” ranger for the National Mall and Memorial Parks in 2019. She joined the staff at the Herbert Hoover National Historic Site in September 2021. But long before she started a career with the NPS, Jenny was a supporter and fan, spending many family vacations visiting some of the country’s greatest national treasures.
Advance registration is required. Sign up for FREE here.

Third Thursday - A Successful Humanitarian Story Hidden in Belgian War Lace of 1914-1918
2022-02-17 18:00 - 19:00 | Webinar Style Program
Feb. 17, 2022
6 to 7 p.m. Zoom Webinar
Speaker: Evelyn McMillan

This program will discuss how the Brussels Lace Committee, the Hoovers, and the two major relief organizations came together to support the lacemakers of Belgium during WWI.
About the Speaker: Evelyn McMillan’s lifelong interest in the textile arts led to her research and writing about Belgian war lace. She does volunteer work for The Lace Museum of Sunnyvale, California and recently retired from Stanford University.
Advance registration is required. Sign up for FREE here.

Third Thursday - A Few of my Favorite Things
2022-01-20 18:00 - 19:00 | Webinar Style Program
Jan. 20, 2021
6 to 7 p.m. Zoom Webinar
Speaker: Matthew Schaefer

Hoover Presidential Library archivist Matthew Schaefer shares “A Few of My Favorite Things” he has discovered in his career as a Hoover archivist.
“Some are treasures and others are just fascinating pieces of history most people never knew existed,” Schaefer said. Be sure to join us online for this special ‘behind the scenes’ look at the Hoover archives!
Advance registration is required. Sign up for FREE here.

The Best of Third Thursday - The 1929 Christmas Eve White House Fire
2021-12-16 18:00 - 19:00 | Webinar Style Program
6 to 7 p.m. Zoom Webinar
Speaker: Craig Wright, Archivist, Herbert Hoover Presidential Library & Museum

This ‘Best of” program originally aired in December 2020 to a large on-line audience. This year, we welcome 20 Iowa public libraries and a new audience to learn about this tragic fire that relocated Hoover out of the Oval Office for much of his presidency.
Smoke was noticed by a White House telephone operator who sounded the alarm. The fire was thought to be contained when the first engines arrived. But flames suddenly appeared in areas outside of the fire zone. In the end, it became a four-alarm fire with dozens of engines and ladder companies working to extinguish the inferno. Although most of President Hoover’s important papers were saved, the Executive offices were destroyed. A number of miscellaneous documents littered the White House lawn in the aftermath.
Despite the commotion, Mrs. Hoover continued a party for the children of their good friends in the main portion of the White House which was unaffected by the fire.
Registration is now open. REGISTER HERE.

Picture your Pooch
2021-12-15 09:00 - 2021-12-17 18:00 | Hoover Presidential Foundation, 127 W Main St, West Branch, IA, 52358, United States
The Hoover Presidential Foundation invites pups of all ages and size to star in their own photoshoot at the Festival of Trees display in the Foundation office. Attendees are invited to snap away with their own cameras and free to utilize settings from the display, including a Christmas decorated hearth, a pile of wrapped presents, or one of the 20 beautifully decorated trees on display. There is no fee to view the displays or for the photo shoots, although donations will be accepted.
‘Picture Your Pooch’ will be open during regular Festival hours, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, Dec. 15 to 17. All dogs must be on a leash while in the building and under control of the owner. Owners accept full responsibility for any accidents or injury caused by or to their pet. Appointments are not required.
“We’d love to see more people enjoy the Festival of Trees,” said Tiffany Frederick, events manager at the Foundation and creative force behind the display. “Our pups are part of the family, and here’s a chance to use beautifully decorated settings to add to our pets photo albums.”
Families are encouraged to take group portraits as well. “Families can come in anytime to get a picture. We’ll recruit someone on staff to snap it for them, if they like,” Frederick said.
The Festival of Trees display is open Monday through Friday 9a.m. to 6p.m., Saturdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays noon to 5 p.m. through Dec. 30.

Festival of Trees 2
2021-12-03 09:00 - 2021-12-30 18:00 | IA
With an extended temprorary exhibibt at the Herbert Hoover Presidential LIbrary and Museum, there was no space available to display the annual Christmas Tree exhibit. Until now.
The Hoover Presidential Foundation recently moved into new office space in downtown West Branch, and will display, free of charge, over 20 trees decorated to the theme: 12 Days of Christmas.

Festival of Trees: Member Reception
2021-12-02 17:00 - 19:00 | IA
Dec. 2, 2021

5-7 p.m. at the new Foundation building (127 W Main St. West Branch)

Festival of Trees opens to the public on Friday, Dec 3 during Christmas Past – but Foundation members get to see it first! Join us Thursday, Dec 2 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Hoover Presidential Foundation (127 W. Main Street) for hors d’oeuvres, wine, and cider! Short remarks at 6:15 p.m.
View 13 Christmas Trees decorated with a Twelve Days of Christmas theme along with five more trees and other assorted Holiday Decorations.
This is a free event for Foundation members. Future-member guests may attend for $10 or with a membership pass.
Registration extended to Dec. 1 – CLICK HERE!

Third Thursday - A Tale of Two Famines
2021-11-18 18:00 - 19:00 | Webinar Style Program
November 18, 2021
6 to 7 p.m. Zoom Webinar
Speaker: Robert Zapesochny

“A Tale of two Famines” explores the role Herbert Hoover played during the Russian famines of 1921 to 23 and 1932 to 33 from the perspective of the speaker’s grandparents who experienced it and were fed by Hoover.
Advance registration is required for this FREE virtual event and is available HERE.
About the Speaker: Robert Zapesochny is a researcher and writer whose name has appeared in a range of publications, including Newsmax,The American Spectator, the Washington Times, and The American Conservative. For several years, Robert worked closely with Peter Hannaford, a senior aide to Ronald Reagan, as the primary researcher on four books and numerous columns. Robert graduated with a major in Political Science from the University at Buffalo, and received his Master’s in Public Administration, with a focus in healthcare, from the State University of New York College at Brockport. When he’s not writing, Robert works for a medical research company in Rochester, New York.

Hoover Forum: Presidents Learning about Presidents
2021-10-24 13:00 - 15:00 | Hyatt Regency Ballroom, 300 E. 9th St, Coralville, IA, 52241, United States
Oct. 24, 2021

1 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Ballroom, Coralville
Join us as three speakers examine and share stories of the presidential visits, including First Ladies, to the Hoover Presidential Library and Museum.
This event is free and a RSVP is requested. The panel discussion will take place at 1 p.m. and is expected to last up to 120 minutes. The panel includes Richard Norton Smith, Dwight Miller and Tim Walch.
Richard Norton Smith is a nationally acclaimed presidential historian and biographer. He served as director of the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum from 1988 to 1993 and then as director for the Eisenhower, Reagan and Ford libraries until 2001. He was also the founding director for the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library. Author of six books, he is currently completing a biography of Gerald R. Ford.
Dwight Miller is a historian and archivist who began his career as assistant archivist, Manuscripts Division at the Library of Congress. In 1964, he was selected by President Hoover to serve as senior archivist at the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library. Among his many achievements in processing and creating finding aids for the collections, Miller also was part of the team that edited the Presidential Papers series for Herbert Hoover (6 vols.) and served as editor for two other books.
Tim Walch began his career with the National Archives and Records Administration in 1979, holding various positions in Washington, DC until his appointment as assistant director of the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum in 1988. He replaced Richard Norton Smith as director in 1993 and served until his retirement in 2011. Walch is author or editor of two dozen books, the most recent being Iowa Irish (2019).
The discussion will be moderated by Dr. Thomas Schwartz, Director of the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library & Museum.
This is a free event but space is limited.
reserve your space here

An Evening with Richard Norton Smith
2021-10-23 18:00 - 21:00 | Brown Deer Golf Club, 1900 Country Club Dr, Coralville, IA, 52241-3465, United States
Oct. 23, 2021

6 p.m. Social time, 6:30 meal and program

Join us for dinner with special guest speaker Richard Norton Smith, a nationally acclaimed presidential historian and biographer. He served as director of the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum from 1988 to 1993 and then as director for the Eisenhower, Reagan and Ford libraries until 2001. He was also the founding director for the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library. Author of six books, he is currently completing a biography of Gerald R. Ford.
The evening begins at 6pm with a cash bar reception followed by dinner and presentation at 6:30pm. Registration for this event is now closed.
Be sure to register for the free Hoover Forum the following day, Sunday, Oct. 24. Get all the details on the Events Calendar page.

Hoover Hunger Project
2021-10-23 10:00 - 14:00 | Herbert Hoover Elementary School, 148 N Oliphant St, West Branch, IA, 52358, United States
Oct. 23, 2021

10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The West Branch Lions Club and the Hoover Presidential Foundation are once again sponsoring the Hoover Hunger Project with a goal of making 100,000 meals for people in need. The event will be on Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021 and honors the memory of the U.S.A.’s only Iowa-born President, Herbert Hoover, who was known as the Great Humanitarian and ‘feeder of the world.’
The project is a meal packaging event using materials and ingredients from the Meals of Hope organization. We first held this event in 2014 to coincide with the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of President Hoover’s state funeral burial at the West Branch gravesite.
With generous gifts from people like you, 84,000 meals were donated to local and international food banks. Your support will help create 100,000 meals at a cost of 29 cents each. The West Branch Lions have donated the first $5,000, so we still need about $23,000 to reach this ambitious goal. By working together, gifts from private businesses, individuals and local organizations will combine to accomplish this goal and put food in hungry stomachs. Your gifts will matter!
Another way you could help is by volunteering to assist in packaging the meals on Saturday, Oct. 23 during one of two shifts (10 a.m. to noon and noon to 2 p.m.). Your time is greatly appreciated and you’re welcome to bring your friends, neighbors and family to work as a team. The West Branch Community Schools have donated the use of the Hoover Elementary gym for this event. Feel free to take a selfie sitting next to the bronze statue of President Hoover by the northeast doors!
The West Branch Lions Club, under the direction of project coordinator Greg Humrichouse, Lion President Tony Warren, outgoing Lion President Steven Grace, and Jerry Fleagle, Hoover Foundation President, are proud to be sponsoring this event and would sincerely request either a financial donation OR any volunteer hours you or your organization can afford to contribute to such a worthy cause.
Financial donations can be sent to the Hoover Presidential Foundation (a 501(c)3 charitable foundation). Your gifts are tax deductible and should be sent c/o the Foundation, P.O. Box 696, West Branch, IA 52358. Donations will also be accepted by any of the WB Lions Club officers mentioned above and also Lions Treasurer Ed Larew.
Please contact Lion Greg Humrichouse at greghumric@msn.com or call 319-471-0525 if additional information is needed. The WB Lions Club will be reporting all businesses, organizations, individuals and groups who contribute either financially and/or with volunteer hours to local media outlets and social media as a ‘thank you’ for supporting such a worthy cause.
Your thoughtful consideration is appreciated and honors West Branch’s own President Herbert Hoover and his charitable contributions across the world. Your involvement is critical to reaching the 100,000 meal goal. What a fitting tribute to a man who committed much of his life serving needy populations. How many people can you help feed?

Uncommon Student Awards Stanley & Helen Howe Presentation Day
2021-10-23 09:00 - 17:00 | Radisson Conference Center, 1220 1st Ave, Coralville, IA, 52241, United States
Oct. 23, 2021

9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Watch as 14 Uncommon Students from all across Iowa present the results of their Uncommon Student projects. Each will earn a $1,500 award and four will win a $10,000 scholarship to the school of their choice. Admission is free, with presentations running every 20 minutes. Drop in and see Iowa’s future leaders in action! There is no fee to attend. Social distancing will be enforced among groups.

Third Thursday - Hoover's Last Trip Home
2021-10-21 18:00 - 19:00 | Webinar Style Program
October 21, 2021
6 to 7 p.m. Zoom Webinar
Speaker: Lynn Smith, CA
We’ll take a look back 57 years to Oct. 25, 1964 when Herbert Hoover returned to West Branch to be buried on a hill overlooking his childhood home. Archival videos and audio clips will supplement the story.
Advance registration is required for this FREE virtual event. Register HERE.
About the Speaker: Lynn Smith is the Audio-Visual Archivist at the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum.

Third Thursday - Little Fashionista on the Prairie
2021-09-16 18:00 - 19:00 | Webinar Style Program
September 16, 2021
6 to 7 p.m. Zoom Webinar
Speaker: Laura Keyes

Have you ever found yourself wondering what Laura Ingalls Wilder actually wore during her time on the prairie? If you imagine a parade of calico dresses capped with a pink sunbonnet over braided pigtails cascading down her back, you might want to rethink that. Don’t fret, though – this program is here to help! This illustrated lecture dives into the historic terms of clothing, how Mrs. Wilder used them (correctly or incorrectly) when writing books in the 1930s and 1940s, and some detailed photos of original items.
Advance registration is required for this FREE virtual event. Register HERE.
About the Speaker: Laura Keyes graduated from UW-Madison with a Master’s Degree in Library Studies, and is a lifetime member of the Association of Lincoln Presenters. She enjoys researching literary symbolism, and is contracted to write a book on that subject. Laura is currently the Director of the Dunlap Public Library District in central Illinois. Mrs. Keyes has twice been asked to speak at the Laura Ingalls Wilder Legacy and Research Association Conference.

Third Thursday - The Life of Jesse Hoover (Special Event)
2021-09-08 18:00 - 19:00 | Webinar Style Program
Sept. 8, 2021
6 to 7 p.m. Zoom Webinar
Speaker: Peter Hoehnle

The first week of September marked the 175th anniversary of Jesse Hoover’s birth. Jesse was an inventive and talented young entrepreneur, a self-taught blacksmith, inventor, pump manufacturer, community leader, pioneer West Branch businessman, and husband…as well as the father of the thirty-first President of the United States.
When he is mentioned in biographies of his son, Jesse is little more than a footnote, whose work ethic and entrepreneurship were an inspiration. While remarkable in many ways, Jesse Hoover’s life offers us a window into the social, economic, and religious life of the broader Iowa community that produced Herbert Hoover.
Join us for new perspectives on a man who, to the son who barely remembered him, remained a figure in the shadows.
Advance registration is required for this FREE virtual event. REGISTER HERE
About the Speaker: Peter Hoehnle is a native of Iowa and Park Ranger at Herbert Hoover National Historic Site. He has a Ph.D. in History from Iowa State University.

Third Thursday - The Lafayette Escadrille 2
2021-08-19 18:00 - 19:00 | Webinar Style Program
August 19, 2021
6 to 7 p.m. Zoom Webinar
Speaker: Darroch Greer

A century ago 38 Americans from every walk of life volunteered to fly in the First World War. It was their own idea—to fight in the skies to aid our oldest ally, France, long before the United States entered the war. They were willing to pay the ultimate price. They helped move their reluctant nation to ultimately join the Allies and enter the fight. They were the Lafayette Escadrille. We’ll hear from the film’s director, Darroch Greer along with Paul Glenshaw.
Please watch this 20-minute version of ‘The Lafayette Escadrille’ in preparation for the Third Thursday program. WATCH THE PREVIEW
Our presenters also invite you to join them in a toast to the escadrille pilots as they prepare a ‘Lafayette Cocktail’ (half champagne/half cognac) at the open of their program.
Advance registration is required for this FREE virtual event.
About the Speaker: Darroch Greer is a documentary filmmaker and historical researcher. He’s written and produced documentaries on the Civil War, Native America, and popular culture for Discovery, the History Channel, PBS and VH1.

First Lady Lou - Cedar Rapids
2021-08-13 19:00 - 21:00 | Olympic South Side Theatre, 1202 3rd St. SE #200, Cedar Rapids, IA, 52401, United States
https://hooverpresidentialfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/First-Lady-Lou-promo.mp4
First Lady Lou Takes the Stage in Iowa
Join us as we celebrate and share the life of Lou Henry Hoover, President Herbert Hoover’s wife and a remarkable pioneer of her time. The Hoover Presidential Foundation is bringing to Iowa five performances of First Lady Lou, a one woman show in two acts. “Lou” takes the audience on the remarkable journey of her life, played by Oregon actress Jane Fellows.
Set in a New York City hotel room, Act I takes place in 1914, the day before Lou sails to London to join Herbert. Act II takes place in 1944 at the end of her life. In both cases, Lou Henry Hoover is speaking to a person whom the audience does not see and as she reminisces about her life, the audience experiences history through the eyes of a smart, compassionate and visionary woman.
Support for these performances was provided through generous gifts from CRST International, Humanities Iowa and the National Endowment for the Humanities, The National Society of The Colonial Dames in The State of Iowa, Royal Neighbors of America, and the United Fire Group Foundation.
The performance is approximately 90 minutes total including a short intermission. There is no admission fee to attend, seating is first-come, first-served. Call the Foundation office for details at 319-643-5327.

First Lady Lou - Cedar Falls
2021-08-12 19:00 - 21:00 | Oster Regent Theatre, 103 E Main St, Cedar Falls, IA, 50613, United States

First Lady Lou - Des Moines
2021-08-11 19:00 - 21:00 | Sheslow Theatre, Drake University, 2507 University Ave, Des Moines, IA, 50311, United States
https://hooverpresidentialfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/First-Lady-Lou-promo.mp4
First Lady Lou Takes the Stage in Iowa
Join us as we celebrate and share the life of Lou Henry Hoover, President Herbert Hoover’s wife and a remarkable pioneer of her time. The Hoover Presidential Foundation is bringing to Iowa five performances of First Lady Lou, a one woman show in two acts. “Lou” takes the audience on the remarkable journey of her life, played by Oregon actress Jane Fellows.
Set in a New York City hotel room, Act I takes place in 1914, the day before Lou sails to London to join Herbert. Act II takes place in 1944 at the end of her life. In both cases, Lou Henry Hoover is speaking to a person whom the audience does not see and as she reminisces about her life, the audience experiences history through the eyes of a smart, compassionate and visionary woman.
Support for these performances was provided through generous gifts from CRST International, Humanities Iowa and the National Endowment for the Humanities, The National Society of The Colonial Dames in The State of Iowa, Royal Neighbors of America, and the United Fire Group Foundation.
The performance is approximately 90 minutes total including a short intermission. There is no admission fee to attend, seating is first-come, first-served. Sheslow Theatre requires patrons to wear masks and unrelated groups to social distance. Call the Foundation office for details at 319-643-5327.
