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Hoover Highlights: From Racing Herbie to selfies in a prison
by Thomas Schwarts, Library-Museum director · Op-Ed · September 15, 2016
As gas prices remain relatively low and more people took to the road, the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library-Museum greeted more visitors and answered their questions about the 31st President and First Lady.
People especially enjoy the temporary exhibit, “‘Ain’t Misbehavin’?: The World of the Gangster” that explores the Prohibition Era and ends Oct. 23.
Visitors are taking selfies in front of the police line-up and posting them on Facebook pages or wearing the prison stripes and standing in the jail cell. As with most of our temporary exhibits, they are designed and created by our museum staff and facility manager. They do not travel so it is important to see them while they are available for public viewing at the Hoover Museum.
Our partnership with the White House Historical Association helped promote their 2016 Christmas Ornament devoted to Herbert Hoover’s presidency. It features a fire truck recalling the 1929 Christmas Eve fire that destroyed the Oval Office. We also received assistance by the White House Historical Association to bring the newest addition to the Washington Nationals baseball lineup, Racing Herbie. He joined in the festivities at Hoover’s Hometown Day, marching in the parade and greeting people at the Hoover Presidential Foundation luncheon.
One of the highlights of the year is the annual Naturalization Ceremony held on or near Constitution Day. On September 16 at 1:30 pm in front of the museum, seventy-one individuals from around the world will take the oath of allegiance to become American citizens. It is the last year that United States Chief Magistrate Judge, the Honorable Jon S. Scoles presides over the ceremonies. United States Senator Joni Ernst is scheduled to deliver remarks.
Working closely with the National Park Service, the Hoover Library-Museum [operated by the National Archives and Records Administration], signed a multi-year agreement allowing for the Hoover Park to store management/administrative records in the better climate controlled stacks of the library. Over time, they will scan the materials making digital records for use on site and send the original records to the NPS regional storage facility. The Hoover Library-Museum also provided $10,000 to the City of West Branch to help offset costs involved with a study necessary for flood control. And many citizens of West Branch are already enjoying accessing early issues of the West Branch Times online. The Hoover Library-Museum has the most complete run of this newspaper and made microfilm copies available so the public library could digitize and place this valuable source of local history online.
With school back in session, annual school field trips are a regular feature. Several changes have occurred over the past few years necessitated by changes in the larger society. All museums and historic sites are seeing a decline in the number of volunteers available to help. As a result, teachers are now provided with an informational packet on how to direct their students in a self-guided tour of the museum. Another change is the addition of STEM Days at the Hoover. On specific Tuesdays or Thursdays, the galleries have special pop-up stations that focus on the science, technology, engineering, and math elements of the lives of Herbert and Lou Hoover. It has proven to be very popular with teachers and students while offering a new and exciting way to view these very unique individuals.
Some highlights in the coming weeks are the Smithsonian Museum Day Live on September 24, Girl Scout STEM Day on October 9, a book talk by Glen Jeansonne on his new biography of Herbert Hoover on October 9, Iowa State Senator David Johnson’s Veterans Day talk on November 11, the opening of the Timeless Toys of Christmas exhibit on November 19, and our Christmas Past celebration featuring the Young Footliters on December 2-3. For more information go to our website www.hoover.archives.gov.
To contact Herbert Hoover Presidential Library-Museum Director Thomas Schwartz, you may reach him at 319-643-5301 or Thomas.Schwartz@nara.gov.
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