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Uncommon Words: Hoover ceremony, Uncommon Students, banquet, author — all in next few weeks
by Jerry Fleagle, Hoover Presidential Found · Op-Ed · October 12, 2017
Let me be the first to wish you all a Happy New Year! While it seems that I may be a tad early, our fiscal new year at the Foundation began Oct. 1st.
We’ve been busy making plans for 2018 and there’s a lot of exciting things coming up that you’ll want to participate in!
For example, in the next three weeks there are FOUR big events you may want to attend. The first is this Saturday, Oct. 14, when 14 high school seniors from across Iowa present the results of their summer civic projects at the Uncommon Student Awards program. It begins at 9:30 a.m. in the Figge Auditorium at the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library-Museum and runs until about 4:30 that afternoon. Each student has 12 minutes to tell the audience about a project they designed and ran during the summer in support of their communities. And these students think BIG. Each project is different from every other and they all amaze me with the quality of their work and dedication to their mission.
Each student is then awarded $1,000 for their efforts and three will be chosen by a panel of judges to earn an additional $5,000 scholarship at the school of their choice. There is no charge to attend the sessions — but watching them is like eating potato chips. You’ll have an urge to watch more than just one!
Be sure to come back on Sunday, Oct. 15 to hear author Kenneth Whyte discuss his new book, “Hoover: An Extraordinary Life in Extraordinary Times.” The book is described as, “… the epic, poignant story of the poor boy who became the most accomplished figure of his time, who worked ceaselessly to fight the Depression yet became the public face of America’s greatest economic crisis.”
The National Park Service is hosting a book signing with Whyte at the Visitor Center from 1 to 1:30 p.m. There is no charge to attend the book signing. At 2 p.m., Whyte will present a short program about his book in the Hoover Presidential Library-Museum’s Figge Auditorium. Admission to the program is included with paid museum admission and is free for members of the Hoover Presidential Foundation.
Our third event is the annual grave site wreath laying ceremony to commemorate President Hoover’s passing 53 years ago. It will be held Friday, Oct. 20, at Hoover’s grave site in the Herbert Hoover National Historic Site at noon. The program will last about 45 minutes and features several speakers, including keynote speaker Congressman Dave Loebsack of Iowa City. Children from local schools will also attend. The public is invited to this free event. Some seating is provided and bag chairs or blankets are encouraged.
The fourth event is our biggest one! The Foundation’s Celebration Banquet, our most prestigious event, is our biggest fundraising event of the year. Each year we strive to bring in high-caliber speakers to share their thoughts about current events in the world around us. This year we have New York Times best-selling author Chris Whipple as our keynote speaker! His book, “The Gatekeepers: How White House Chiefs of Staff Define Every Presidency,” is the result of extensive, intimate interviews with all 17 living chiefs and two former presidents.
Last year’s banquet speaker, Tom Brokaw, said, “If you’re a political junkie or just curious, this is the book for you.” You can learn more about this event at our website, www.HooverPresidential-Foundation.org and order tickets online.
So yes, we have a busy few weeks ahead of us! I hope you’ll take advantage of these events and enjoy sharpening up on your Hoover heritage!
And wait until you see what else is coming up in our “New Year!”
I thank you all for your support of the Hoover Campus and the work we do to bring new visitors to West Branch as we share the story of the Great Humanitarian, Herbert Hoover.
Jerry Fleagle is the executive director of the Hoover Presidential Foundation. You may reach him at 319-643-5327 or JFleagle@hooverpf.org.
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