Welcome to Before They Were Presidents Theme Week! We’re kicking things off with Herbert Hoover, America’s 31st President, who served from 1929 to 1933. But long before he entered the Oval Office, Hoover lived a life of remarkable adventure, international acclaim, and extraordinary success that would make him one of the most famous Americans of his era.
A Western Beginning
Herbert Hoover holds a unique distinction: he was the first president born west of the Mississippi River. On August 10, 1874, in the small town of West Branch, Iowa, the future president entered a world vastly different from the Eastern establishment that had dominated American politics. In fact, Hoover didn’t cross east of the Mississippi until he was 22 years old, making him a true product of the American West.
His western roots led him to Stanford University, where he was part of the school’s inaugural class. Majoring in geology, Hoover found more than just an education at Stanford—he met his future wife, Lou Henry, in a geology class. It was the beginning of a partnership that would carry them through extraordinary adventures around the globe.
From Ore Carts to Millionaire
After graduating in 1895, Hoover’s path to success wasn’t immediate. He struggled to find work as a surveyor and took a humble job pushing ore carts at a gold mine near Nevada City, California. But his fortunes changed dramatically when he landed an engineering position with a British mining firm.
Hoover’s talent for locating lucrative mineral deposits took him around the world. His rise was meteoric—by age 27, he had become one of the firm’s four partners and a multimillionaire. When he left the company in 1908, he had built profitable business interests on every continent except Antarctica. It was a stunning success story that would have been remarkable enough on its own, but Hoover’s most defining moments were still to come.
Surviving the Boxer Rebellion
In 1899, the Hoovers found themselves in northern China, where Herbert was working as an engineer, when the Boxer Rebellion erupted. What followed was a harrowing ordeal that revealed both Hoovers’ character under fire.
In June 1900, their house was struck by shelling, and they took refuge in a walled compound with other foreigners. For more than three weeks, the compound endured repeated attacks. Hoover put his engineering expertise to work, directing the construction of barricades along the compound walls. Meanwhile, Lou showed extraordinary courage, tending to the wounded and delivering milk to a makeshift hospital on her bicycle—which once had its tire punctured by a bullet while she rode.
“The Great Humanitarian”
When World War I broke out, the Hoovers were living in London. Hoover quickly organized a committee of American businessmen to coordinate the return of roughly 100,000 Americans stranded in Europe. But this was just the beginning of his humanitarian work.
As Chairman of the Commission for Relief in Belgium, Hoover raised millions of dollars and provided food, medicine, and supplies for more than 9 million Belgian and French citizens after Germany’s invasion. His efforts earned him international recognition as “The Great Humanitarian” and five Nobel Peace Prize nominations.
In 1917, President Woodrow Wilson tapped Hoover to run the U.S. Food Administration, conserving American resources for the war effort. The term “Hooverize”—used by Americans to describe rationing consumer goods—made him a household name across the country. After the war ended in 1918, Wilson appointed him head of the American Relief Administration, and Hoover helped send 34 million tons of food, clothing, and supplies to a devastated Europe.
A Cabinet Star and Television Pioneer
From 1921 to 1928, Hoover served as Secretary of Commerce under Presidents Warren G. Harding and Calvin Coolidge, making him the last president to have held a full cabinet position before assuming the presidency. As Commerce Secretary, he became one of the most popular and visible members of the government.
His visibility reached a historic peak on April 7, 1927, when his voice and image were transmitted live in the first American demonstration of television. Hoover wasn’t just witnessing history—he was literally the face of America’s technological future.
The Presidency and Beyond
In 1928, Hoover won the presidency in his first-ever election campaign, defeating his opponent in a landslide. However, fate had a cruel twist in store. During his first year in office, the stock market crashed in October 1929, signaling the onset of the Great Depression.
Hoover’s response to the economic catastrophe was widely criticized as insufficient, and he was decisively defeated by Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1932 presidential election. The man who had once been celebrated as “The Great Humanitarian” left office under a cloud.
Yet Hoover’s story didn’t end there. His retirement lasted over 31 years—the longest in presidential history until Jimmy Carter broke that record in September 2012. During those decades, he worked to rehabilitate his reputation and continued his public service in various capacities.
A Life of Extraordinary Achievement
Before Herbert Hoover became president, he had already lived several lifetimes’ worth of accomplishment. He was a self-made millionaire, a global business leader, a survivor of armed conflict, a humanitarian who saved millions from starvation, and a government official who became a household name. His pre-presidential career remains one of the most remarkable of any American leader.
Stay tuned for more Before They Were Presidents stories throughout the week!