Neither did Roosevelt’s friendship with Will Rogers, the favorite celebrity of average America at the time. “It’s a cautionary tale of the contradictions between public service and political leadership and Jeansonne tells it well.”Ī contentious relationship between Hoover and Roosevelt didn’t help Hoover’s legacy. “Jeansonne skillfully explains how a man once heralded as the ‘Master of Emergencies’ was later branded as ‘President Reject,’” says Timothy Walch, director emeritus of the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum. So recognized was his humanitarian work, Hoover was asked to coordinate disaster relief after devastating floods in the Mississippi Delta in 1927. As Secretary of Commerce, Hoover raised the profile of this cabinet position and looked for ways to increasing efficiency in business and industry. But he was well-known by the public because of his celebrated work in distributing foodin Europe both during and after World War I. Hoover had never held elective office before winning the presidency in 1928. He also saw the addictive nature of welfare, and also how such policies could end up becoming a political plum for votes.”

“Once a program was inserted into government, he believed it would be impossible to extract. Hoover was cautious of overspending because he felt that habitual deficit spending would evolve into the norm, he says. He passed tax hikes for the wealthy and established public works projects, such as the Hoover Dam, during the Depression, but they didn’t last as long as programs during Roosevelt’s administration, says Jeansonne.

Hoover’s approach to these issues was progressive, says Jeansonne.Ī supporter of organized labor, Hoover first proposed plans for social security, old-age pensions and medical care in the 1920s. In it, he describes how Hoover grappled with many of the same issues that continue to challenge presidents to this day – welfare, health care and a weak economy. Hoover’s presidential campaign of 1928 even coined the term “New Deal.”Ĭompared to many of today’s Republican politicians, says Professor Glen Jeansonne, Hoover could hardly be labeled “tea party.” Jeansonne’s book, “The Life of Herbert Hoover, Fighting Quaker, 1928-1933,” was published recently by Palgrave Macmillan. Roosevelt’s “New Deal” were actually conceived or launched by the 31st president. In fact, many of the social programs contained in Franklin D. In each – and in almost every such ranking in between – President Herbert Hoover was included, blamed for not doing enough to end the Great Depression.īut is Hoover’s stained reputation deserved?Ī UWM historian, who has published the first new book on Hoover’s presidency in 25 years, says no. Time magazine ran a similar list only last year. Newswise - MILWAUKEE-In 1948, Life magazine named the 10 worst U.S.

Herbert Hoover by Glen Jeansonne