| Lou Hoover entered the White
House as First Lady on March 4, 1929. Once again  Lou
Hoover was faced with the task of making a comfortable
home for her family. She decided to restore the Lincoln Study to
an office from its present status as a bedroom. She refurbished and
restored the study with as much original furniture as she could locate.
Many of the White House restoration projects were done at her own expense.
She did her utmost to make the White House more comfortable. Not only
did she buy more comfortable furniture, but she also made her guests
feel at home too. Lou Hoover had a knack for mixing
all sorts of people and making each feel important. She eliminated
barriers between special and ordinary guests. A Girl Scout would receive
as much attention from Mrs. Hoover as would an ambassador.
A typical day for Mrs. Hoover at the White House
might include breakfast with the family, followed by work on answering
the mail or writing a speech. Lunch would usually provide an opportunity
to entertain guests, and there would be an afternoon tea to which guests
would also be invited. Some afternoons Mrs. Hoover might be scheduled
to visit a hospital or attend some  official
ceremonies at sites throughout Washington, D.C. Dinner was also an occasion
to entertain, and Mrs. Hoover carefully planned functions from the selection
of the foods to be served to the correct protocol for seating. Her days
were as fully scheduled as the President's.
Occasionally Mrs. Hoover sought relief
from social functions by a horseback ride through Rock Creek Park, some
work in the gardens around the White House, or a walk with one of the
dogs. She continued to drive her own car around Washington, and occasionally
she would take a picnic lunch.
Lou Hoover was constantly in the public eye, but she
tried to maintain her own informal ways. She did not give too  many
speeches, and she did not grant interviews. Lou Hoover was hurt by the
press when she was condemned by some papers for having invited Mrs.
Oscar DePriest for tea. Mrs. DePriest was the wife of a black congressman
from Chicago. The incident caused a great commotion in Washington and
the nation. She was praised by some and condemned by others for the
invitation extended to Mrs. DePriest. The incident made Mrs. Hoover
more wary of the press.
Throughout her life, Lou Hoover always enjoyed getting
away, and doing something outdoors. The White House years proved to
be no exception. Lou Hoover located and oversaw the building of a retreat
in the Blue Ridge Mountains for President Hoover. Camp
Rapidan became a place for informal entertaining and relaxing. The
camp consisted of a series of cabins and walking paths by the headwaters
of the Rapidan River.
Once when Lou was recovering from a back injury by relaxing
at Camp Rapidan, she discovered that there was no school in the mountains
for the children who lived there. She and Herbert decided to build The
President's Community School and to hire a teacher for the school.
This was done at the Hoover's own expense. They also built a small apartment
for the teacher's use. Upon leaving office, the Hoovers donated Camp
Rapidan to the government.
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