National Archives and Records Administration

Intro Boyhood Lou Henry Hoover Belgian Relief Secretary of Commerce President After the White House

Elementary School Field Trips
to the
Herbert Hoover Presidential Library-Museum
  Pre & Post Visit Activities

After the White House

After leaving the White House, President Hoover became chairman of the board of Boy’s Clubs of America, a cause he served for more than 25 years. When war broke out in Europe, Hoover, as a private citizen, established the Polish Relief Commission. The commission fed 200,000 children. Then Hoover led another relief committee that fed four European countries. After the war, famine threatened Europe again. In 1946, President Harry Truman asked Hoover to head the President’s Famine Emergency Committee. Hoover organized a plan to deal with the crisis, visiting 38 countries in 57 days. In 1947, Congress asked Hoover to study the reorganization of the executive branch of the federal government to improve efficiency and eliminate waste. President Dwight Eisenhower asked Hoover to head a similar commission during his presidency. Hoover advised presidents, wrote books and articles, and made public appearances. A reporter who visited Hoover’s office in 1960 couldn’t believe the former president still worked 9 to 12 hours each day. Hoover died on October 30, 1964. He is buried on the Overlook west of the Hoover Presidential Library.

To learn more about Hoover’s life after the White House go to:
http://www.ecommcode.com/hoover/hooveronline/hoover_bio/after.htm

Pre-visit activities:

• Have students write a telegram to Mr. Hoover from President Truman requesting his help in dealing with the famine in Europe.
  Click here for a printable version of the telegram worksheet.
  

Post-visit activities:

• Mrs. Hoover enjoyed planning and designing their home on the Stanford campus. Ask students to draw a floor plan for a home that they would consider ideal.
   
• Ask students what a good definition of public service is. You might want to post this somewhere in your classroom. After the field trip ask the students to brainstorm all the ways in which President Hoover demonstrated his commitment to public service. Discuss your class participating in a service learning project if you do not already do so. If you do ask if they now have a different view of service to others.
   
  To learn more about designing a service learning project go to:
  http://www.hoover.archives.gov/education/service.html