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Hoover Highlights: Scientific demonstrations display high school students’ knowledge
by Tom Schwartz, Hoover Library-Museum Dire · Op-Ed · August 03, 2017


Volunteers are necessary for the success of any cultural institution.
That is certainly true of the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library-Museum where 59 volunteers help with giving guided tours to school groups, support archivists in scanning materials from the collections for researcher use, and assist with special events such as STEM Days.

At our institution alone, volunteers provided 752.8 hours of their time in the past three months and thousands of hours annually.

Without these dedicated volunteers from all walks of life, our existence would be much poorer. They reflect the spirit of Herbert Hoover who had a regular cadre of volunteers willing to drop their work at a moment’s notice to help the “Chief” with food relief wherever, and whenever the challenge called.

Thanks to a generous donation from the Hoover Presidential Foundation, we are able to offer free admission for anyone wanting to visit the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library-Museum on Friday, August 4 through Saturday, August 5 during the hours of 9 am to 5 pm.

On Friday, people can see the temporary exhibit, American Presidents: Life Portraits. This traveling exhibit by C-SPAN contains original oil paintings by Chas Fagen of each American President along with biographical information.

The Hoover museum staff enhanced the exhibit by assembling original artifacts representing each president, including Thomas Jefferson’s pen and inkwell, Abraham Lincoln’s presidential portfolio and presidential seal, Theodore Roosevelt’s horse saddle, William Clinton’s running shoes, and Barack Obama’s chess set.

Of course, the permanent galleries telling the story of Herbert Hoover are always a source of endless fascination and inspiration, especially on the significant role volunteers have made in providing food, aid and comfort during times of urgent humanitarian need.

On Saturday, the STEM pop-ups in the permanent gallery will be available for viewing from 12 noon until 2 pm.

These pop-up tables and displays emphasize the role that science, technology, engineering and math played in the lives of Herbert and Lou Hoover. The Herbert Hoover Presidential Library-Museum and the Hoover Presidential Foundation have begun providing awards to school robotics clubs.

Demonstrations from recent recipients of West Branch, City High, and West High of Iowa City will take place from noon until 2 pm in the Olberg Room.

Beginning at 1:30 pm, authors David Davenport, Rugged Individualism: Dead or Alive?, and Christine Woodside, Libertarians on the Prairie: Laura Ingalls Wilder, Rose Wilder Lane and the Making of the Little House Books, will speak in the Figge Auditorium. Sales and signings of their books will follow the program.

Our thanks to the Hoover Presidential Foundation for making free access to our events possible. Most important is our heartfelt thanks to all who volunteer.

Their efforts touch the lives of countless individuals daily and, in Herbert Hoover’s mind, represent more loudly than any words, the true expression of the American spirit.



To contact Herbert Hoover Presidential Library-Museum Director Thomas Schwartz, you may reach him at 319-643-5301 or Thomas.Schwartz@nara.gov.