|
 |
 |
Sunday, May 19, 2013
|
|
|
Author: Hoover’s legacy obscured by emotions, blame
by Tyler ONeil · News · July 20, 2012
Emotion often outweighs reason when it comes to history, but one biographer is on a mission to correct what he sees as an unjust reputation for West Branch’s most notable son.
Glen Jeansonne, author of “The Life of Herbert Hoover: Fighting Quaker, 1928-1933,” spoke about his new book and unique perspective on Hoover’s role in history on Saturday at the Hoover Museum. While his new book focuses on Hoover’s campaign and presidency, Jeansonne said he hopes to expand the book into a full biography.
“Hoover’s presidency was bookended by periods of great accomplishments,” Jeansonne said. “His accomplishments before his presidency are only matched by Eisenhower, and his accomplishments after were only matched in some ways by Carter.”
Hoover lived a robust life, Jeansonne said. He is credited with saving millions of lives by organizing food drives during World War I and he wrote 33 books throughout his 90-year life span. He was a philanthropist, an active outdoorsman, humorous conversationalist and a loving husband, but no one cares to talk about that, Jeansonne said.
“Presidents tend to be blamed for everything bad that happens when they are in office and praised for anything good regardless of whether they had anything to do with it,” Jeansonne said. “This greatly oversimplifies cause and effect.”
Thus, because Hoover was in office when the Great Depression struck in 1929 he has been vilified simply because of chance. Jeansonne said a president’s luck comes down to timing, “same as hitting a baseball, falling in love or giving the punchline of a joke.”
Jeansonne said Hoover hasn’t been able to shake his pungent reputation because emotion leaves a bigger impact than reason. As a result he is still being used as a political scapegoat today.
“It’s become a bit of a cliché,” Jeansonne said.
Fleshing out Herbert Hoover’s image has been one of the main objectives of the Herbert Hoover Library and Museum since its dedication 50 years ago.
“People who have come here always walk away with a new perspective on Hoover,” Becky Allgood, Executive Director of the Herbert Hoover Library Association, said. Hoover lived an amazing life, Allgood said, and books like Jeansonne’s spread that idea.
“I think the message anyone can take away from Hoover’s life is that anyone can do it,” Allgood said. “Anyone from anywhere can do great things like he did.” |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|