An Uncommon Couple

Herbert and Lou Henry Hoover both came from Iowa, ended up on the West Coast at a young age, and then enrolled at Stanford University.

Herbert Hoover went on to a remarkably successful career as a mining engineer, then roles as a humanitarian, public servant, and eventually president of the United States.

Lou Henry Hoover was a remarkable person in her own right. An activist and independent woman ahead of her time, she brought these characteristics to her role as First Lady.

The couple lived abroad for long stretches and traveled the world. They experienced revolution firsthand, saw the effects of war, and contributed to the search for peace, especially through their humanitarian work. Both Hoovers were strong advocates for education, and both were able to give back to their alma mater: Herbert Hoover through the institution bearing his name, among many other contributions, and Lou Henry Hoover most visibly through the university president’s home designed by and named after her.

_{First photo: Herbert Hoover, second boy from left, as a student at the Friends Pacific Academy in Oregon, where his uncle was superintendent. American Pictorial Collection, Hoover Institution Archives}

_{Second photo: Herbert and Lou Henry Hoover, 1929. Berton W. Crandall Photographs, Hoover Institution Archives}