Herbert Hoover was the 31st president of the United States and the first from west of the Mississippi. For some reason, I have done little reading about his life and his presidency. I knew, of course, that he was in office when the Great Depression began and that he served only one term in office, losing to Franklin Roosevelt in the 1932 election. So when I visited the Hoover Presidential Library and Museum in West Branch, Iowa, I had a lot to learn. I found things about Hoover that are praiseworthy but also some things that troubled me. I struggled to find a lens to use in understanding the man, his life, and his legacy. Surprisingly, I found it by thinking about another president who only served one term—Jimmy Carter. There are a number of similarities and some key differences. Both were molded by a strong religious faith—Hoover as a Quaker and Carter as Southern Baptist. This influenced many of their decisions in office and also con...
Comments from a Christ-follower on things that matter to him