American Minute for August 10th:
Herbert Hoover was born AUGUST 10, 1874. The son of a Quaker blacksmith, he studied at Stanford and became a world renowned engineer. Trapped in China when the Boxer Rebellion broke out in 1900, Herbert Hoover directed the building of barricades under heavy fire while his wife worked in the hospital. In World War I, at the request of the American Consul, Hoover helped 120,000 Americans stranded in Europe return home. He directed the feeding of Belgium after the Nazis overran it and orchestrated feeding the Allied nations while avoiding rationing at home. After the war, Herbert Hoover arranged the feeding of millions starving in Central Europe and Russia. Serving as Secretary of Commerce for Presidents Harding and Coolidge, Herbert Hoover became the 31st U.S. President in 1929. Seven months later the Stock Market crashed. Though implementing a plan of aid through the States, political opponents sabotaged his efforts. In his Memorial Day Address, delivered at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, 1931, President Herbert Hoover stated: "If, by the grace of God, we stand steadfast in our great traditions through this time of stress, we shall insure that we and our sons and daughters shall see these fruits increased many fold."
