Herbert Hoover Biography

Herbert Hoover was the 31st President of the United States who served from 1929 to 1933. A Republican, he became very well-known for his humanitarian efforts to provide relief to millions of Europeans during and after the World War I. A mining engineer by occupation, Hoover was one of the few Presidents of the US to be elected without electoral experience or high military rank. Born to hard-working Quaker parents in Iowa, he had an idyllic childhood until the age of six when his father died. His mother too died three years later leaving him an orphan. He was then raised by his uncle, Dr. John Minthorn, who inculcated in the young boy strong work ethics and moral values. He graduated from the University of Stanford with a degree in geology and embarked on a successful career as a mining engineer. When the World War I began, he became active in the relief efforts and led a team of volunteers in distributing food, clothing, and other necessities. He also became the Chairman of the Commission for Relief in Belgium (CRB) during this time. He then went on to become the U.S. secretary of commerce and eventually decided to run for presidency and easily won the election. However, his stint as the president was not much successful as the Wall Street Crash of 1929 which precipitated the Great Depression struck just months after he took office