Lou Henry Hoover’s White House Years
When Lou Henry Hoover moved into the White House on March 4, 1929, she looked forward to using her influence to strengthen the areas that were near and dear to her heart: women’s opportunities; the arts; and private philanthropy. The onset of what we now call the Great Depression challenged Lou’s plans, but she saw new opportunities for serving the nation and remained undaunted.
Lou continued to blaze a trail of achievements that have often been forgotten. She was the first president’s wife to address the nation by radio. She continued the work of updating the White House to accurately reflect its history and documented that work. Lou’s private philanthropy led to the building of a school for children in a remote area of rural Virginia, and she sought out and supported local artisans for a number of special projects.
About the Speaker- Annette Dunlap:
Annette Dunlap has been a North Carolina-based freelance writer for over 30 years. She has written for a variety of publications, including op-eds for the Fayetteville Observer, the Charlotte Observer and The Pilot, in Moore County. She was a freelance reporter for the Asheboro Courier-Tribune, and has been a contributor to inspirational magazines, business publications, and White House History. Annette is the author of Frank: The Story of Frances Folsom Cleveland, America’s Youngest First Lady; The Gambler’s Daughter; and Charles Gates Dawes: A Life. Her biography of Lou Henry Hoover, A Woman of Adventure: The Life and Times of First Lady Lou Henry Hoover, was recently released by the University of Nebraska Press.
Annette has appeared on C-SPAN’s first ladies’ series to discuss Frances Cleveland and Lou Henry Hoover, and was a panelist at the Harding Symposium’s “Modern First Ladies” program in 2015. Her research on Frances Folsom Cleveland inspired the development of the program, “First Ladies and the Politics of Fashion,” which has been broadcast on C-SPAN.
Annette holds a B.A. from the University of Arizona and an M.B.A. from Washington University in St. Louis. She and her husband of 41 years live in North Carolina.
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