“Lou Henry Hoover's White House Years,” June 15

Thursday, June 15, 6 p.m.

Presented by the Davenport Public Library

While most of the presentations in the Davenport Public Library's monthly 3rd Thursday at Hoover's Presidential Library & Museum program have focused on former president Herbert Hoover, the series will take an overdue look at the extraordinary contributions of his wife when speaker Annette Dunlap, on June 15, delivers her fascinating virtual event Lou Henry Hoover's White House Years, the first in a three-month "best of" series.

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.

Among her many accomplishments, Lou distinguished herself by becoming the first First Lady to conduct radio broadcasts on a regular and nationwide basis. Although she did not have her own radio program and was known to detest the limelight, she participated as a guest speaker on a number of occasions between 1929 and 1933, often advocating for volunteerism, or discussing the work of the Girl Scouts. Being well-versed in Latin, Lou also collaborated with her husband in translating Agricola's De Re Metallica, a 16th-century encyclopedia of mining and metallurgy. The Hoover translation was published in 1912, and remains in print today as the standard English translation. During World War I, she assisted her husband in providing relief for Belgian refugees, and for her work, she was decorated in 1919 by King Albert I of Belgium. Lou was also involved with the American Women's War Relief Fund, which provided ambulances, funded two hospitals and provided economic opportunities for women during World War I.

Program presenter Annette Dunlap has been a North Carolina-based freelance writer for more than 30 years. She has written for a variety of publications, including op-eds for the Fayetteville Observer, the Charlotte Observer, and Moore Country's The Pilot. She was a freelance reporter for the Asheboro Courier-Tribune, and has been a contributor to inspirational magazines, business publications, and White House History. Dunlap 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. Additionally, Dunlap 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.

Lou Henry Hoover's White House Years will be presented on June 15at 6 p.m., participation in the virtual program is free, and more information is available by calling (563)326-7832 and visiting DavenportLibrary.com.