Celebrating 50 Years of the Hoover Presidential Library and Museum

By Jill Kasparie, Reporter

West Branch, city of. Hoover Historical Site (Herbert Hoover National Historic Site). A new entrance at the Herbert Hoover Library-Museum leads to the Rotunda and a 16-foot red granite map of the world with 57 brass sheaves of wheat---one in every country fed by Herbert Hoover, "The Great Humanitarian." The doors to the renovated and expanded library-museum in West Branch, Iowa, were swung open to visitors for its rededication on Saturday (8-8-92) with the help of former President Ronald Reagan. The renovation and expansion project cost $6.5 million. Photo 1993.

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By Belinda Yeung

Story Created: Aug 10, 2012 at 9:22 AM CDT

Story Updated: Aug 10, 2012 at 9:22 AM CDT

WEST BRANCH, Iowa – A celebration that has been fifty years in the making has unfolded at the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum.

The building was dedicated to the American people on August 10, 1962. It happened on President Hoover’s 88th birthday. Since then the building has changed significantly.

“The building has more than doubled in size and the exhibits are much more expansive,” said Herbert Hoover Presidential Library-Museum Director Tom Schwartz.

They are hoping people will take in the former president’s whole story on this anniversary.

“We have free admission all day today (Friday). We have cake starting at 10:00 a.m. people are welcome to come enjoy the cake, hopefully stay and enjoy the exhibits, the temporary exhibit which deals with the 50th anniversary, the dedication date back in 1962,” Schwartz said.

Saturday the festivities will continue with an event called An Afternoon of Conversations. Three former directors of the Library-Museum will be featured during the free event at 1:00 p.m.

Some members of Hoover’s family are also expected to attend.

"The president's Grandson and his wife are showing up and then later this afternoon his great granddaughter is showing up,” said Herbert Hoover Presidential Library-Museum’s Janlyn Slauch. Workers are thrilled to celebrate the big anniversary. They said they’ve learned a lot about our 31st president over the years.

“My favorite story about Herbert Hoover is the fact that when I started working here, I didn’t know anything about Herbert hoover and over the years I have come to learn that he spent more of his life helping other people, which I think a lot of people don’t know about Herbert Hoover,” Slauch said.

Hoover was born in West Branch. It’s also the home of his grave.

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