A Very Hoover Holiday

The holidays ended with the president hosting the New Year’s Reception at the White House. He greeted over 6,300 guests from the public.⁶ 

As the 1930 holiday season approached, anticipation grew for the arrival of the Hoovers’ grandchildren.⁷ Seasonal festivities centered on the grandchildren, much to their grandparents’ delight. Peggy and Peter were thrilled by their first snowball fight in Rock Creek Park.⁸ Santa Claus paid a visit to Peggy and Peter on Christmas morning in the White House.⁹ After participating with his wife and family in a holiday service and sermon at the Washington Cathedral, President Hoover again hosted the Cabinet and their families at the White House.¹⁰ 

Besides entertaining her grandchildren, Mrs. Hoover had holiday obligations for the community of Washington. She distributed food and other supplies through the Salvation Army to less fortunate city residents.¹¹ She also completed her holiday shopping at thrift shops which supported local charities. 

The Hoovers were privileged to have Peggy and Peter in town for Christmas celebrations again during the holiday season of 1931. The Hoover grandchildren hosted their own Christmas party at the White House. They invited 200 friends who were asked to bring gifts to donate to children in need.¹² Sixteen boxes of toys were donated to Morgantown, West Virginia, by the American Friends Service Society.¹³ Peggy and Peter’s kindness followed in the footsteps of their grandma who inspired their actions to give to those in need.

President Hoover again lit the National Christmas Tree in 1931 with his family nearby. The Hoovers concluded their holiday celebrations with a dance in honor of Allan Hoover, their younger son; it was common in Washington social circles to present grown children as coming of age into society during the holidays. President and Mrs. Hoover attended and entertained at these parties and dances, including the ones they gave for Allan on his breaks from his studies at Harvard Business School. 

The 1932 holiday season was gloomy, with the Great Depression in full swing and President Hoover having lost his bid for reelection. Peggy and Peter also did not plan to visit, further stifling the usual holiday cheer. 

To boost morale and holiday spirits, President Hoover and Commander Louis A. Johnson of the American Legion extended warm wishes to World War I veterans.¹⁴ Mrs. Hoover gracefully provided for impoverished local residents by handing out baskets of food at the Salvation Army and Central Union Mission. 

After engaging in these charitable activities the Hoovers escaped the despair of the lost election by spending the season away from Washington, along the coasts of Georgia and Florida. They boarded a Department of Commerce boat, the Sequoia, for a sea cruise and fishing trip that would last through the holidays. Their early departure from Washington led to Vice President Charles Curtis overseeing the lighting of the National Christmas Tree on Christmas Eve. 

The Hoover family did not hold the annual New Year’s Day reception or the dance in honor of Allan Hoover in 1933 because of their holiday trip. Subsequent presidents did not carry on the tradition of the New Year’s Day reception, making the Hoover administration the last to host the gathering for the American public.

Though Hoover’s administration ended in melancholy, his tenure began with joyful holiday celebrations in the White House. The First Family enjoyed spending time with veterans and the less fortunate. Nothing, however, made President and Mrs. Hoover happier than spending their time with Peter and Peggy Ann. Among the most trying times that the nation would ever endure, the presence of the Hoover grandchildren at the White House spread joy and the promise of hope throughout the nation’s capital.