Herbert Hoover Quotes

Powerful Herbert Hoover for Daily Growth

About Herbert Hoover

Herbert Clark Hoover, born on August 10, 1874, in West Branch, Iowa, was an American politician, engineer, and author who served as the 31st President of the United States from 1929 to 1933. Known for his quiet and reserved demeanor, Hoover is best remembered for presiding over the country during the Great Depression. Born into a Quaker family, Hoover's early life was marked by hardship following the death of his mother at an early age. This experience instilled in him a strong work ethic and a sense of self-reliance that would later serve him well. He attended Stanford University on a scholarship, where he studied geology and engineering. After graduating, Hoover worked as a mining engineer in Australia and China, amassing wealth before returning to the United States. In 1899, Hoover's career took an unexpected turn when he was appointed as Chief Engineer of the Chinese Corporation during the Boxer Rebellion. His humanitarian efforts during this time, including organizing food relief for thousands of refugees, earned him international recognition and set the stage for his future work as a relief administrator. After returning to the United States, Hoover founded a successful mining company and became a millionaire by the age of 37. He then turned his attention to public service, leading food-relief efforts in Europe during World War I, which earned him the nickname "The Great Engineer." In 1921, he was appointed as Secretary of Commerce under President Warren G. Harding. In 1928, Hoover won the presidential election on a promise of prosperity and economic security. However, just two years into his term, the stock market crashed, plunging the nation into the Great Depression. Despite enacting numerous policies aimed at alleviating the economic crisis, Hoover's presidency is widely considered a failure due to his inability to effectively address the severe depression. Following his presidency, Hoover continued to be active in public life, serving as chairman of the American Mission to war-torn Europe after World War II and publishing several books on mining and relief administration. He died on October 20, 1964, at the age of 90. Despite the controversial nature of his presidency, Hoover's legacy as a humanitarian and engineer remains significant.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"America was not built on fear. America was built on courage, on imagination and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand."

This quote emphasizes that the foundation of America lies in bravery, creativity, and unwavering determination. It suggests that instead of relying on fear as a driving force, the spirit of America has been built upon courage to face challenges, use imagination to innovate and solve problems, and show an indomitable will to succeed. This quote is particularly insightful in today's context, as it encourages us to overcome adversity and build a future filled with hope and progress by embodying the qualities of courage, creativity, and determination.


"We have always held to the thought that the greatest thing a country or government can do to help any of its citizens is to make it easy for them to do more than half their work themselves."

This quote by Herbert Hoover emphasizes the belief in self-reliance and empowerment through simplifying the process of individual effort. He suggests that a government or country can aid its citizens most effectively by creating an environment where individuals have fewer barriers to achieving their own goals, thus enabling them to work productively on their own behalf. This idea underscores the importance of government policies that support entrepreneurship, education, and personal responsibility while fostering economic growth and independence among its citizens.


"Character, in fact, is not made in a crisis. It is forged by hundreds of daily deeds."

This quote emphasizes that character is built over time through a series of small, everyday choices and actions rather than just during significant crises or moments of drama. The trials and tribulations of life do not define one's character solely; it is the consistency in making the right decisions, even when faced with seemingly insignificant challenges, that shapes our moral integrity. Building character through daily deeds suggests the importance of living a virtuous life and striving for personal growth consistently.


"There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure."

This quote by Herbert Hoover emphasizes that success is not a mystery or magic formula, but rather the outcome of dedication, persistence, and resilience. Preparation involves gathering knowledge, skills, and understanding necessary to achieve a goal. Hard work means consistently putting in effort and time towards one's objectives. Learning from failure implies recognizing setbacks as opportunities for growth, reflection, and improvement. In essence, Hoover suggests that by following these principles, individuals can pave their own path to success.


"Our greatest natural resource is the mind of our people."

The quote highlights that human intelligence, creativity, and ingenuity are our most valuable assets as a society. By nurturing and developing the minds of individuals, we unlock potential for innovation, progress, and problem-solving. This sentiment emphasizes the importance of education, intellectual curiosity, and critical thinking in fostering economic growth, technological advancement, and social development, ultimately shaping the future of our nations and world.


Economic depression cannot be cured by legislative action or executive pronouncement. Economic wounds must be healed by the action of the cells of the economic body - the producers and consumers themselves.

- Herbert Hoover

Business, Body, Wounds, Cured

Honor is not the exclusive property of any political party.

- Herbert Hoover

Politics, Honor, Exclusive, Property

The New Deal repudiation of democracy has left the Republican Party alone the guardian of the Ark of the Covenant with its charter of freedom.

- Herbert Hoover

New, Deal, Charter, Republican Party

The slogan of progress is changing from the full dinner pail to the full garage.

- Herbert Hoover

Progress, Changing, Garage, Pail

Democracy is not static. It is a living force. Every new idea, every new invention offers opportunity for both good and evil.

- Herbert Hoover

New, Living, Offers, Static

Public health service should be as fully organized and as universally incorporated into our governmental system as is public education. The returns are a thousand fold in economic benefits, and infinitely more in reduction of suffering and promotion of human happiness.

- Herbert Hoover

Benefits, Infinitely, Fold

The great liability of the engineer compared to men of other professions is that his works are out in the open where all can see them. His acts, step by step, are in hard substance. He cannot bury his mistakes in the grave like the doctors. He cannot argue them into thin air or blame the judge like the lawyers.

- Herbert Hoover

Lawyers, Other, Works, Doctors

The human animal originally came from out-of-doors. When spring begins to move in his bones, he just must get out again. Moreover, as civilization, cement pavements, office buildings, radios have overwhelmed us, the need for regeneration has increased, and the impulses are even stronger.

- Herbert Hoover

Civilization, Increased, Moreover

The pause between the errors and trials of the day and the hopes of the night.

- Herbert Hoover

Day, Night, Hopes, Trials

My earliest realization of the stir of national life was the torch parade in the Garfield campaign. On that occasion, I was not only allowed out that night, but I saw the lamps being filled and lighted.

- Herbert Hoover

Occasion, Lamps, Allowed, Garfield

Once upon a time my political opponents honored me as possessing the fabulous intellectual and economic power by which I created a worldwide depression all by myself.

- Herbert Hoover

Which, Political Opponents, Possessing

The President is not only the leader of a party, he is the President of the whole people. He must interpret the conscience of America. He must guide his conduct by the idealism of our people.

- Herbert Hoover

Leader, Conscience, Idealism, Our People

Wisdom oft times consists of knowing what to do next.

- Herbert Hoover

Knowing, Next, Times, Oft

With impressive proof on all sides of magnificent progress, no one can rightly deny the fundamental correctness of our economic system.

- Herbert Hoover

Deny, Correctness, Rightly, Economic System

There is no employing class, no working class, no farming class. You may pigeonhole a man or woman as a farmer or a worker or a professional man or an employer or even a banker. But the son of the farmer will be a doctor or a worker or even a banker, and his daughter a teacher. The son of a worker will be an employer - or maybe president.

- Herbert Hoover

Woman, Will, May, President

Those who have a true understanding of America know that we have no desire for territorial expansion, for economic or other domination of other peoples. Such purposes are repugnant to our ideals of human freedom.

- Herbert Hoover

Desire, Other, Domination, Purposes

America means far more than a continent bounded by two oceans. It is more than pride of military power, glory in war, or in victory. It means more than vast expanse of farms, of great factories or mines, magnificent cities, or millions of automobiles and radios.

- Herbert Hoover

Two, Magnificent, Continent, Oceans

I am proud to have been born in Iowa. Through the eyes of a ten-year-old boy, it was a place of adventure and daily discoveries - the wonder of the growing crops, the excitements of the harvest, the journeys to the woods for nuts and hunting, the joys of snowy winters, the comfort of the family fireside, of good food and tender care.

- Herbert Hoover

Through, Iowa, Been, Joys

Peace can be promoted by the limitation of arms and by the creation of the instrumentality for peaceful settlement of controversies. But it will become a reality only through self-restraint and active effort in friendliness and helpfulness.

- Herbert Hoover

Will, Through, Limitation, Controversies

Many years ago, I concluded that a few hair shirts were part of the mental wardrobe of every man. The president differs from other men in that he has a more extensive wardrobe.

- Herbert Hoover

More, Other, Concluded, Extensive

The glory of the nation rests in the character of her men. And character comes from boyhood. Thus, every boy is a challenge to his elders.

- Herbert Hoover

Nation, Thus, Rests, Elders

No greater nor more affectionate honor can be conferred on an American than to have a public school named after him.

- Herbert Hoover

Honor, More, Named, Conferred

It is a paradox that every dictator has climbed to power on the ladder of free speech. Immediately on attaining power each dictator has suppressed all free speech except his own.

- Herbert Hoover

Free Speech, Own, Dictator, Climbed

Freedom is the open window through which pours the sunlight of the human spirit and human dignity.

- Herbert Hoover

Sunlight, Through, Which, Open

Self-government can succeed only through an instructed electorate.

- Herbert Hoover

Succeed, Through, Instructed, Electorate

The spirit of liberalism is to create free men; it is not the regimentation of men.

- Herbert Hoover

Men, Spirit, Liberalism, Free Men

Blessed are the young for they shall inherit the national debt.

- Herbert Hoover

Blessed, Young, Shall, Inherit

It is the youth who must inherit the tribulation, the sorrow... that are the aftermath of war.

- Herbert Hoover

War, Sorrow, Must, Inherit

America - a great social and economic experiment, noble in motive and far-reaching in purpose.

- Herbert Hoover

Experiment, Social, Motive, Economic

Competition is not only the basis of protection to the consumer, but is the incentive to progress.

- Herbert Hoover

Progress, Only, Incentive, Consumer

If you're searching for quotes on a different topic, feel free to browse our Topics page or explore a diverse collection of quotes from various Authors to find inspiration.