Secrets & Scandals Of America’s First Ladies

Lou Henry Hoover

Lou Henry Hoover was the wife of former president Herbert Hoover, whom she met at Stanford University, where she graduated with a degree in Geology. First Lady Lou Hoover was not like other First Ladies; she wasn’t afraid to get her hands dirty. Her father often took her on camping trips as a teen, which is when she hunted, preserved specimens with the skill of a taxidermist, and developed an enthusiasm for rocks and mining. After marrying Herbert Hoover, they traveled to Shanghai, China together where Hoover’s job required extensive travel throughout the country. There, she learned and became proficient at Chinese, becoming the first First Lady to speak an Asian language.