Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-01-08
Mrs. Hoover Dies of Heart Attack

MIS-. Lou henry hoover, vile
OF former President Herbert
Hoover, died suddenly OF an
acute heart attack in New York
early last night. She was SO.
Mr.. Hoover found his wife
slumped on the floor of her
dressing room in their apartment
in the Waldorf Towers, where
she had collapsed after return
ing from concert and while
preparing to 60 to dinner. DR..
Ralph H. Boots, Mrs. Hoover's
personal physician, was sum-
moned Immediately, but she was
! dead within a few minutes.
.. Notification of their mothers
, death was sent Immediately to the
two Hoover sons, Allan Hoover, a
California rancher, and Herbert
Hoover, IT., radio engineer.
Funeral arrangements will be COM
pleted after the arrival Of her sons
from the West. Herbert, jr., Is ex-
!, pected to arrive here late this after
noon and Allan Is to arrive early to-
night. Both are travelling by plane.
; Mrs. Hoover's body was taken this
morning to st. Bartholomew
Church.
Mrs. Hoover spent many years in
Washington, where her husbands
first official connection was as food
administrator in the Wilson admin
istration, when they were neighbors
of the Wilson's. The family home
was at 1900 S street NV. There
they resided during Mr.. Hoover's
tenure as Secretary of Commerce,
which preceded his four years in the
White House. She was a leading
hostess while her husband was in the
cabinet.
Interested in Girl Scouts.
Always interested in the Girl
Scouts, Mrs. Hoover continued her
work in the organization after leav-
ing Washington, and at her death
was an honorary vice president.
Since 1888, the Hoover's had lived
at their home in Palo Alto and for
the past several years also had main
tanned the New York apartment.
A woman of wide intellectual at
tainments, Mrs. Hoover had shared
in her husbands career since the
days they were bride and BRIDE
groom.
DR.. Ray Lyman Wilbur, chancellor
emeritus of Stanford University and
one of the Hoover familys closest
friends, paid tribute to Mrs. Hoover
as "a typical American woman"
She was great success as al
mother, a wife, friend, as the pre-
siding lady of the White House and
as an executive of the Girl Scouts"
said DR.. Wilbur.
Native Of Iowa.
The educator said he had known
the former Lou Henry, daughter of
Charles D. Henry, a Waterloo, Iowa,
banker, since she was a high school
girl, and "she has never changed
except to increase her capacities in
all fields"
Both she and her husband were
born and reared in Iowa, but their
first meeting and courtship were on
the Stanford campus in California.
She studied geology and he studied
engineering, and after their mar
riage they tramped the globe, living
in Tentsin, Mandalay, Toxic, st.
Petersburg and London.
Two sons were born to Mr.. and
Mrs. Hoover. When Allan, the
younger, brought his own Stanford
chums to the White House, his
mother found time to entertain
them. He was graduated In 1928
and went to Harvard to study bust
ness.
One sorrow darkened months for
the family in the mansion: Herbert,
jr., was long i'll from lung ailment
Mrs. Hoover visited him several
times while he recuperated at Ashe-
vile, N. C.
| Three small grandchildren, a son
and two daughters of Herbert Hoo
yer, jr., were usually present to
brighten Hoover holidays in the
White House. For them Mrs. Hoover
established an official childrens cor
ner at the end of the second-floor
corridor of the mansion. This nook
was equipped with many kinds of
toys. Mrs. Hoover continued her
custom Of providing in every home
she occupied a store of playthings
for visiting youngsters.
Brought Happiness to Others.
The Nation knew Mrs. Hoover's
stately presence and friends spoke
of her charm. Her intellectual &C
complishments were formally recog-
nized by institutions of learning.
But beyond public recognition was
her nature to be happy and to bring
happiness to those around her. In
Inmates knew the subtlety of her
humor and the spontaneity of her
response to personalities. She some
how managed to find time to be
with close friends, although she in
creased the number of official func-
tons and shortened guest lists to
make entertaining for official groups
more enjoyable.
Mrs. Hoover wore no jewels and
used no cosmetics. Her shoes were
low heeled. Her morning clothes
were simply tailored. Sometimes
she wore softly colored frocks, but
more often she chose plain light or
dark ones.
One reason her guests praised her
as a hostess, perhaps, was that she
had a way of shifting from quick,
eager conversation to reflective lis
tening. Shortly before she went to
the White House she was asked if
she were not dismayed at the pros
pect of her manifold duties. She re-
sponded with her quick broad smile,
Il like people"
Often Shopped without Guards.
Despite her rearing in compara-
tive comfort, she often dismissed
the Secret Service guard and went
shopping and elsewhere unescorted.
Sometimes saleswomen paid by
nh 80 ~.{1 -I -