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Hoover Institution: the story on HearLore | HearLore
— Ch. 1 · Founding And Early Archives —
Hoover Institution.
~4 min read · Ch. 1 of 6
In June 1919, Herbert Hoover sent a telegram to Stanford president Ray Lyman Wilbur offering $50,000 to collect primary materials related to World War I. This project became known as the Hoover War Collection and grew rapidly through private donations. By 1926, the collection held 1.4 million items and outgrew its original home in the Stanford Library. The university allocated $600,000 for construction of the Hoover Tower, which opened in 1941 on the date of the university's golden jubilee. The 285-foot tall tower housed rare documents including files from the Okhrana and government records produced during the war. Hoover wrote in his memoirs that he set up research at London, Paris, and Berlin into previous famines to understand relief efforts. He noted that most fugitive literature of comment during the French Revolution was lost because no one valued it at the time.
Evolution Into Think Tank
By 1946, the agenda of the Hoover War Library had extended significantly to include research activities, leading to its renaming as the Hoover Institute and Library on War, Revolution and Peace. In 1957, the organization received its current name: the Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace. A major fundraising campaign began in 1956 under former President Hoover to transition the institution into a research entity alongside its archival mission. W. Glenn Campbell became director in 1960 with substantial budget increases enabling growth in Chinese and Russian collections. By 1976, one third of Stanford University's book holdings were housed at the Hoover library, making it the largest private archive collection in the United States. The institution published quarterly periodicals like Hoover Digest and Education Next through its own press, which also acquired Policy Review from The Heritage Foundation in 2001 before ceasing publication in 2013.
Political Influence And Staffing
Ronald Reagan designated as Hoover's first honorary fellow in 1975 while serving as Governor of California, donating his gubernatorial papers to the library. During Reagan's 1980 presidential campaign, at least thirteen Hoover scholars assisted in multiple capacities. After winning election, more than thirty current or former Hoover Institution fellows worked for the Reagan administration in 1981. Condoleezza Rice joined the George W. Bush administration in 2001 as National Security Advisor, later becoming Secretary of State from 2005 to 2009. James N. Mattis served as Davies Family Distinguished Visiting Fellow at Hoover from 2013 to 2016 before returning to government as Secretary of Defense under Trump. Kevin Hassett became chairman of Trump's Council of Economic Advisors, while Josh Rauh took leave from his fellowship as principal economist. Tyler Goodspeed resigned as third CEA chairman in 2021 and returned to Hoover.
Leadership And Governance
Ephraim D. Adams led the institution from 1920 to 1925, followed by Ralph H. Lutz until 1944. Harold H. Fisher directed operations from 1944 to 1952, then C. Easton Rothwell served until 1959. W. Glenn Campbell held the directorship from 1960 to 1989, a period considered an era of stability. John Raisian succeeded Campbell in 1989 and served until 2015, when Thomas W. Gilligan took over. Condoleezza Rice became director in 2020 after Gilligan's departure. The board of overseers maintains institutional independence despite formal status as a unit of Stanford University. In January 2021, during faculty senate discussions on collaboration, Rice addressed campus criticism that the institution supports conservative administrations by sharing statistics showing fellows contribute financially to both political parties equally. The board brought senior Trump economic officials for off-the-record forecasts in February 2020 according to The New York Times.
Funding And Financial Structure
The Hoover Institution receives nearly half its funding from private gifts, primarily individual contributions, with the other half coming from endowment income. Funders include the Taube Family Foundation, Koret Foundation, Howard Charitable Foundation, Sarah Scaife Foundation, Walton Foundation, Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, and William E. Simon Foundation. In 1975, the institution operated with a general budget of $3.5 million annually. As of 2017, the organization maintained up to 200 resident scholars known as fellows who study diverse subjects including political science, economics, foreign policy, energy, history, law, national security, health, and politics. Some fellows hold joint appointments as lecturers on the Stanford faculty without requiring approval from Stanford tenure committees. The institution ranks among the most influential think tanks globally, placing tenth worldwide and first on lists of emerging think tanks in 2021.
Controversies And Public Perception
In November 2020, Scott Atlas, a Hoover fellow known for opposing public health measures during the COVID-19 pandemic, was condemned by a Stanford University faculty vote. DeSmog reported that while the institution accepts scientific consensus on climate change, some fellows downplay climate action and oppose climate initiatives. Condoleezza Rice addressed campus criticism in January 2021 regarding partisan alignment by presenting statistics showing equal financial contributions to both parties. The board spread bad news about potential contagion threats to wealthy party donors in February 2020, causing stock market selloff according to The New York Times. Critics describe the institution as conservative despite directors contesting claims of partisanship. Notable fellows include Nobel laureates Henry Kissinger, Milton Friedman, and Gary Becker alongside economists Thomas Sowell and scholars Niall Ferguson and Richard Epstein.
When was the Hoover Institution founded and what was its original name?
The Hoover War Collection began in June 1919 when Herbert Hoover sent a telegram to Stanford president Ray Lyman Wilbur. The organization received its current name, the Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace, in 1957.
Who directed the Hoover Institution from 1960 to 1989 and what characterized that period?
W. Glenn Campbell held the directorship from 1960 to 1989 during an era considered one of stability. This leadership period enabled growth in Chinese and Russian collections through substantial budget increases.
Which former U.S. presidents served as honorary fellows or had scholars work for their administrations at the Hoover Institution?
Ronald Reagan designated as Hoover's first honorary fellow in 1975 while serving as Governor of California. More than thirty current or former Hoover Institution fellows worked for the Reagan administration in 1981 after his election victory.
How is the Hoover Institution funded and which foundations provide financial support?
The institution receives nearly half its funding from private gifts with the other half coming from endowment income. Funders include the Taube Family Foundation, Koret Foundation, Howard Charitable Foundation, Sarah Scaife Foundation, Walton Foundation, Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, and William E. Simon Foundation.
When did Condoleezza Rice become director of the Hoover Institution and what were her previous government roles?
Condoleezza Rice became director in 2020 after Thomas W. Gilligan's departure. She previously joined the George W. Bush administration in 2001 as National Security Advisor before becoming Secretary of State from 2005 to 2009.