The Hoover Institution, past and present

I have had some kind of affiliation with the Hoover Institution since 1937, much longer than any of the present Hooverites. I consequently have a longer perspective, and wish to leave something for the record. The dedication of the Tower was a great event. Stanford was founded with a rigid departmental system, which still survives in considerable measure today. Interdepartmental programs were generally seen as necessary, especially in the international field. Hoover seemed to be a logical place to house them at Stanford and thus to become the university's center of international studies. President Hoover himself expected it. I founded the Latin American program, the first of such programs at Stanford. I was appointed to the first committee to work out the relationship between Hoover and the main library, always a difficult problem. The Hoover Library of books on the international affairs of the twentieth century was an integral part of the original vision. Any statements to the contrary are simply inaccurate. Harold Fisher organized lectures on international affairs, which were attended by the faculty generally. The idea of Hoover as a thing apart arose later. Together with the School of Humanities, Hoover co-sponsored my seminar on Latin America. It seemed to me logical to make Hoover formally the university center of international affairs. I was surprised to be told that this was a fine idea, but that it would be opposed by...unnamed enemies of Hoover. First came the announcement that Hoover could not engage in teaching and therefore must drop the co-sponsorship of my seminar. President Hoover was infuriated and had the name changed from Hoover Institute to Hoover Institution, since in American parlance institute suggests something temporary. Indeed, one historian tactlessly told me that "the good thing about institutes is that they can always be destroyed". In any case, the original dream of President Hoover had been destroyed. The long range aim of the university must be to restore it. I would be grateful if ever-helpful Hoover Archivist Elena Danielson would check my remarks, since they are for the record.

Ronald Hilton - 10/30/01