Alan grew up in sacramento, california and received a bachelor of science degree in Civil Engineering from uc berkeley. He and his wife michelle have three children and live in a suburb of denver, colorado. Allen has worked on Engineering Projects all across the country. He also serves on boards related to the Herbert Hoover legacy. Alan also enjoys golf serving surfing and traveling however of these three activities hes only skilled at traveling. Before we meet alan. Id like to show you this clip of the Herbert Hoover president ial library and Museum Dedication from august 10th. 1962. Lets take a look. Comfortable really libraries its really records of supreme action. By the American Police there are devotion. Sacrifice to their ideal seven and all right, they said those who do not remember . That effect i have and then. So relive it again. The reasons are the repositories and second experience . And there ever we had not often riddled . And these records there are products many on favorable remarks. Made by our political home as well as the question developing nation. And affection by our friends we may hold. The future students were reliable on our friends. When students become sleepy. They may be awakened by the lincoln passion. Of american political on human and we are hello. My name is alan hoover greatgrandson of Herbert Hoover and i am delighted to be here with you today to discuss the reimagining of the future the Herbert Hoover president ial Library Museum. Now we just witnessed greatgrandads last public address on october 10th 1962. Which was the grand opening and dedication of his president ial Library Museum in west branch. And i thought it would be a great idea to start this discussion by referring to the past and the ideals and the purposes that great grandad had hoped for this president ial library and museum. Today well discuss an exciting new project to renovate this Library Museum that we hope will invigorate a new generation of americans to learn from the past. In particular to learn from the past of this, iowa native sun Herbert Hoover and iowas native daughter from waterloo, Lou Henry Hoover. All of this to help fulfill the mission of the hoover president ial foundation to enhance the understanding of them as president and humanitarian. This is a project which i believe great grandad would enthusiastically approve of well, hes not here. So why is that . Well, i think the video we just witnessed helps answer that question. He believed that we must continually look to the past and learn from the past. So as not to make those mistakes again in the future. And couldnt think of a better place than the Herbert Hoover president ial Library Museum for that to happen. And remaking this library is an important step in continuing to dynamically accomplish this goal. Well now before i begin. I would like to share a couple of stories some that tend to pop up from time to time some more often than others. And it tends to come up one question comes up in particular quite a bit when i am giving speeches at rotaries or other hoover events or conversation over dinner, and that question is do you remember how old you were when you first learned that Herbert Hoover was your greatgrandfather . And so today i thought this story would be fun one to share. Because i have a picture of that moment when that happened. So here is a picture. Here is a picture which i hope is what is on your screen. Heres a picture of my greatgrandfather. Outside the waldorf astoria and there i am to the right of whom with my sports coat and as the 70s style was the the big color, of course. Grandad was very well dressed. He always was as you can see in this picture. And so to rewind probably about an hour or two actually that morning that picture i was at my grandparents home in, connecticut. And i was with my grandmother and grandfather. I was in town by myself. There was something that each of us got to do once we would go visit grandma and grandpa for a week and this year happened to be my turn. So we were at the breakfast table and grandma said to my grandfather she called him dad. She said dad. What do you think about meeting at the waldorf, astoria for lunch today . Course granddad said yes, that would be terrific. So later on grandma and i went down we went to the waldorf astoria walked in the front door to go to the restaurant and the most unusual thing happened. Everybody said hello, mrs. Hoover. Good to see you mrs. Hoover. Its been so long to see you. And who is this with you . And she would say, oh, its master hoover and you know, i was amazed you nobody had ever called me mastered before i was just a eight year old kid. So so then we go down sit down, of course hold the same thing over and over staff coming up saying great to see you mrs. Hoover. And then grab dad showed up. All over again mr. Hoover, so great to see you. Its been so long. Were so happy youre here and all the same over to over again, and i was sitting there thinking what and the heck is going on. Who are these are my grandparents . Is there something i dont understand here and so then we had lunch and then grandma again turned to she said dad dont you think we should show it allow 31a and he said yeah, that would be a fine idea. So we finish lunch we go over to the elevator. They they removed this velvet rope so that we can go through and then there is a man who operates the elevator and again the same greetings. Hello, mr. Hoover. Hello, mrs. Hoover, so great to see you. And so then we get on the elevator we go upstairs and there is 31 a now somebody was living there so we couldnt walk in but we looked at it and you know, i guess my grandmother recognized the look on my face because as a boy i was looking at a door with a placard. He said 31a with no real understanding or context. So then grandma turned to grandad and said dad dont you think we should show little owl the plaque out front. So then we he says yes, that would be a terrific idea. So let me go downstairs and thats where this picture came to be. Were downstairs and the plaque is to the left of grandad in this picture and it is facing street. And so i read the plaque and it said the new york of president s Herbert Hoover the 31st president of the United States and then all made sense like oh my gosh, your dad was the president and it just hit me like a ton of bricks. And so then i looked at my grandmother and i said grandma, this is amazing. Can i take a picture of this plaque because my friends will never believe me at school. So she was very kind and she let me use her camera. And so i took a picture of the plaque. Let me see if i can get that. Here there is so you get what you pay for i was the photographer an eight year old kid taking this picture. Not the best light, but you can make out waldorf, astoria sort of on the top and if you look really hard you can see her reprover in the middle of the plaque. So maybe there was something going on the reason why i couldnt read this in this picture very well. Well get to that in a moment. But heres what the plaque actually says and still there. Well last time i saw was about 15 years ago. Those are new york had probably say if its still there or not, but there is the plaque new york of president s Herbert Hoover and then of course his birth date and the date that he passed and his list of accomplishments and the fact that he lived in the waldorf, astoria for 30 years preceding his death. So we agreed dad goes to his office gets back to work grandma. Not grandmom and i and we go back to her house in connecticut. And i am just amazed. Im floored cant believe this cant wait to tell my friends and so then i get home and you know, i share all this great news with mom and dad. Can you believe this mom and dad and so then they sit me down and heres a picture of maybe this is the conversation maybe not. And mom introduces me the other facet of this and she said she talks to me about the importance of keeping a low profile. So this was a really memorable week because it was the realization of what the hoover name is of great grandad being a president but also the responsibility in carrying out that name and trying to honor that and carry out. Our forbears wishes as best as possible. So the other story. That i would like to share. Is whenever im in, iowa. I always think about another famous island. And that is ding darling. Now many of you may know ding darling. He was a celebrated cartoonist for the Des Moines Register many many years ago and he won two Pulitzer Prizes while working for them. And he was also really good friends with Herbert Hoover. Well when hoover was president , he thought wouldnt it be a great idea to have ding come join us at camp rapid inn, which was his retreat retreat while he was president from the white house. It wasnt far away. It was in virginia. Shenandoah National Forest and so dean met him there and after a while they decided to go for a horseback ride. So they went for a horseback ride and one of them. Im not sure who but one of them had this great idea. Gosh, why dont we try to dish the secret service . Its so they did they count off the secret service couldnt keep up or lost something happened. And so anyways, they lost them then they thought well wouldnt this be a lot of fun if we go to the ranger tower and watch the secret service try to find us so they did they climbed up to the top of the watchtower and they washed the secret service frantically trying to find their present of the United States and his good friend. So i thought that thats always a lot of fun to think about ding and great grandad and while the secret service, you know, maybe theyre still searching for for hoover. I dont know probably not by now, but i would like to spend a little bit of time today discussing. I was native son and my greatgrandfather Herbert Hoover. And id also like to discuss an important legacy of his accomplishment. And that is the Herbert Hoover president ial library in museum. The luther Library Museum is one of 13 National Archives and record administrations president ial library. And of course as iowas only president ial library in museum. Now if you dont mind if you could open up your question and answer box, its located at the bottom of your screen. And feel free to enter your answers in in the question and answer box. And i would like to just could see who in this audience has ever been to the hoover president ial Library Museum in west branch. Just add a comment really quick. Okay. Okay, great. All right. Excellent. Wonderful lots and lots of people well, let me ask one more question. And one was the last time you visited. The Herbert Hoover president ial Library Museum, you dont have to specific you just say the year or you can say, you know, like whichever year it was. We dont have to get too specific. So we have great lots of recent ones terrific well for those of you who have not had a chance, well first for those of you had a chance, you know, its a terrific tribute. To iowas only president in our 31st president , but for those of you have not had a chance to visit the hoover Library Museum, it is a hidden gem in plain sight in, iowa. Just located just minutes off of interstate 80 exit 254 in west branch and its just a gym waiting to be explored. The Library Museum is in the middle of 180 acre National Park one of only two National Parks in the state of iowa. And the best part of the National Park is to stand up at the grave site. And look down the hill if you havent done this before for those of you have you know how special this is you stand at the edge of the grave sites. You look down the hill to recorder of trees. And through that quarter of trees at the end of that quarter. You see great granddads birthplace cottage. And it is a great message. He really wanted to ensure that americans islands everybody who visited saw. Was that a person from Humble Beginnings such as his could go on to accomplish such great things in life such as human as humanitarian efforts and has long record of Public Service to the United States into the world. Its just an inspiring site a small humble two bedroom cottage that house five people and not far from that cottage is a replica of his fathers blacksmith shop. And as far as fox was shopping if you ever have the chance to visit or you will visit in the future. I hope you do. A funny story comes to mind about that black shot. That is truly an ioan story. When great grandad was a young boy. His father was working as a blacksmith. And he said or great granddad went and visited his father while he was working in the shop. Just like, you know many young boys want to do. Whats dad up to . So he went into the blacksmith shop. And his boys and sometimes they have a mind of their own if you have boys, you know, you really understand this and so he walked in without shoes on. And he got a little too close to where dad was working and he stepped on a very hot coal. Well besides the fact that it probably hurts like hell. He left a mark on his foot that was there for the rest of his life and he affectionately called it his brand of iowa or his mark of iowa. And that mark of iowa was with him every step of the way when he was a stanford undergraduate to through his mining career in australia in china and all over the world. During his humanitarian efforts it was with him when he helped saved six million belgians from starvation and then of course the world war i efforts when he helped was food administrator for you for europe saving many lives also as a participant at the paris peace conference. His days as secretary of commerce and of course when he was in the white house and he walked the halls of the capitol and the white house that mark was always with them and then all the way through his postpresident ial years and until his death when he returned to iowa in october 1964. So perhaps just as impressive. One thing to look back on great granddads life. Was not only did was he president himself, but he also served under five other us president s. Great grandad during all those years was always looking ways to be innovative and embraced new technologies. During his years as commerce secretary and president. He was the first person to appear on a broadcast of experimental television. Imagine that today. Were just doing it right now how easy this is. He also organized an air traffic system to 8 aviation. Additionally he was also the first to use a teleprompter. And who else but Herbert Hoover had the foresight to see the importance of Water Management along the Colorado River. As secretary of commerce that are harding and coolidge he brought california nevada, arizona, utah, new mexico, colorado and wyoming. All states that had water rights to the Colorado River he brought them all together to agree on the Colorado River compact which gave us hoover dam and all the the benefits of hydroelectric power dam. And just that alone of the entire compact now provides water to 18 million customers that sells power generated by its turbines to nearly two million customers in nevada, california and arizona. Today there are 15 dams on the Colorado River that provide recreation as well as hydrologic power and water to many metropolitan areas across the west. Now this just touches on the surface of what you would find the museum. Heres a photo of great grandad on that same day, august 10th 1962 on the day of the reded of the day of the grand opening and the dedication. He was there with his friend harry truman. As they open the library and walk through the front doors. And then heres a picture of what the library looked like shortly after that dedication. It serves as a depository of its president ial and secretary of commerce papers and artifacts from friends and foes alike as he said in his video earlier. The museum has been expanded three times since then the last in 1992 when Ronald Reagan came and rededicated the Library Museum. And it is still the smallest. By far of the 13 nara president ial libraries and museums but his great grandad said if his library is anything like the federal government it will grow larger over time. And he was right. It did grow during its 30 years of existence and back in 1992. The library was transformed and visitation reached record levels. Many iowans and americans learned and were inspired by the hoover story in a modern way. Since then the methods for presenting a captivating immersive Visitor Experience have changed dramatically. 20 years ago think of this to think of how much has changed since 1992. Back in 1992. We made a portable telephone call on a bag phone. Perhaps the size of your computer or the size of your suitcase. And perhaps you were on that phone as you were driving to blockbuster video. If youre around then you remember blockbuster video. That was the we perhaps youre going to get the brand new release of the Arnold Schwarzenegger film total recall. Well today we just simply pull out our iphone and we can watch. Hundreds of thousands countless of shows and movies all kinds of media just on our phone with a click of a button. And by the way, theres no rewind fees when you have your iphone today. Also 28 years ago microsoft launched the revolutionary windows 3. 0. Windows 3. 0 allowed you to run more than one program at once. But of course those of you that ran it you knew that you couldnt run more than two or three or your computer crashed. And then the other revolutionary item that came out of windows 3. 0. Was this guy . The mouse you can now use a mouse with your computer to operate it. Think of the changes that have happened since then. As an example. Here we are. Speaking with you all across the country. Im here in colorado. Its being transmitted from west branch, iowa to all parts of the country to wherever you are today, and its just all just like that. A lot has changed since 1992. And so here we are 2021 in the museum is showing its age. The nearly 60 year old Hoover Museum with its last renovation almost 30 years ago has letter lettering falling off the stories of the post presidency years. Flat Screen Television is replaced broken tube tvs years ago yet. They dont fit in the cutouts correctly. Interactive exhibits with parts from 30 years ago cannot be repaired because those parts are no longer remain. Well it is time. To update the museum and id like to share with you why we are all so excited about this renovation. We were fortunate to last year. Brc imaginative arts from burbank, california completed a Concept Design and i wanted to share some of their really exciting images with you today. Now this first picture really isnt very exciting, but i would just like to show you just the general idea of the layout of the library. This is the layout of what it looks like now and the basic idea of what theyre thinking about what the galleries will look like. And the thing id only like to point out in this picture. Is youll walk in the entrance have the opportunity to see a movie that titled 31 which is like a movie trailer. To kind of entice you to learn more about greatgranddad and greatgrandma. And then after the movie you can go to this hub, which i have my my cursor over. And from that hub you can go to different parts of the galleries. However, you choose you can either see as early life or you can see us later life. So this slide probably is a little bit easier not quite of an eye chart a little bit easier to see of how it will actually work. You would come in from the welcoming you would come into that hub and then you can choose to go out to any one of these spokes. However suits you. Now if you want to do it in Chronological Order you can you can come up here and see chapter one and two of his life. His life of adventure is what its titled or you if you prefer you could go straight to chapter 3 through chapter 7, which is his years as a humanitarian with the Belgian Relief Fund all the way to his passing and his years of hope and so id like to show some of these to you to to give you a better idea of what of what some of the images are possible for what brc is is helping us put together now. These images arent may not be exactly what will happen, but are some of the ideas that they presenting to us. So this image is in chapter 2. Heres a circle over the area of where Something Like this could could be and this would be a recreation of a mine. Perhaps the mind sons of gwalia mine in australia where he cut his teeth as a mining engineer. And it could have stories of his different mining experiences all across the world whether it was in malaysia in russia in china, this would would talk a lot about some of those early as a mining engineer. And have some of the stories about how he was a doctor of sick minds and a real immersive experience of what it would be like to be in a mind perhaps like he was and maybe the sounds in the background of a drill cutting through rock you may be some rock falling in different sounds that could make it a really immersive experience. Another photo moving on to his years where he was really globetrotting around the world. This idea is the possibility of a train station. Where he where each window represents a different place around the world that he visited as a doctor as sick minds. For example could be a a storyboard of russia at a ticket window number three or possibly about china in window. Number two. And so its kind of a again another interesting and immersive way to describe the story a way. That is much more like 2021 in 1992. Here, which is another possibility a recreation recreation of the red house. The red house was where lou henry and Herbert Hoover lived in london, and this would be kind of a could be kind of a recreation of that house is that was kind of the center of all their activities and that they that they did its kind of the the landing point of all of their trips around the world and in this maca of the red house above the fireplace could be what you see there a kind of a mirror which would really be a video of stories of what they experienced during those years. And then on to the presidency. This one is very exciting because it the idea is it would be an oval room and not necessarily a replica of the oval office, but it would be an oval room that would begin say with these blue colors again the immersive immersive experience where it you know, its intended to create an emotional tie for all the experience for all the visitors and in this case it would start off great. Granddads presidency with his ideals and his hopes for the American People to increase their standard of living and then it could transform to the wall street crash same room different colors different experience going on around and how perhaps those hopes were dashed and then it after the wall street crashed in 1929 and october. All of that was changed to where it became managing and trying to help get the country of the great depression. And so i hope this part really describes how immersive and how exciting and how new and refreshing. We hope that the the renovation will be to engage americans. And i just wanted to show this last piece because after he passes in 1964 the story would continue on with this gallery talking about his hopes for the future again kind of another area where you can kind of go pick and choose areas of his hopes for the future. For example, if youre interested in hoover institution, which he considered his greatest accomplishment in his lifetime. You could go to that gallery and learn a little bit more about that or perhaps if youre interested in his public works projects that he was involved with such as the hoover dam there could be a exhibit on that in the sink Lawrence Seaway project. That was a vital component of his time while he was secretary of commerce and his time with aviation the fda faa creation. The final gal another gallery there is hundred million lives saved, which could be kind of a summary of all of the relief efforts the many many relief efforts that he did on behalf of the American People throughout his lifetime. So i i wanted to share this with you because i just thought that brc has done just a terrific job and wanted to share that with you to see what weve seen and share some of the enthusiasm with the future that we see for the library in the museum. You know, i can remember as a boy visiting the Library Museum and there were glass cases everywhere a great big open space was cases with different memorabilia and papers and that sort of thing and then in 1992 the hoover president ial foundation called the hhpla back then along with hoover director Richard Norton smith led an effort to make the museum, new again. And i remember the first time i visited the library after that renovation. I remember i felt that. All the glass cases were gone, and i felt i was transported into herb and lous life as you walk through the galleries and walk through their life. And so that was terrific for 1992, but i think what we just have what i have just shown you is is perfect for 2022 2023 and beyond. As i we hope it creates a new feeling of wonderment and inspiration so the world can learn about these Great Americans. And for the hoover president ial foundation, this is our dream and it is time for this dream to become reality. Well, fortunately we have a dedicated board of trustees that are looking towards the future. Late last year brc imaginative arts completed their Concept Design, which ive just shared some of that with you today. You may have also seen some of their work at the lincoln president ial library in springfield, which is absolutely terrific and if you havent visited it i encourage you all to do so, its really amazing. Well, we are very early in the process, but the goal is to have an updated interactive in Immersive Museum exhibit to engage all visitors about herbert and Lou Henry Hoover. And just like 1992 the museum can be made new again with new generations seeing the museum for the first time. Some singing again with the new experience. Young people of iowa can be inspired to become the next leader to help millions of americans from a devastating flood like the one great granddad organized 1927. Or perhaps your son or daughter could go to west branch and seek to be the first person to organize famine relief efforts to save tens of millions of lives like was done in world war one in world war two. Or even simply as great granddad said at the very beginning of our discussion here today. Just to learn from history, so were not condemned to repeat it. Not only will we be seeking funds from the private sector for the renovation, but the hoover president ial Foundation Also has been working with the State Government of iowa. You may have seen or heard about a legislative bill that has been introduced in the Iowa Legislature called the hoover tax credit. It is a onetime request of the state of iowa, which is mired after the endowed, iowa tax credit. It is a onetime it would be a 25 credit on your iowa taxes if you choose to support and donate the hoover president ial Museum Renovation project. We still have to raise the money but with the 25 incentives for iowans to donate we have an extreme we would we would like to make this in iowa project that all iowans. Everybody involved can be proud of so far many legislatures so far menu legislators, including representative Bobby Kaufman and senator zach walls as well as the critical leadership of governor. Kim reynolds are increasingly leading this bill through the government. So this can be a reality. And we are very grateful for their help and their support. I cant stress this enough. We cant take anything for granted. This bill is vital to the success of this effort and we need to make sure this crosses the finish line. For my friends in iowa if you can do just one thing today. Please contact your state representative and your state senator letting them know that you support this bill and you support the reimagination or the recreation of the Herbert HooverLibrary President ial museum in west branch. Believe me after visiting with some of these folks all it takes is just a few letters to each representative around the state and it will make all the difference and if you can it would we would be extremely grateful for your efforts as it is the simple thing that everybody can do to help get this bill across the finish line. And lastly i would just like to reiterate that we are all grateful at the hoover president ial foundation the family and everybody involved with this project that we are so grateful for the people of iowa for both houses of the legislature and governor kim reynolds for helping this project become one closer to reality. Now the fact is great. Grandad could have put his president ial library anywhere. But he felt a strong pull towards placing it where his life began in west branch. He always viewed west branch to the eyes of a child where he had many fond memories of growing up before being orphaned at the age of 10. And going off to oregon to live with his uncle. It is iowa. That was the beginning of a remarkable story. It is here where americans can be also be inspired to create their own uncommon story. Our goal would be to have a grand rededication for the Herbert Hoover president ial Library Museum by august 10th 2024 which coincidentally would be great. Granddads 150th birthday. Of course, we need your help in achieving this goal and we cant do this without you. Our loyal hoover supporters who believe in what he and Lou Henry Hoover did in their lifetimes . And what they stood for and because of that. I would like to close with a short clip of the chief giving a speech in west branch. About his beliefs in the American People one of his most endearing moments came when he visited his birthplace in west branch, iowa, and he delivered his inspiring message and american creed. America is a land of selfrespect. And settled respect his born alone of free men and free women. It is these moral and spiritual qualities in freeman. Which fulfilled the meaning . And the dream of the word american and with them will come centuries are for the greatness to our country. Well, thank you for that presentation alan. Theres a lot of great information and we are open for questions from the audience. Anybody would like to use that q a feature thats used before please go ahead and type in those questions and well get right to those. So while were waiting for those you mentioned the 25 tax credit you recently went to the capitol and met with many of those legislators and and the governor. How do you feel about that meeting that you had there and any stories from from the people you met while youre at the capitol. Well, it was terrifically it was amazing. It was very humbling. To see the support. We will we spent two days there the first day we spent with house and senate legislatures. And we met with probably. Two dozen differently, you know every position both sides of the aisle. Majority leaders minority leaders. Weve met with the speaker of the house and everyone of them. Were so enthusiastic about this bill about this project about their native son Herbert Hoover, you know, we were in the speaker of the house we met with him to talk to him about this project and as we walked out we noticed there was a grand portrait of Herbert Hoover walking out. So that was certainly i thought a positive sign as well as when we met with the governor again in her office is another very large portrait of Herbert Hoover and also Lieutenant Governor adam greg. He had a bust of Herbert Hoover in his office and you know, its just so humbling to see how they still revere this Great American so many years after his death and you know, we feel we feel very confident. The governor is completely committed to help helping get this tax bill across and every legislature we met with felt the same we gave some statements at the house subcommittee meeting, which it was unanimously passed through same at the Senate Subcommittee later that later that day again a unimant unanimous support and it was passed on and my last understanding was the house of ways house ways and means committee. Excuse me. Pass the bill 41 to two so it seems like theres really good support and were hopeful of its passage, but you know again we cant take anything for granted and to kind of give you an idea of how important this is is, you know, we think we need to raise about 23 to 25 Million Dollars for this project when you add everything all together and the hoover tax credit is basically represents about 20 million of that 25 Million Dollars. And the way it works is if for for all iowans if theyre used to be in dow, iowa tax credit. They they iowa the endow iowa tax credit is six Million Dollars in tax credits, which at that same 25 you mentioned brad is leveraged to 24 Million Dollars in funds raised. And those credits and those funds are raised this past year was accomplished in one month. By the end of january and in past years when i did a Little Research on their website, theyve actually had wait lists for people to use this tax credit and future years. So our period of time are the bill that is being pushed being led by governor reynolds. Is five million five Million Dollars in tax credits, which is leveraged to 20 Million Dollars in funds raised and we have a threeyear window. To get that done. So i think just recognizing how successful the Endow Iowa Program is leads us to be. With the way things are going its looking very good with this bill, but this gives us a great shot to reach our goals sooner than later. But certainly an exciting opportunity to see the support thats coming from the state from that and then you have its not necessarily just for big donors. I understand theres it depends on how what the final bill looks like, but theres wording in there so that donors of all Different Levels will be able to participate. Can you speak to that a little bit . Well, i brad you probably know a little bit more about that than i but yeah, you know, im glad you brought up that point. There. There is provisions for for certain for certain portion of the funds to be reserved for people donating under a certain threshold. I i cant remember precisely brad is what was a 10,000 under 10,000. I think there was to ensure that all iowans can participate or had the opportunity to because you know at the end of the day, we really want this to be an ion project, you know along with help from others outside of the state. But you know the thing that ive come to learn and realize and now really appreciate. House support of the people of have been through all of this. And so were really looking forward to to Getting Started on this and its a neat way to involve. All walks of life from iowa to yes, you get that benefit of that of that tax break too linda and Nathan Hopkins are with us today and theyd like to know is the federal government doing anything to support this project. Thats a terrific question. And so the let me just provide a little bit of history of that. So in the original library was opened. All of the the documents and such were donated and i believe the building and the construction of it was was all donated to the federal government and in a letter in 1960 in exchange for at that time the General Services administrations agreement to operate and maintain the library. I am not familiar with some renovations in 70 and 71 around that period and then of course the renovation 1992 which i understand that the foundation covered the cost of the galleries and nara now, its National Archives recognistration who is a part of gsa. They took care of all the building upgrades for example at nara, you know, theyll have new new conditions new requirements. And so nara had agreed at that time to do that, but that was also done with the help of senator Mark Hatfield at the time who was a tremendous champion of Herbert Hoover. And he was able to get an earmark attached to a bill that enabled the funding of about seven or eight Million Dollars. You take care of those building upgrad. And so the foundation took care of the rest and the funds are raised and the museum was renovated by 1992. So today we expect something similar to that. We have received quotes from brc imaginative arts of what the galleries would cost. So we know that piece of the pie. We Shive Hattery has been hired to determine what all the building upgrades would be and that is being priced up. We hope to get that price here sometime in the next month. And then that would be the starting point where we would go visit with with nara now we have the family and a couple of members of the board of trustees met with the National Archivist just to give him an update here recently in order to help facilitate naras participation and since just like 1992, we have recently earned learned that earmarks are back from we learned that from the National Archivist. So that was really great news and because of that we have a meeting with senator grassley here next week to give him an update and to just kind of let him know of what our thoughts are and what our hopes are of station from nara but you know, theres a lot of work to be done there. Were just Getting Started and were really excited and the national the archivist. Hes very excited when we share with them what was going on. And also i have a feeling that centered grassley will also too and then we also hope to reach out to senator ertz. Shortly in other members of the iowa deleg but with to answer the question that was kind of the long way to get there, but we do hope that while we do anticipate nara wheel chip in for the building upgrades particularly the ones because of code changes and things like that due to our reg. Super now the museum as it stands today. Tells an immersive story that really draws you in and gets you. You know. Close and personal with with Herbert Hoover and the things that hes done. But as you mentioned its doing it with technology. Thats 30 years old. So theres not a lot of High Technology in this current exhibit. Mjs asking will there be upgrade, you know, what kind of upgraded technologies can we see . Shes asking will there be things like holograms in the new exhibit . Okay. Well, that is a great question. Let me see if i can go back to here. Let me share my screen. Right there. Okay. Can you see my screen . Okay should be the oval office the the possible mobile office exhibit. Mmhmm. So this is a possibility now again, its all its all conceptual. Nothing is nailed down, but this could be an example of where you look behind the desk. You see in the back of the picture. Could be a hologram. You know that Something Like that, you know, and i think also if the thing i am really excited about is this idea of an immersive experience. That you could see you know with the mind. In the earlier picture and this one the idea is to really get the visitor to draw in an emotional connection. And for those of you who have been to the Lincoln Library i i remember going through and definitely some of the ups and downs just emotionally going through. And the thought is is when you have that emotional connection then you tend to remember the story you remember what youve learned much better. Had you not had that emotional connection. And so the the holograms and the other things to try to make an immersive are thats where brc comes in and guiding us to do that. Because at the end of the day, this is all about educating americans about Herbert Hoover and Lou Henry Hoover. And their accomplishments in life and what we can learn from that. And that that emotional piece that comes with some of this technology is really important now on the other hand we have to be careful not to go too crazy with technology. Because it has to be updated. It has to be maintained in case something breaks. Um now of course 30 years from now or 30 years ago. We had new technology that now we cant replace some of it because its too old and so theres a debt theres a balance of having really good technology, but also having it so that you can maintain it for the 10 or 15 years. So that we you know when it comes time for the next renovation. Its not completely obsolete. Its still relevant, right but not obsolete yet, but still relevant. So when we get the next renovation we can come in with a new new stuff. We dont want anything to be obsolete within five years. That would be that would be a problem. It would be very costly. So were trying to be very mindful. Of that balance and now youd also just mentioned that were telling the story of its really both herbert and Lou Henry Hoover. Yeah, todays exhibit talks about Lou Henry Hoover, but it in a very small way. Theres theres a few places in there where we get to look at her and she was such an amazing force of her own. How will the new exhibit deal with lou henry as as an individual . Well, you know, thats thats a great point. You know, the existing exhibit. Its its fair. Its terrific. Really fantastic, but unfortunately, like you mentioned lou henry gets lost because the comment cards weve seen as many people have have passed the camp rapid and exhibit where it really explores lou henrys life. And so in this case lou henry is is going to be woven into the fabric. The is throughout the exhibits. And not just in a certain spot because she was such an influential person in his life just as an example. You know the agricultura metallica. Lou henry was fluent in many languages. She could speak it she could write it. She had a real gift for language. And so they came across this book called agricola dera metallica. Which was a book of old mining practices. But the problem was it was written in a form of latin that was mostly lost. There were terms in the book that the author made up. Because there was no other way to describe these practices or this maneuver or how things were done. And so a great granddad had the fortune of knowing a little bit about mining and great grandmother knew all kinds about language. She knew latin. And so the two of them as a labor of love worked on it on steamships. In red house in london all sorts of places for a number of years working to translate that text and eventually they were successful they did and you know, it was a really important book that was translated so much so that she and greatgranddad won a i dont remember the exact name of the award, but they award they won a medal from the Metallurgical Society for their for their work on that. You know and also shes had some really amazing other accomplishments. She was the first person to graduated with science degree from stanford many years ago. She she was the story that always comes to mind when they were tintian during the boxer rebellion and theyre in the middle of a siege that lasted about a month before the marine saved them. Well, she was the one sweeping the bullets off the the porch of the hotel they were staying at and feeding the people in the compound. And making sure they are cared for also, you know when she was later on his first lady she was honorary president of the girl scouts. But she took it very seriously ultimately became the actual president of the girl stouts later on and she was the person that came up with the idea of the Girl Scout Cookies. As a fundraiser for the girl scouts, which still around today. Thanks to her great idea of girls baking Girl Scout Cookies and selling them. Now its a little bit different but the idea is still there. But you know, and thats just again thats just touching the surface of her accomplishments. Theres many many more that will be explored in in the new renovated library and itll be incorporated the fabric of very grandads life throughout the museum and not just in place, so were really looking forward to that. Were excited about that that as well. Sure. Yeah iowans and and west people west branch, especially. I you know, take great pride and having the president ial library here and that he selected it here, you know healing lived here for you know, nine and then was was you know a man of the world did things great things all over the world could have put his president ial library really anywhere. Maybe stanford was near and dear to his heart as well. But he always had returned to west branch and why why is it that you think he chose west branch . For his librarian his final resting place. Well, i think its uniquely american i think, you know a couple of things come to mind. First is his birthplace cottage. That was something that my greatgrandmother. Helps organize in the 40s in perhaps even earlier was to buy the birthplace cottage and have that kind of as a memorial because it was its such an american story of Humble Beginnings of somebody with with a desire to make a difference. Going on in the world and from a small town in iowa, and we have lots and lots of small towns across the country many many people from small towns across the country and its a very inspiring way for americans to to step up and participate and volunteer to do things to better their neighbors and their friends lives or in his case people across an ocean that he never even knew to help them with their standard of living with some of the relief efforts that he led on behalf of the American People. And also i think so that thats one part the second part i think. Is later in his later years. When you see videos like the one that we showed at the end today. There were huge crowds of people. That showed up and you know, i mentioned the the mark of an island that he had that he carried him throughout his life. And i think when hes came back for special events. In his later years in life when he came back to rededication. He came back for birthday parties. There were always huge thrones of iowans that came to pay respect to. And i think that really touched him. Just my opinion. I dont know this for fact, but i think that really left an impression on him of why it was so important that the Library Museum b in west branch you know and and when he passed. There was an incredible showing of support. Course the family saw that was participating in that and you know things like that are very humbling. To see the support of somebody who worked hard to help improve the better people around the world. And i i think that connection really rings true and i think its still rings true today from what we instead the state house and feature a couple of weeks ago, but i really appreciate you spending this afternoon with us today and sharing your family stories with us and the photos and all it was a great presentation and we thank you so much for your time today. Well, thank you. And by the way, i just saw in the chat box Margaret Hoover said that the plaque of the waldorf astoria is still there. So again there there is a another touch point for a great grandad in the world that museu