The supreme purpose of history is a better world. History gives a warning to those who would promote war. History brings inspiration to those who seek peace. In short, history helps us learn.
Yesterday’s records can keep us from repeating yesterday’s mistakes. And from the pieces of mosaic assembled by historians come the great murals which represent the progress of mankind.
-Herbert Hoover, “Words to Live By,” in This Week, May 26, 1957
Since its founding by Herbert Hoover in 1919, the Hoover Institution Library & Archives has been collecting, preserving, and making widely available the most important materials documenting war, revolution, and peace in the modern era.
Each object and collection at the Library & Archives provide a unique story about the political, social, and economic ideas and movements that have shaped the past century. From the millions of consequential moments documented in letters, diaries, rare books, maps, posters, photographs, audio recordings, film, and digital records, a profound impact on our modern world is revealed.
It is for this reason that thousands of researchers and scholars as well as casual history hobbyists from around the world consult this collection each year to better understand the consequential moments that have shaped the human experience.
Join us for a new video series that invites viewers to delve into the rich history and significance of select artifacts. In Reflections from the Hoover Institution Library & Archives, Hoover’s expert curators, fellows, and other scholars will share remarkable stories and insights behind the artifacts, the context of their creation, and how the Library & Archives preserves access to this incredible wealth of material.
Episodes will explore various topics, including: Did the creator of the New Deal believe in its promise? How did the August 1953 coup in Iran come to fruition? And what records remain from the Japanese military’s plan for the bombing of Pearl Harbor? The primary sources featured in Reflections reveal the answers to these and other momentous historical questions. Join in on the discovery of these untold stories hidden in Hoover’s collections.
The first episode launches December 7, 2023 and features Dr. Kaoru “Kay” Ueda, curator for the Japanese Diaspora collection and research fellow at the Hoover Institution, reflecting on the Mitsuo Fuchida Papers.
WATCH THE TRAILER
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