胡佛(1874～1964年)

Hoover, Herbert (Clark)

美国第三十一任总统（1929～1933）。原为采矿工程师，1895～1913年在四大洲管理工业工程项目，後来在英国和比利时指挥协约国援救工作。第一次世界大战期间，他被任命为全国粮食行政长官，制定计画供应协约国和欧洲饥馑地区食粮。1921～1927年担任商业部长，除了改组部务外，还新设一些管理无线电广播、商业航空的司局。他还监督建造顽石坝（後来称胡佛水坝）和圣罗伦斯航道。1928年被共和党提名为总统候选人，击败史密斯而当选。上台後，他原本希望开辟一个「新时代」，但不久即因碰上经济大萧条而破灭。他信奉个人自由，否决了设立联邦失业救济所和投资公共工程计画的法案，而支助私人的慈善机构。1932年终於批准透过复兴金融公司来救济农人。同年的总统大选，被罗斯福以压倒性优势击败。此後他继续直言反对救济措施，并抨击新政计画。第二次世界大战後投入欧洲的饥馑救灾工作，并被指派领导胡佛委员会。

English version：

1874～1964年

Hoover, Herbert (Clark)

31st president of the U.S. (1929-33). Born in West Branch, Iowa, he became a mining engineer, and administered engineering projects on four continents (1895-1913), then headed Allied relief operations in England and Belgium. During World War I he was appointed U.S. national food administrator (1917-19) and instituted programs that furnished food to the Allies and famine-stricken areas of Europe. Appointed U.S. secretary of commerce (1921-27), he reorganized the department, creating divisions to regulate broadcasting and aviation. He oversaw commissions to build Boulder (later Hoover) Dam and the St. Lawrence Seaway. In 1928, as the Republican presidential candidate, he soundly defeated Alfred E. Smith. His hopes for a “New Day” program were quickly overwhelmed by the Great Depression. As a believer in individual freedom, he vetoed bills to create a federal unemployment agency and to fund public-works projects, instead favoring private charity. In 1932 he finally allowed relief to farmers through the Reconstruction Finance Corp. He was overwhelmingly defeated in 1932 by Franklin Roosevelt. He continued to speak out against relief measures and criticized New Deal programs. After World War II he participated in famine-relief work in Europe and was appointed head of the Hoover Commission.