Iowan Herbert Hoover Part of Another Difficult Transfer of Power

So in case you haven't heard, the transition of power during today's Presidential Inauguration won't happen as smoothly as it normally does. President Trump will become the first President in over 100 years that won't be at the ceremony of his successor Joe Biden. While there won't be a handshake or any other symbols of a peaceful transition, this isn't the only inauguration day filled with ill will.

Iowa's only President, Herbert Hoover, also lost his bid for re-election. Much like Trump, he presided over an economy that had fewer people employed when he left office than when he started his term. Trump had the pandemic deal a blow to his economic plans, and Hoover, well, he was on the clock during the Great Depression. CBS2 reports that Hoover lost to FDR in the election of 1932, but the inauguration didn't happen until March. Hoover wanted Roosevelt to work with him to find common ground so they could implement programs to help the American people. Roosevelt refused, not wanting to tie his political future to a failed president.

CBS2 reports that historians say that Hoover tried to put his anger towards Roosevelt aside in later years. He offered to help FDR during World War 2 but Roosevelt refused. President Roosevelt died before WW2 ended. But his successor, Harry Truman, took Hoover up on his offer and called on the former President to help rebuild Europe after a devastating war. Herbert Hoover redefined how we think of former Presidents and the work they can do after they are out of office. Hoover spent his final years working for the public good until his death in 1964.

So while today's events may face a partisan backdrop, history shows us that these days can be overcome, if we agree to work together for the betterment of the American people.