After Herbert became Secretary of Commerce, Lou continued her public role. Lou disliked the century-and-a-half-old tradition of cabinet wives making and returning social calls on each other. Lou resolved to end the "mindless leaving of cards" and got the other cabinet wives to agree to stop the afternoon calls, thus ending the tradition. Lou spoke out for women's athletics and was the only female member of the board of the National Amateur Athletic Association. She also spoke out to encourage young women to consider careers in addition to marriage saying that women who used children as an excuse for not working outside the home were "lazy."
In 1928, Herbert Hoover was elected President. Lou Hoover prepared to enter the White House. She possessed an abundance of ability, training and experience, and the confidence she needed to be an unusual and outstanding First Lady. Next week, we will see how she brought her own style to the White House.
