The Mobility of Presidential Reputation

Humanities Research Centre

The Mobility of Presidential Reputation: Herbert Hoover, Lyndon Johnson, and Political Legacy-Building

RSSS Auditorium 1.28, Research School of Social Sciences Building, Ellery Crescent ACTON

The Mobility of Presidential Reputation: Herbert Hoover, Lyndon Johnson, and Political Legacy-BuildingPresidential reputations have gone up or down or remained the same with little predictability or consistency. Dwight Eisenhower&#x27;s standing with historians has grown, as has Theodore Roosevelt&#x27;s while the stock of Andrew Jackson and Woodrow Wilson have fallen. Many reputations have remained stationary, with Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, and Franklin Roosevelt placing first, second, and third in polls of America&#x27;s greatest presidents. Nevertheless, presidents have striven to sculpt their legacies and boost their standing. This seminar examines the legacy-building efforts of Herbert Hoover and Lyndon Johnson, a pair of presidents who had to work hard to gain the approval of the public and of posterity for their administrations were marred by political disasters: Hoover&#x27;s ineffective response to the Great Depression and Johnson&#x27;s failed war in Vietnam. They thus emphasized other aspects of their careers and presidencies. Hoover stressed his nonpresidential accomplishments as a World War I-era international humanitarian and post-1945 public servant. Johnson focused squarely on his civil rights accomplishments as president, hoping that these would overshadow his policy in Vietnam. There is some evidence that that has taken place. Hoover, in contrast, had less success. At the time of Hoover&#x27;s death in 1964, Americans mourned Hoover the person more than Hoover the president. Presenter<a href="https://hrc.cass.anu.edu.au/people/professor-dean-kotlowski-0" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Professor Dean J. Kotlowski</a> is professor of history at Salisbury University and comes to the ANU as Fulbright Distinguished Chair in Arts, Humanities and Social SciencesProfessor Kotlowski is a current Visiting Fellow with the HRCThis series is an opportunity for our HRC Visiting Fellows to present and receive feedback on the research they are working on. In 2022 , Visiting Fellows are exploring the theme of <a href="https://hrc.cass.anu.edu.au/highlights/2022-mobilities" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Mobilities</a>

Our {communityGuidelinesLink} describe the sort of content we prohibit on Eventbrite. If you suspect an event may be in violation, you can report it to us so we can investigate.

To report other categories of prohibited or illegal content, submit {link}

The Mobility of Presidential Reputation

More events from Humanities Research Centre

Follow organisers to get events picked for you

Still looking for the right event?

Explore all events in ACTON and filter by date, category, and more to find the perfect fit.

The Mobility of Presidential Reputation

More events from Humanities Research Centre

Follow organisers to get events picked for you

You might also like...

Browse more events with different dates, prices, and formats to find your next great experience.

Still looking for the right event?

Explore all events in ACTON and filter by date, category, and more to find the perfect fit.