Herbert Hoover earned the nickname “The Great Engineer” for his heroic work with flood control along the Mississippi River. He was so admired for his competence and intelligence that both political parties recruited him to run for President.
Unfortunately, his Presidency oversaw the beginning of the Great Depression. His administration took action, but he seemed powerless to stop it. One day, his predecessor, Calvin Coolidge, tried to give him a pep talk. “You can’t expect to see calves running in the field the day after you put the bulls to the cows,” said Coolidge. Hoover replied, “No, but I would expect to see contented cows.”