February 22, 1930, and February 22, 1932
President Herbert Hoover and First Lady Lou Henry Hoover marked Washington’s birthday twice at Mount Vernon, once in 1930 and again in 1932.
Mount Vernon Superintendent Harrison Howell Dodge described the first visit:
President Herbert Hoover and Mrs. Hoover commemorated Washington’s birthday, 1930, motoring down and placing a wreath in the Tomb. Mrs. Hoover, very charming and gracious, has found occasion to bring house-guests frequently.
The couple returned two years later on the bicentennial of Washington’s birth, an occasion celebrated across the country and the world. The official George Washington Bicentennial Commission was established by President Coolidge in 1924. In the subsequent years leading up to the event, numerous projects, programs, and celebrations were planned.
To celebrate Washington’s 200th birthday at Mount Vernon, the estate was opened up to the public free of charge. President and Mrs. Hoover, along with members of the Cabinet, arrived to lay a wreath at the Tomb before proceeding to the Piazza where a podium had been set up for the president to make some remarks to a crowd on the East Lawn.
Afterwards, the Vice Regents of the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association assembled privately with the president in the Mansion’s New Room for a few moments of pleasant conversation. President Hoover, who had served as chairman of the Bicentennial Commission, had several engagements on that day, including a service at Christ Church as well as addressing a joint session of Congress commemorating Washington.
