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| I am that which was and is and Will ever be, and no mortal has yet Lifted the veil which covers me |
This bronze, seven and a half foot tall statue Isis, Goddess of Life is the work of Belgian sculptor Auguste Puttemans. It was a gift from the people of Belgium in gratitude for Herbert Hoover's famine relief efforts on their behalf during the First World War. Isis wears a veil, a symbol of the mysteries of life. Her right hand carries the torch of life-its three flames represent the past, present, and future. Her left hand holds the key of life.
An ancient Egyptian goddess and an American President are an unlikely pairing. But it provides a powerful visual link between Hoover's work in the First World War and his life's dedication to the welfare of others. It is now located at the Herbert Hoover National Historic Site near the former president's birth site in West Branch, Iowa.
After the war, Herbert Hoover was sent many gifts expressing the gratitude of the Belgian people for his humanitarian efforts. Many Belgian children, refugees, and soldiers contributed to a fund to create this work of art.
When the Belgians shipped the finished statue to California's Stanford University in 1922. It remained on campus until President and Mrs. Hoover brought it to West Branch in 1939. They wanted it to be placed in a position where it was contemplating the house, which is why Isis sits in her throne-like chair facing the Birthplace Cottage. The National Historic Site annually has about 100,000 visitors.
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| View of Hoover's Birth Cottage from Isis |
Getting to the Herbert Hoover National Historic Site:
Take exit 254 on Interstate 80 to West Branch, Iowa. The Visitor Center is 0.3 mile north of I-80 at 110 Parkside Drive, West Branch, Iowa 52358; GPS coordinates: 637614, Y: 4614507.
Sources: National Archives; National Park Service
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