WEST BRANCH — The Hoover Presidential Foundation is excited to announce that it has been awarded a $1 million grant by the Washington County Riverboat Foundation.

This impactful grant to the Timeless Values | Modern Experience campaign for the renovation of the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum brings the campaign total to $18.4 million of the $20.3 million goal. Gifts from the WCRF typically go to organizations within Washington County, but it was noted that this is “Iowa’s Presidential Library and Museum.”

This grant will fund the gallery “War on a Thousand Fronts,” which will be a gallery in the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum that will be a part of the total renovation of the museum. “War on a Thousand Fronts” will address the nation in the throes of
the Great Depression. The exhibit will explore the causes of major crises, President Hoover’s responses, and their impact on the American people through an engaging and immersive storytelling experience. It will also highlight Hoover’s presidency, focusing on foreign and domestic policies, life in the White House, and the lasting philanthropic legacy of President and Mrs. Hoover.

This renovation, the first in over 30 years, will create a more engaging experience to share the story of Herbert Hoover. The Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum will close in early 2025 for the renovation and reopen in the summer of 2026.

Hoover Presidential Foundation President and CEO Mundi McCarty said about the grant, “The generous gift from the Washington County Riverboat Foundation is significant in making the vision behind the renovated Herbert Hoover Library and Museum a reality, which will impact both this region and for those visiting from across the country and around the world.”

Founded in 2004, the Washington County Riverboat Foundation is the nonprofit license holder for the Riverside Casino and Golf Resort which provides the entirety of its fund- ing. The WCRF provides significant financial resources to non-profit organizations and local governments to complete projects that make Washington County Iowa a better place to live and work. The WCRF awarded its first grants in 2006 and has since awarded thousands of grants totaling $70,380,749.

About the Foundation

The Hoover Presidential Foundation promotes and supports the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library-Museum, National Historic Site, and other programs that enhance the understanding of Herbert Hoover as president and humanitarian.