Description
Limited edition of The Protection of Freedom, signed by President Herbert Hoover, from the collection of commission member Solomon C. Hollister, dean of the Cornell University College of Engineering.
Twelvemo, 17pp. Red leather, title in gilt on front cover with decorative gilt band. Marbled end papers. Frontispiece portrait opposite title page. Limitation page inscribed by President Hoover in turquoise ink. There were 28 copies of this book commissioned and published by Admiral Ben Moreell, the Chairman of the Task Force on Water Resources and Power. The leather bound booklet was sent to President Hoover in September of 1954 and was signed by “The Chief.” Copies of the documents from the Hoover Library detailing the provenance of the booklet are available. An exceptionally scarce limited edition copy of this important speech by President Hoover. The speech was included in Addresses Upon the American Road, published by Stanford University in 1955. It was delivered at a reception honoring his 80th Birthday in West Branch, Iowa on August 10th, 1954.
The recipient of this copy, Solomon C. Hollister (1892-1982), was the dean of the Cornell College of Engineering for 22 years, from 1937-1959. He was a member of Hoover’s Commission on the Organization of the Executive Branch from 1953-1955, when he received this presentation address. While dean of the College of Engineering at Cornell, Hollister ensured the financing of 10 new buildings on the campus. Professor Hollister died in 1982 at the age of 90.
