President Hoover in Pomona, 1932

Some 10,000 people turned out in Pomona on Nov. 12, 1932 to see President Herbert Hoover, whose train stopped in Pomona for a few minutes. Hoover had lost his re-election bid to Franklin Roosevelt a few days earlier. Here is what Hoover had to say, in full:

"Friends in Pomona:

"It is very difficult for me to find phrases to express my appreciation for this spontaneous reception. I would almost think I was still running in a campaign from this reception. But what I do know from this reception is that it is a reception from the heart and from your friendship."

It was kind of Pomona to be so gracious to a big loser.

Now, how do we know what Hoover said?

A neat website exists called The American Presidency Project, courtesy of UC Santa Barbara and found at http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/

This was one resource used by the Pomona Public Library staff when I asked which presidents had visited Pomona.

The library's Bruce Guter explained the website to me like this:

"This site compiles electronically all the papers and public documents of the Presidents back to the founding of the Republic. (In the 'old' days -- before the advent of the internet -- this information was released in book volumes which libraries accumulated year after year, after year, and searching was done through lengthy indexes at the back of each volume).

"The database is so current that it already has the text of Obama's remarks from his March 19th Pomona visit.

"But a search of this database confirms in effect that no sitting President since Hoover had come through Pomona and made public remarks until last week."

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