Show COLLEGE CHUMS 1 a On Same Campus Aga L f. f r 4 r. r r 3 Ii t 1 A I 4 S A s f t ji n Y 4 G V 4 J w a J c p S r r J ft rr d' d G y y r r A t 4 4 p f fn n o j p A campus photograph showing Herbert Hoover Hoo standing second from left leU in the days when he solicited L laundry frem the man whom he recently appointed Secretary of the Interior s' s si V i 6 e s k Back ack in in the tile Nineties Herbert Hoover l Was a Laundry J Agent and Ray Lyman Wilbur an Obliging e eBy Who Gave the Fresh Soph By Robert B. B B Smith BACK in the early nineties all the steam laundries in Palo Alto were engaged In fierce competition When a lanky young fellow named Wilbur entered Leland Stanford University he found himself tn- tn in instantly besieged by student agents from the various arlous laundries soliciting his bust bust- ness fleas It must have ha given the green freshman freshman freshman fresh fresh- man an Important feeling as they bid for forMs Ms his wash One of the agents was as an earnest young oung sophomore named Hoover History does not record what argument he used but his salesmanship apparently was irresistible lie Ile convinced Wilbur that the laundry he lie represented could scrub his clothes cleaner and give him better service than any of the others He got Wilbur's business It helped him finance his way through Stanford The front name of this Hoover boy was Herbert The young oung freshman's full name was as Ray Bay Lyman Wilbur Thirty-six Thirty years later the laundry agent had been elected Pr President of the United States and Wilbur Wilbur Wilbur Wil Wil- bur was president of Stanford Hoover needed a Western man with a national viewpoint to head the Interior Department Department Depart Depart- ment a difficult post as all recent Secretaries Secretaries Secretaries Secre Secre- ha have vo learned There were many applicants but none quite measured up to Hoovers Hoover's requirements Once again he sought ought out Wilbur It must have taken some ome convincing salesmanship again to Induce Wilbur WlIbur to give up the pr presidency of Stanford but Hoover put it over and now Wilbur WlIbur sits in his Cabinet as Secretary Secretary Secre Secre- tary of the Interior WILBUR perhaps is closer to the PresIdent President Pres Pres- VV ident dent than any other other- member of the Cabinet The friendship which began in their college days has continued without Interruption Interwoven In it is a touch of romance At Stanford Hoover met Miss Lou Henry of the class of 97 and there also Wilbur WlIbur became acquainted with Miss Marguerite May Blake c. c of cf the class of ol 98 08 It wasn't long after atter their graduation that Miss Henry became Mrs Hoover Hoo and Miss Blake slake took the name of Wilbur WlIbur In the social life of the Administration today one of the closest intimates of the First Lady of the Land Is that same Mrs Wilbur There are still sUIl other tI ties to bind Hoover and Wilbur together Both were born In Iowa and both have a fondness for trout fishing They served together in the tremendous tremendous tre tremendous tre- tre task of feeding the Allied nations during the World War And If anything else was needed to bring them th m together it was was supplied by the necessity of having at nt least one Wilbur in the Cabinet to tomake tomake tomake make it complete For Ray Lyman Wilbur Wilbur Wilbur Wil- Wil bur is a brother of ot Curtis Dwight Wilbur Secretary of the Navy under President Coolidge Washington thought for a time that Curtis Wilbur Wllbur might stay to keep brother Ray company but political tradition tradition tradition tion Is so strongly opposed to having two Cabinet members from the same State not to mention the same samo family that Curtis packed his bags and went back to California he said Its Rays Ray's now RS as he cleared up his desk at the Navy Department For time old-time Americanism the though hailing from the new West can pass ass muster anywhere No fewer than ten teno o of their forbears fought in the Revolutionary Revolutionary War Tho The Wilbur ancestry is almost wholly of New England stock of ot English origin The early Ly- Ly mans and Parsons in the living neighborhood neighbor neighbor- hO hood d of Boston contributed to it They were ere ere mostly long-armed long long-legged long people peo- peo JS lo Kh who needed a lot of room in which to towing wing awing mg their limbs The Wilbur WlIbur who founded the branch which has lias furnished fished two a iwo cabinet members felt elt cramped around Boston Boston and migrated to the Roger Wil Wll- hams liams colony in Rhode Island The next New N generation v found he In Western York Under the restless of at ih urge the Ue pioneer spirit the grandfather of Ray I His Business Now One Is j President o of f the tIle United States and Curtis moved to the Western reserve which became a It part of Ohio Their father was as born there and grew up In he time timeto timeto timeto to serve in the Civil War He was captured captured captured cap cap- at Harpers Ferry by Stonewall Jackson After the war he studied law at the University of Michigan and following following following fol fol- fol- fol lowing the family habit moved West West West-to to Iowa There in the little town of Boonesboro Boonesboro Boonesboro Boones- Boones boro Ray Lyman Wilbur was born on April 13 1875 a few months after Herbert Herbert Herbert Her Her- bert Hoover Hoo first saw the light of day not so many miles mUes a away way The didn't tarry long in hi Iowa The westward urge began tugging again and they moved to Dakota Territory The West was still primitive in those days Indians were still still on the warpath and Custers Custer's massacre was still Trash fresh in the memory of the settlers Ray W Wilbur Ibur can remember how in his boyhood he used to gather buffalo skulls about the new settlement at Jamestown N N. D. D The next next move of the family was as still westward rd This time they moved all the way to California and settled at River River- side There Ray Wilbur grew to manhood manhood manhood man man- hood and finished high school He had set his hopes on going to Stanford University University University Uni Uni- but Just about that time the orange-growing orange Industry around Riverside met with reverses which badly depleted the family finances It became necessary that he lie work his way through the university He did this by becoming a laboratory as- as decided he lie wanted to be a a. WILBUR doctor and he entered the physiology department at Stanford Later he went ent from Stanford to the Cooper Medical College College College Col Col- lege at San Francisco He lie taught ph physiology physiology sl while taking this course thus earnIng earning earning earn earn- ing enough to pay his way He lie was graduated graduated graduated grad grad- in 1899 1890 and began the active practice practice practice tice of ot medicine in San Francisco Isis His success was as such that by 1903 he had earned enough money to indulge his ambition ambition ambition am am- to study medicine abroad He lie spent a II year ear in London and at on Frankfort-on- the Main in Germany In 1909 1900 he re returned returned returned re- re turned to Europe again for a year ear of study at the University of Munich Dr Wilbur spent some ten altogether altogether altogether alto alto- gether in the active practice of ot medicine He made a reputation as a physician of high ability About this time Stanford absorbed Cooper Medical Medica College from which Wilbur had been graduated Dr Wilbur was as asked to become professor of medicine and its dean To accept Involved a II loss of many thousands of or dollars annually annually annually annu annu- ally in income but the offer appealed to him so much that he accepted Here for forthe forthe forthe the first time at the age of 36 he und under undertook undertook under under- r- r took executive work on an ambitious scale From 1909 1900 to 1910 he held this post His work there won him national laurels lon was accorded to him by his election as president of the American Medical Association In 1913 David Starr Jordan who had been president of ot Stanford from its founding retired Joseph Casper Branner Bran- Bran ner ncr who as an instructor had had much to do with ith the development of Herbert Hoover became president for two years ears He retired because of age The trustees impressed by Dr Wilbur's executive abilIty ability ability abil abil- ity as dean of the medical school asked him to become president of the university When he assumed this post at the age of 40 years he was the youngest university university university sity president in the United States There were many problems for for the president of Stanford The university had been liberally endowed by Senator Leland Stanford and had to the degree decree and the Other Secretary o of f the Interior a J r r e C S e J. J t a. a 3 d i y P v a. a x k r r where its operation consumed its Income from that endowment It faced difficulties difficulties difficulties ties after the war when given amounts of money went no more than half hail as faras far faras as 3 they had gone before It became ob obvious obvious ob- ob that the Institution if It it were to maintain Itself and particularly If U it were to grow must have additional sums of money Funds for the increased expenses of maintenance for the building program and other development had to be obtained ob obtained obtained ob- ob and the responsibility was as placed squarely on the new president He met the test a R. year after alter Dr Wilbur had W WITHIN upon his administration at Stanford the United States plunged into the World War Herbert Hoover was as then kR Mrs lies Ray Hay Lyman t Wilbur whose intimate inti inti- J r mate male friendship with wilh the First Lady L dy of the Land began in their college days das at Stanford in Europe in charge of Belgian relief President Wilson asked him to return to th the United States to direct the mobilization mobilization mobilization tion of Americas America's food resources When Hoover landed in New York Dr Wilbur at the dock was one of those who met him and immediately enlisted for service under his banner They went to Washington together and took rooms at a hotel There the thc gigantic and flung far organization that was to become known knon in every American American American Amer Amer- ican home as the Food Administration came into being Hoover Hoover was its head and Wilbur was its secretary After a a. afew afew few days they obtained a room in the Interior In Interior Interior In- In Department Building over which Wilbur now presides Clerks there now tell stories of the two strangers going about th tho ta r of L t t borrowing I 4 e I w jI gt 9 4 kia kiad d R. R s o spiry Nasf Secretary S of the Interior Ray flay Lyman Wilbur former formerly president of DC Leland Stanford Un University and probably the closest personal friend of or President Hoovers Hoover's in inthe inthe inthe the Cabinet In the circle are areRay Ray Kay L Lyman man Wilbur and his brother Curtis Dwight Wilbur Secretary of the Navy y during the Coolidge Administration lead pencils and paper clips to get their organization started As the Food Administration expanded Dr Wilbur Wllbur was assigned to direct food conservation American housewives s probably probably probably ably remember that phase of the war ac activities activities ac- ac better than anything else His JUs success in inducing them to save sugar ugar and flour and other necessities vitally needed for the winning inning of the war needs no praise here Since the war Dr Wilbur has been as associated associated associated as- as with many national and International International international Inter Inter- national movements particularly those of Western interest He lie was chairman of the Executive Committee of or the survey of race relations on the Pacific coast which had to do with the problems of or Chinese Japanese and Mexican tion This led Jed into that broader field covered covered covered cov cov- ered by the Institute of Pacific Relations which studied the problems of all countries countries countries coun coun- tries bordering on the Pacific He was chairman of this institute and presided over the meetings held in Honolulu in 1925 and 1927 He has been president of the California State conference of social agencies of the council 0 ot of the social and health agencies of ot San Francisco vice Ice president of the San Francisco community chest and a member of the California State Park Commission He lie was a R. delegate delegate delegate dele dele- gate of the United States to the Pan- Pan American Conference in Havana ana in 1928 He is a trustee of the Rockefeller Foundation Foundation Foundation tion and chairman of ot the council on medical medical med med- ical teal education and hospitals of the American AmerIcan American Amer Amer- ican Medical Association He lie is past president of the American Academy of or Medicine the American Medical Association Association tion lion and of ot the Association of or American Medical Colleges College Quite a sizable list of activities for one mant ri TIlE lIE of the interior is no J- J political sinecure In the first place it covers such a wide ide range of or governmental governmental governmental govern govern- mental activities that administrative c talents talents talents tal tal- of or the highest order are required to fill fiU It successfully In the second it must mut deal with ticklish controversial contro issues that call for unusual tact and in in- in No Secretary of the Interior in recent years ears has escaped a grilling fire of or criticism from Capitol Hill whether he deserved it or not One Secretary Secretary Albert Albert B B. B Fall hadn't Fall hadn't been long out o of office be before before before be- be fore he found himself under indictment for conspiracy to defraud the Government in one of the most sensational scandals scandal inthe In Inthe inthe the country's history Teapot Dome and Elk Hills are familiarly connected with the Interior Department To the West the Interior Department is is the important all agency ot or the Federal Federal Federal Fed Fed- eral Government Under the supervision of this department is 15 the public domain consisting of n acres acres an res an an anare area are equal to two thirty-two of the Stales tales of or the Union That vast ast territory is located inthe Inthe in inthe the West and in Alaska Naturally enough the West feels that it has a a. prior interest in the administration of or the department and claims the appointment of or the Secretary Secre- Secre t tary ry of the Interior as its o own m piece of patronage Mr Hoover recognized this claim when he went vent all the way to the West coast for his Interior Secretary But if the West was expecting any special advantages advantages advantages from the appointment it must be b. disappointed Dr Wilbur has no narrow sectional ie 1 viewpoint He lie understands the problems of the West Nest in which he wa waborn wag Wal Walborn born and reared as well eU as any man but buthe buthe he lie looks upon them with a broad na national national na- na vision When he deals with an issue he th thinks of the country as a a. whole his handling of the oil-con- oil rY problem Powerful elements dementi in the West Vest love have favored ored wide open exploitation ex exploitation exploitation ex- ex of the oil oU on the public domain That spirit had much to do with bringing on the Teapot Dome explosion Dr WU- WU bur had been in office oice only a a. few days day when he announced that hereafter there would be no leasing of Government oil all lands except under express c orders from Congress He lie did so liO with the full approval approval approval ap ap- ap- ap of President Hoover er He had sons gone back baek to the conservation principles of Roosevelt Roose and Pinchot He lie had diagnosed the situation and found there |