Lifer Hoover

In the heavily tapestried, rococo boardroom of the 34-story New York Life Insurance Building in Manhattan, Director Alfred Emanuel Smith leaned forward in his chair one day last week and said in a firm clear voice: "I move to adopt the committee's report nominating Mr. Hoover." With a single chorus of "Ayes" all gentlemen present thereupon voted to elect Herbert Clark Hoover a director of New York Life, succeeding the late John E. Andrus (TIME, Jan. 7). From Chicago where he was transacting private business on one of his infrequent trips east from Palo Alto, Director Hoover telegraphed his acceptance. When the board of New York Life meets again next month the newest member will take his place at a table around which sit such men as Hale Holden of Southern Pacific, Percy Selden Straus of R. H. Macy, Nicholas Murray Butler of Columbia University, James Rowland Angell of Yale, James Guthrie Harbord of Radio Corp., George Bruce Cortelyou of Consolidated Gas.

Mr. Hoover is the second ex-President of the U. S. to become a director of New York Life. Calvin Coolidge faithfully attended directors' meetings from 1929 until his death. Director Hoover revealed last week that New York Life had urged him in 1933 to accept Mr. Coolidge's vacant chair, before they finally offered it to Dr. Angell. And everyone expected last week that the company would pay for Director Hoover's transportation across the continent to attend monthly meetings, as they had paid Director Coolidge's expenses when he went down from Northampton. Mr. Hoover will receive in Roosevelt dollars the usual $50 director's fee which Mr. Coolidge received in gold.

Conspicuously vacant at last week's meeting was the chair in which Thomas Aylette Buckner has sat for 33 years as director, four years as president of New York Life. This chubby-cheeked little man had gone to St. Petersburg, Fla. to attend a meeting of insurance agents. In his 54 years with New York Life President Buckner has penned many a homely sermon to inspire his salesmen.* Restless, singleminded, immensely capable, he began as an office boy in Milwaukee, attracted the attention of New York Life's Agency Inspector George W. Perkins (who became a Morgan partner) when he sold $250,000 worth of life insurance in Iowa his first year as a salesman (1886). New York Life agents celebrated his 50th anniversary with the company in 1930 by launching a three-month Buckner testimonial drive which netted $5,000,000 of life insurance each day. Last week with President Buckner's approval, the company finished a pamphlet commemorating its 90th anniversary. When Director Hoover gets his copy he will see that Thomas Buckner emphatically expects each & every director to take almost as active a part in the company's affairs as its president does.

*Sample:

PEP v. PIP

Which is to say the difference between a man and a hen. . . . Pep is something that makes a man straighten up, throw out his chest, stick out his chin, and do things. ... It brightens his wits. It sharpens his tongue. It creates sunshine all around him. . . .

Pip is something that sends shivers down the back and saps all the energy in the body. Did you ever see a hen with pip? Her wings are drooped, her feathers ruffled, her head hangs down . . . her cackle is gone, her eyes are watery. . . . She is sick all over.

Have you PEP or the PIP?

PEP takes the "t" out of can't and the "i" out of pip, . . .

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