Interview no. 1632

Longtime El Paso resident Louann Hoover Feuille revisits her many years as both a child and an adult living in the historic Hoover House. In addition, she shares memories of her family and her education at the Radford School for Girls. Although Hoover Feuille is a native El Pasoan, her family did not purchase the Hoover House until the early 1940s, when her father, desperate to find shelter for his family during a war-time housing shortage, bid on the bank-owned home at a government auction. Hoover Feuille describes the terrible condition of the house lots of cats, and discusses at length the renovations her family eventually undertook. She also shares many recollections of the social life of the house, the parties her mother hosted, and the generations of Hoover children’s favorite play areas. She also talks about Kern Place more generally, in particular the area’s Madeline Park. Briefly, Hoover Feuille discusses her education at Radford School, mentioning that retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor was a schoolmate. Hoover Feuille speaks in greater detail about her experience as El Paso’s 1947 Sun Queen, including a mention of the secret voting process and the responsibilities included with the position. Hoover Feuille concludes the interview by recalling her education at the University of Texas’ Nursing School and her late-in-life career as a pediatric and school nurs