White House Historical Association

Norman Emhoff

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"Norman Emhoff," White House Workers History Project, White House Historical Association, 2026, https://whha.whirlihost.com/Detail/workers/812.
Position
Chauffeur
Years in President's House
circa 1929
Legal Status
Free Person
Gender
Male
Race/Ethnicity
White
Presidency
Herbert Hoover
Biography
Norman Emhoff was born on April 25, 1904, in Wausau, Wisconsin. (1) Emhoff later served in the U.S. Army and relocated to the Alexandria, Virginia area. (2) According to his obituary published in a Wisconsin newspaper: “While in the service, he was a driver in Washington, D.C., and for some time was chauffeur for President Herbert Hoover.” (3) This is confirmed by his appearance on First Lady Lou Hoover’s 1929 White House staff Christmas list, but further documentation of his work there is scarce. (4) Norman Emhoff later worked as police chief in Brunswick, Missouri, before returning to his home state. He died on June 10, 1973, and was buried at Pine Grove Cemetery in Wausau, Wisconsin. (5)
(1) “Norman Emhoff,” Wausau Daily Herald (Wisconsin), June 11, 1973, pg. 14; “Norman Emhoff,” Find a Grave, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/156209933/norman-emhoff.
(2) Norman Emhoff in the U.S., Headstone Applications for Military Veterans, 1861-1985, National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, MO, USA; Applications for Headstones and Markers, 7/1/1970-9/30/1985; NAID: 6016127; Record Group Number: 15; Record Group Title: Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs, 1773-2007, Ancestry.com; Hill’s Alexandria City Directory Vol. XXXVI (Richmond, VA: Hill Directory Co., 1938), 140.
(3) “Norman Emhoff,” Wausau Daily Herald (Wisconsin), June 11, 1973, pg. 14.
(4) He does not appear on a 1931 memo listing garage staff, suggesting he left or was reassigned in the period between 1929-1931. See Employees on Duty at the Executive Office, 1929, Lou Henry Hoover Papers, Subject Files, White House Christmas 1929, Herbert Hoover Presidential Library; Employees of the White House Garage, January 8, 1931, Presidential Papers, Subject File, The White House-Garage Correspondence, 1930-1933 and Undated, Herbert Hoover Presidential Library.
(5) “Norman Emhoff,” Wausau Daily Herald (Wisconsin), June 11, 1973, pg. 14; “Norman Emhoff,” Find a Grave, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/156209933/norman-emhoff.
Birthplace
Wausau, Wisconsin, USA