The establishment of the Veterans Administration (VA) came in 1930 when
Congress authorized President Hoover to "consolidate and coordinate
Government activities affecting war veterans." The three component
agencies became bureaus within the Veterans Administration. Brigadier
General Frank T. Hines, who directed the Veterans Bureau for seven
years, was named as the first Administrator of Veterans Affairs, a job
he held until 1945.

President Herbert Hoover

The monologue "What it Was, Was Football" was recorded in 
Raleigh, NC for the Colonial label in 1953. Soon, Colonial had 
sold nearly 50,000 copies of the record and then sold the 
masters to Capitol Records. Capitol released the record in 
the same year, and soon had sold nearly 800,000 copies
and was instrumental in launching Griffith’s career in TV,
stage, and film. The record is still one of the biggest
selling comedy records of all time. On the original single,
(below) the monologue is credited to "Deacon Andy Griffith."

    Andrew Samuel "Andy" Griffith (June 1, 1926–July 3, 2012) 

Andy Griffith was a television icon, best known as the sage town
sheriff in the ’60s sitcom The Andy Griffith Show and as a defense
attorney on 1980s-’90s drama Matlock. He died today in Roanoke
Island, N.C.

1958

Tom Cruise (Thomas Cruise Mapother IV) has been nominated for three
Academy Awards and has won three Golden Globe Awards for the same
movies: Born on the Fourth of July (1989), Jerry Maguire (1996),
Magnolia (1999).

“Risky Business” (1983) launched Cruise to stardom

Tom Cruise (holding flag) played Vietnam war veteran Ron Kovic