Harry S. Truman
33rd President of the United States
(April 12, 1945 to January 20, 1953)
Full Name: Harry S. Truman
Nickname: "Give 'Em Hell Harry"
Born: May 8, 1884, in Lamar, Missouri
Died: December 26, 1972, in Kansas City, Missouri
Father: John Anderson Truman (1851-1914)
Mother: Martha Ellen Young Truman (1852-1947)
Married: Elizabeth "Bess" Virginia Wallace (1885-1982), on June 28, 1919
Children: Mary Margaret Truman (1924-2008)
Religion: Baptist
Education: Attended the University of Kansas City Law School
Occupation: Farmer, public official
Political Party: Democrat
Other Government Positions:
- Judge on Jackson County Court, 1922-24
- Presiding Judge of Jackson County Court, 1926-34
- United States Senator, 1935-45
- Vice President, 1945 (under F.D. Roosevelt)
Presidential Salary: $75,000/year (increased to $100,000 + $50,000 expense account in 1949)
Presidential Election Results:
Year Candidate Popular Votes Electoral Votes
1948 Harry S. Truman 24,179,345 303
(map) Thomas E. Dewey 21,991,291 189
Strom Thurmond 1,176,125 39
Vice President: Alben W. Barkley (1949-53)
Cabinet:
- Secretary of State
- Edward R. Stettinius, Jr. (1945)
James F. Byrnes (1945-47)
George C. Marshall (1947-49)
Dean G. Acheson (1949-53) - Secretary of the Treasury
- Henry Morgenthau, Jr. (1945)
Frederick M. Vinson (1945-46)
John W. Snyder (1946-53) - Secretary of War
- Henry L. Stimson (1945)
Robert P. Patterson (1945-47)
Kenneth C. Royall (1947) - Secretary of Defense
- James V. Forrestal (1947-49)
Louis A. Johnson (1949-50)
George C. Marshall (1950-51)
Robert A. Lovett (1951-53) - Attorney General
- Francis B. Biddle (1945)
Thomas C. Clark (1945-49)
J. Howard McGrath (1949-52) - Postmaster General
- Frank C. Walker (1945)
Robert E. Hannegan (1945-47)
Jesse M. Donaldson (1947-53) - Secretary of the Navy
- James V. Forrestal (1945-47)
- Secretary of the Interior
- Harold L. Ickes (1945-46)
Julius A. Krug (1946-49)
Oscar L. Chapman (1950-53) - Secretary of Agriculture
- Claude R. Wickard (1945)
Clinton P. Anderson (1945-48)
Charles F. Brannan (1948-53) - Secretary of Commerce
- Henry A. Wallace (1945-46)
W. Averell Harriman (1946-48)
Charles Sawyer (1948-53) - Secretary of Labor
- Frances Perkins (1945)
Lewis B. Schwellenbach (1945-48)
Maurice J. Tobin (1949-53)
Supreme Court Justices:
Harold Hitz Burton (1945-1958)
Fred M. Vinson, Chief (1946-1953)
Tom C. Clark (1949-1967)
Sherman Minton (1949-1956)
Notable Events:
- 1945
- On May 8, Germany surrendered, ending World War II in Europe.
- On July 17, Truman attended the Potsdam Conference with leaders from Great Britain and the Soviet Union.
- On August 6, the U.S. dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan.
- On August 9, the U.S. dropped an atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan.
- On August 14, Japan surrendered, ending World War II in Asia.
- 1947
- On March 12, Truman delivered his Truman Doctrine speech to Congress.
- On June 5, the Marshall Plan announced.
- On July 26, the National Security Act passed Congress creating the Department of Defense, the National Security Council, and the Central Intelligence Agency.
- 1948
- On May 14, the U.S. recognized the state of Israel.
- On June 24, the Soviet Union began the Berlin Blockade.
- On July 26, Truman signed Executive Order 9981 which desegregated the Armed Forces.
- 1949
- On January 5, Truman announced the Fair Deal program in this State of the Union Address.
- On April 4, the North Atlantic Treaty signed.
- On May 12, the Soviet Union ended the Berlin Blockade.
- On December 13, renovation began on the White House. The Trumans moved to Blair House across the street.
- 1950
- On January 31, Truman announced that the U.S. will develop a hydrogen bomb.
- On June 25, North Korea invaded South Korea starting the Korean War. Truman sent troops to the region five days later.
- On November 1, two Puerto Rican pro-independence activists attempted to assassinate Truman at Blair House. White House Police officer Leslie Coffelt died in the gunfight - the only Secret Service member to die protecting the president.
- 1951
- On April 11, Truman dismissed General Douglas MacArthur of his command of both U.S. and U.N. forces in Korea.
- 1952
- On November 1, the U.S. detonated the first hydrogen bomb.
Internet Biographies:
- Harry S. Truman -- from The Presidents of the United States of America
- Compiled by the White House.
- Harry Truman -- from The American President
- From the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia, in addition to information on the Presidents themselves, they have first lady and cabinet member biographies, listings of presidential staff and advisers, and timelines detailing significant events in the lives of each administration.
- Harry S. Truman -- from Encyclopaedia Britannica
- Facts about Truman and his presidency.
- Harry S. Truman -- from the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library & Museum
- A complete biography with a list of books for further reading.
- Harry S. Truman -- from Character Above All
- From a PBS broadcast by the same name, this essay excerpt by David McCullough discusses some of the issues and events that molded Truman.
Videos:
1 / 4
Harry Truman - The Only 20th Century President Without a College Degree | Mini Bio | BIOTruman’s Middle Name Controversy - a Presidential Story Ep. 20Truman Survives Shootout with Multiple Gunmen - a Presidential Story Ep. 72America's Presidents - Harry TrumanAmerican Presidents: Life Portraits - Harry S. Truman1 / 4
Historical Documents:
- Inaugural Address (1949)
- Truman Doctrine (1947)
- Farewell Address (1953)
- Harry S. Truman Digital Collections - from the Library of Congress
Other Internet Resources:
- The Best Biographies of Harry S. Truman
- In 2012, Stephen Floyd started his search for the best biography of each president. He usually has reviews of multiple biographies for each president.
- Harry S. Truman Birthplace State Historic Site
- The small house where Truman was born.
- Harry S. Truman National Historic Site
- The house where Truman lived from 1919 to his death is located in Independence, Missouri. The Truman Farm House, where Harry grew up, is located in Grandview, Missouri. Both are located in the Kansas City metropolitan area and both are part of the Truman NHS. Maintained by the National Park Service.
- Harry S. Truman Library & Museum
- Located in Independence, Missouri, this site contains an exhibit hall, press room, educational resources, and of course the papers of the former president.
- Health and Medical History of Harry Truman
- Medical background of each president with references. Compiled by John Sotos, MD.
Points of Interest:
1009 Truman St, Lamar, MO 64759
500 W US Hwy 24, Independence, MO 64050
219 N Delaware St, Independence, MO 64050
1009 Truman St, Lamar, MO 64759
500 W US Hwy 24, Independence, MO 64050
219 N Delaware St, Independence, MO 64050
Additional Facts:
- Truman was the first president assigned a Secret Service code name - General.
- Truman was the first president to have a television set installed in the White House.
- Truman's 1949 inauguration was the first televised.
- Truman was the first president to address the nation on television.
- In 1965, Truman was the first person issued a Medicare card.
- There has been considerable controversy regarding the use of a period after the S in Truman's name since it does not stand for anything. The Harry S. Truman Library website explains the controversy and the reason to use the period.
- Truman's motto was "The buck stops here."
Quotes:“It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.”
“I have found the best way to give advice to your children is to find out what they want and then advise them to do it.”
“You can not stop the spread of an idea by passing a law against it.”
“We need not fear the expression of ideas—we do need to fear their suppression.”
“A pessimist is one who makes difficulties of his opportunities and an optimist is one who makes opportunities of his difficulties.”
“There is nothing new in the world except the history you do not know.”
“You want a friend in Washington? Get a dog.”
“I never did give anybody hell. I just told the truth and they thought it was hell.”
“The reward of suffering is experience.”
“If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.”
“Always be sincere, even if you don’t mean it.”
“The only things worth learning are the things you learn after you know it all.”
“It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.”
“I have found the best way to give advice to your children is to find out what they want and then advise them to do it.”
“You can not stop the spread of an idea by passing a law against it.”
“We need not fear the expression of ideas—we do need to fear their suppression.”
“A pessimist is one who makes difficulties of his opportunities and an optimist is one who makes opportunities of his difficulties.”
“There is nothing new in the world except the history you do not know.”
“You want a friend in Washington? Get a dog.”
“I never did give anybody hell. I just told the truth and they thought it was hell.”
“The reward of suffering is experience.”
“If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.”
“Always be sincere, even if you don’t mean it.”
“The only things worth learning are the things you learn after you know it all.”