American Presidents

A Site to Complement C-SPAN's 20th Anniversary Television Series, American Presidents: Life Portraits
March-December 1999

Harry S. Truman: Life Portrait

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    • LIFE FACTS

    Personal

    First Lady: Elizabeth "Bess" Virginia Wallace Truman, Wife

    Wife's Maiden Name:
    Elizabeth Wallace

    Number of Children: 1

    Education Level: High School

    School Attended:
    Independence High School, (attended night classes at the University of Missouri - Kansas City School of Law. Did not graduate.)

    Religion: Baptist

    Profession:
    Bank Clerk, Farmer, Soldier, Businessman, Politicain

    Military Service:
    Colonel

    Public Service

    Dates of Presidency: 4/12/1945 - 1/20/1953

    Presidency Number: 33

    Number of Terms: 2

    Why Presidency Ended: Retire

    Party: Democratic

    His Vice President(s): Alben William Barkley

    Vice President For: Franklin D. Roosevelt (1945-1945)

    Senator: Missouri (1935-1945)

    Other Offices: Judge of Jackson County (MO); Presiding Judge of Jackson County (MO)

    Footnotes  
    Methodology  &  Resources


    Did You Know?

    • He made the decision to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which led to the end of World War II.
    • His started his career as a banker in Missouri.
    • He presided over the Korean War.
    • He approved the creation of NATO.

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    Harry S. Truman: Life Portrait Video Clip List

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    Harry S. Truman Program
    Video Clip List
    Clip # Start Time End Time Description
    1 0:11 6:54 Biographical vignette
    2 6:54 9:33 Introduction of Alonzo Hamby biographer of Truman; how Truman became president; preparedness for presidency; knowledge of Atomic bomb; state of World War II when Truman entered office
    3 9:33 11:14 Truman's Masonic activity; involvement with War Crimes Tribunal
    4 11:14 12:18 Truman's childhood in Missouri
    5 12:18 14:07 Mural in Truman library; characteristics of Independence, MO as source of Oregon and Santa Fe trails; influence of the West on Truman as a boy, stories by his grandfather
    6 14:07 15:01 Question and response regarding the generational influence of Truman
    7 15:01 16:49 Truman's announcement of V-E day May 8th 1945
    Watch Clip 7
    8 16:49 20:31 Truman's decision making process, decision to drop the atomic bomb
    9 20:31 22:26 Discussion of Truman library; Truman kept office in library after his presidency, mixed blessing for researchers having Truman in library
    10 24:04 25:31 Truman in Key West; recreation
    11 25:31 28:55 Discussion of Truman Doctrine; Truman address to Congress March 12, 1947, unofficial declaration of Cold War
    12 28:55 32:31 Caller speaking of Truman's ideas regarding historical periods of hysteria; popularity of Truman over time
    13 32:29 37:30 Director of Truman library; exhibition on Truman; Independence, MO, childhood home of Harry Truman, drugstore where he held his first job
    14 37:30 40:40 Accessibility for researchers; fundraising and funding for Truman Presidential library; relationship between National Archives and Presidential Libraries
    15 40:40 42:48 Disscussion of Truman's lack of a college education; attendance of law school without a college degree
    16 42:48 44:47 Caller question regarding Korean conflict; firing of General MacArthur
    17 44:47 45:52 Truman calling Korean war a police action
    18 45:52 47:12 Birthplace of Truman; early life and family
    19 47:12 49:34 Question from caller, could Truman had done anything to stop other countries from developing nuclear weapons?
    20 49:34 52:13 Caller's personal story regarding meeting the president in the Truman library
    21 52:13 53:36 Harry and Bess Truman as private people; life in the post presidential years
    22 53:36 57:12 Caller story about Truman speaking to students at Yale; question regarding Truman's relationship with Adelai Stevenson and Winston Churchill; Truman speaking to students
    23 57:12 59:54 Marshall Plan; relationship between Sec. of State Dean Atchison and Truman; Joseph Stalin
    24 59:54 1:00:57 Potsdam Conference 1945
    25 1:00:57 1:02:48 Uncertainty of China's future after World War II
    26 1:02:48 1:04:00 Marshall Plan and Congressional response
    27 1:04:00 1:05:20 Relationship between Generals Marshall and Eisenhower; selection of General Eisenhower as Supreme Allied Commander
    28 1:05:20 1:07:49 Relationship between General Eisenhower and Truman; similarities between speculation about generals in Gulf War; political fallout between Eisenhower and Truman
    Watch Clip 28
    29 1:07:49 1:11:05 Election of 1948, Democratic Convention; Civil Rights; Truman victory without united South
    30 1:11:06 1:14:36 Loyalty Program; renovation of the White House; assassination attempt
    31 1:14:36 1:18:47 Discussion of Truman's video tour of the White House; cars driven by Trumans; President's interest in cars
    32 1:18:35 1:21:12 White House renovation, missing mantelpiece
    33 1:21:12 1:22:49 Berkley loyalty oath; Saturday night lectures
    34 1:22:49 1:25:12 Caller perspective on lives saved by Truman's decision to drop the atomic bomb
    35 1:25:12 1:30:33 Bess Wallace, Truman's wife; Truman's letters to wife Bess
    36 1:30:33 l:31:26 Letter from Truman to his wife, time line of significant dates in thirty-two years of marriage
    37 1:31:26 1:32:38 Caller comments on how his military experience was affected by President Truman
    38 1:32:38 1:33:44 One of Truman's first letters to Bess during the White House years
    39 1:33:44 1:36:02 Truman's attitude upon entering presidency; Truman's wife's reaction to his entering office
    40 1:36:02 1:38:50 Renovation of White House; Theodore Roosevelt's buffalo mantelpiece; letters to Bess about ghosts in the White House
    Watch Clip 40
    41 1:39:45 1:43:56 Conversation with teacher who uses Truman library resources; what students learned from primary sources; Truman Trunk
    42 1:44:43 1:46:23 Truman's farewell address
    43 1:51:20 1:53:06 Truman's acceptance of Democratic Presidential nomination, 1948
    44 1:53:06 1:55:08 Timelime of Truman; cabinet officers; significant dates during Truman's administration
    45 1:55:51 1:57:54 Caller question regarding dropping of atomic bomb; Roswell; how did knowing that the United States had that kind of power affect him?
    46 1:57:54 1:59:19 Caller question regarding Truman's home in Independence,MO
    47 1:59:19 2:00:34 Caller story about flying on Truman's inaugural day parade; "I took care of the old rascal"
    48 2:00:34 2:02:27 Question regarding rift between Eisenhower and Truman; Joe McCarthy charges against George Marshall
    49 2:02:27 2:06:11 Executive Order to integrate the military; reaction of black soldiers; Eisenhower's opinion regarding integration of military
    50 2:06:11 2:10:30 Margeret Truman Daniel, daughter of President Truman
    51 2:10:30 2:11:13 Margeret Truman Daniel on painting the kitchen light green
    52 2:11:13 2:12:55 Discussion of Truman's decision to fire General MacArthur
    54 2:12:55 2:15:01 Caller regarding letter from Truman to AJ Knob, fellow soldier in World War I; Truman's war career
    55 2:15:01 2:18:24 Margeret Truman Daniel on her father's eyesight; love of books
    56 2:18:24 2:19:54 Margeret Truman on her mother's life after President Truman's death; selling home in Missouri
    57 2:19:54 2:21:23 Caller story about visit to the White House with Truman's daughter
    58 2:21:23 2:23:40 Documents available to researchers in Truman Library; recognition of state of Israel; President's decision to recognize Israel
    59 2:23:40 2:26:53 Unsent letter to Senator Joe McCarthy; diary entries; frustration with Congress
    Watch Clip 59
    60 2:26:53 2:28:04 Relationship with Congresses; Fair Deal program
    61 2:28:04 2:29:43 Dropping of atomic bomb; ultimatum to Japan after Potsdam Conference
    62 2:29:43 2:31:02 Caller information on Truman scholarship foundation
    63 2:31:02 2:33:33 Draft letter to Secretary of State James F. Burns regarding frustration with Soviet Union
    64 2:33:33 2:35:51 Letter to Kansas City friend regarding civil rights and executive order to integrate troops
    65 2:35:51 2:37:01 Caller regarding Truman's decision to integrate troops
    66 2:37:01 2:39:40 22nd Amendment; lobby for Presidential pensions; vice presidents
    67 2:39:40 2:40:33 Presidential cab ride
    68 2:40:33 2:41:46 President and Mrs. Truman's gravesite
    69 2:41:46 2:44:10 Potsdam Conference; partition of Korea; China

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