#33 Harry S. Truman: The Most Honest and American of all Presidents

“Truman” by David McCullough, 1992.

I miss Harry Truman, an honest, forthright, plain speaking, hardworking self-made man. Ironically, he is also the least educated modern president and the poorest president ever.  The adversities he faced in life would have made many give up, but he always believed in himself and his country.  You do not find anyone who did not like or respect him- even if they disagreed with him. Opponents, press, foreign leaders, and critics admired and respected him personally.  While history does not revere him as the most innovative, accomplished, or inspirational of presidents, if you google “character of presidents”, his name is at the top of the list.   Of all the presidents I have studied, he is the one I truly wish was president today.

Harry Truman’s parents were farmers and his father traded livestock.  The oldest child, he had very poor vision and was not that physically strong.  Harry was a mama’s boy who liked to help in the kitchen more than the farm.  But his mama was one tough mother and made him into a kind, honest man.   Harry excelled at playing the piano, having dreams of becoming a concert pianist.  He was sort of a bookish, nerdy kid but everyone liked him because he was so friendly and helpful. College was not affordable and West Point rejected him due to his poor vision.  So after graduating high school in Independence , MO he went to work at a bank in Kansas City. Harry progressed very well at the bank and continued to study the piano.  But 5 years later, he father’s trading business failed and forced the family to return to farming on his mother’s family farm near Grandview, MO. Harry returned to farming the 600 acres and for the next 10 years worked hard to scrape a living for the family. This was plowing with mules, sun up to sun down in a house without running water or electricity. But Harry never complained and after his father died, assumed the role taking care of his grandmother, mother and sister.

Harry, Mom and sister on family farm

The bright spot of Harry’s time on the farm was his frequent drives to Independence to visit Bess Wallace.  They had gone to school

See if you can spot Harry and Bess

together and friendship blossomed very slowly (7 or 8 years) into

romance.  Part of the problem was that Bess’s mother was a cranky,

controlling old woman who did not think

Harry and his family were good enough for her daughter.  When Bess’s father committed suicide, her mother just sucked the life out of Bess.  Even after they were married, her mother insisted that Bess stay with her.  Bess and Harry never owned their own home, living with cranky old Mrs. Wallace in her big Victorian house in Independence their whole lives, staying in that home even after her death.  Their daughter Margaret was born, when Harry was 40 years old, and she was also raised in this house.

When WW1 erupted, Harry memorized the eye chart so he could pass the physical exam and joined the army at the age of 33.  He was promoted to captain of an artillery unit and adored by his men. His troop became life long friends.  After the war, he and Bess

married and he needed to find employment that allowed him to live in Independence with cranky Mrs. Wallace.  The farm was now mostly run by his mom and sister, but he still helped out as much as he could.  He started a men’s clothing store in Kansas City with an army buddy- a natural business for Harry who was always a sharp dressed man. However, as the economy soured in the 1920’s, the store failed.  Harry refused to take bankruptcy and spent many years to pay it off. 

Harry and Tom Pendergast

Needing a job, Harry approached the Kansas City democratic party boss, Tom Pendergast, to gain his support for a run as a county judge.  (This judge position is actually more like a county commissioner, overseeing roads, construction, county functions etc) Pendergast supported him so Harry won. But when Harry was awarding road contracts, he was shocked to find Pendergast cronies stealing from the county.  He had to ignore the theft of 10K$ of highway funds in order to get funding and support for a new courthouse and six-million-dollar road package.  This is the one time Harry let Pendergast pull one over on him and it always bothered him. But Pendergast knew in the future he could only count on Harry’s support for honest contracts so their relationship continued. As a county judge, Harry was instrumental in the building of the Nelson Art Museum, city auditorium and Power and Light building in KC, all iconic structures in KC today. 

After eight years as a county judge, Harry wanted to run for governor but Pendergast convinced him to run for the senate. After he won, some referred to him as the senator from Pendergast.  Harry always defended him as a friend and justified it by saying a party leader is only a leader if he has the support of the people so Pendergast must be doing what the people wanted. Harry never personally profited from any contract or political connection or decision. A fact undisputed by his critics and opponents.Harry struggled in Washington at first, but quietly developed the respect of fellow senators.  

Bess hated living in Washington and for years just spent most of her time in Independence with her mother and Margaret.  They also struggled financially as Harry was probably the only senator to actually live on his salary and refused any sort of graft.  Harry finally made a name for himself by investigating the corruption of defense contractors during the war, saving untold millions during WW2.  This committee got his name in the newspapers a lot. 

Harry’s squeaky-clean image and the fact that everyone liked him, lead FDR’s team to pick him to be the VP for Roosevelt’s fourth term.  Truman did not really want the job but wanted Roosevelt and the democrats to win, so he agreed.  Truman barely knew FDR and due to FDR’s poor health, Truman did the majority of campaigning for them. The few images of them together show how healthy and robust Truman was compared to FDR.  In fact, Truman was worried that FDR was dying.

After the election, Roosevelt’s cabinet pretty much excluded Truman from anything, he wasn’t even allowed to know about the Manhattan Project.  In fact, FDR and Truman only met twice in person after the election.  When Roosevelt died in April after only 82 days of his fourth term, Truman took office and had to get up to speed on the war, the development of the bomb and foreign affairs.  Slowly Truman would replace most of Roosevelt's cabinet

members. After the victory in Europe in May, Truman participated with Churchill and Stalin in the Potsdam conference. Ironically, he kind of liked Stalin on a personal level and found Churchill too slow moving in decisions- a big contrast to Truman’s decisive nature.

While he was at Potsdam, Truman made the decision to drop the atomic bombs on the Japanese.  History has often second guessed this choice, but Truman never wavered in defending this choice.  He saw it as the fastest way to end the war with the least loss of life- both American and Japanese. 

After the war, Truman had to deal with the shortage of housing and jobs for returning soldiers.  This stress caused strikes in the rail and steel industries.  Once again Truman was decisive and planned to

draft all railway workers into the army so he could order them back to work.  This tactic led to a quick settlement. He also racially integrated the military and federal work force.

 Foreign affairs became a real strength for Truman. Rebuilding Europe after the war was a giant task, and Truman selected a giant of a man for the job- General George Marshall, former army Chief of staff.  He became Truman’s secretary of state and developed the Marshall Plan. The formation of Israel was a very tense, controversial move

but Truman made the US the first to recognize the new nation. Truman also confronted the Soviet’s blockade of Berlin by instituting the Berlin Airlift. Truman’s tough stance against the Russian’s was very popular.

In 1948, Truman decided to run again.  No one thought he could win and all the polls showed him losing to republican, Thomas Dewey.  Even the democratic party offered minimal support. Southern democrats were upset with his progress on civil rights and put forth their own candidate, Strom Thurmond.   So Truman decided to appeal to the people.  His massive, exhausting whistle stop train campaign was wildly popular.  Truman was never a dynamic speaker but when he

could improvise with a group of regular folks, he became so

relatable to people.  Their chants of “Give em hell, Harry” were signs of affection and respect. Dewey barely even spoke when campaigning since he thought he had it won.  The final tally showed the president had secured 303 electoral votes, Dewey 189, and Strom Thurmond only 39.

Truman’s next term was dominated by the involvement of the US in the Korean War.  He struggled with the prima donna General MacArthur, who so blatantly disrespected and disregarded Truman

and his policies, that Truman was forced to fire him--- a very unpopular move. This war would end in basically a stalemate at the 38^th parallel, but not until Eisenhower’s term.  The unpopularity of a lengthy war led to the end of Truman’s political career, just as Vietnam did to Johnson’s.

Other foreign policy successes of this term involved the careful approach to the Chinese communist revolution and the

establishment of the NATO treaties.  The continued suppression of eastern European countries by the Russians, led to the development of the cold war and hysteria about communism.   While Truman insisted on a “loyalty program” for federal workers (something he later called “a terrible mistake”), he was disgusted by the tactics of McCarthyism.  Truman’s secretary of state was now Dean Acheson, a great diplomat who would become Truman’s closest, lifelong friend.

Truman chose not to run for re-election in 1952- a wise choice since the wildly popular republican Eisenhower won in a landslide. Harry and Bess headed home to move back into his mother in-laws house that they had now inherited.  Harry refused to take any money or gifts from donors, accept speaking fees or work as a lobbyist.  He made a small amount of money writing his memoirs but really needed the presidential pension of $25,000 per year which was passed in 1957. Harry worked very hard fundraising for and organizing the Truman Presidential Library, keeping an office

there until his death.  When President Johnson signed the bill for Medicare in 1965, he did so in Independence at the Truman Library as a tribute to Harry who had first proposed the idea of healthcare for all.  Harry and Bess received the first two Medicare cards. He died in 1972 and Bess died ten years later.  They are both buried at the Truman Library.

Harry Truman could be impulsive, quick tempered and stubborn.  But he was always honest with the press, people, politicians and other leaders. He always accepted responsibility for his mistakes- “the buck stops here”. His humility also led him to credit much of his achievements to Marshall and others. He worked 12 hours a day 6 and a half days a week as president.  His lack of a college education made him determined to study every issue more than any other

president.   He was completely faithful to Bess his whole life- never the slightest whiff of scandal. His enduring popularity and respect have always placed him among the greats. Because Harry Truman was always just completely himself, the best of American men.