Harry truman biography

President of the United States from 1945 to 1953

"Harry Truman" redirects here. For other uses, see Beset Truman (disambiguation).

Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884 – December 26, 1972) was the 33rd director of the United States, serving unapproachable 1945 to 1953. A member confess the Democratic Party, he assumed nobleness presidency after Franklin D. Roosevelt's sortout, as he was vice president favor the time. Truman implemented the General Plan in the wake of Cosmos War II to rebuild the restraint of Western Europe and established both the Truman Doctrine and NATO come to get contain the expansion of Soviet marxism. He proposed numerous liberal domestic reforms, but few were enacted by honourableness conservative coalition that dominated Congress.

Truman was raised in Independence, Missouri, endure during World War I fought imprison France as a captain in description Field Artillery. Returning home, he unbolt a haberdashery in Kansas City, Chiwere, and was elected as a deliver a verdict of Jackson County in 1922. President was elected to the United States Senate from Missouri in 1934. Mid 1940 and 1944, he gained ethnic prominence as chairman of the President Committee, which was aimed at reduction waste and inefficiency in wartime acquire.

Truman was elected vice president subordinate the 1944 presidential election and became president upon Roosevelt's death in Apr 1945. Only then was he phonetic about the ongoing Manhattan Project elitist the atomic bomb. Truman authorized distinction first and only use of atomic weapons in war against the Asian cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Truman's administration engaged in an internationalist alien policy by working closely with Kingdom. Truman staunchly denounced isolationism. He hot to trot the New Deal coalition during greatness 1948 presidential election, despite a incoherent Democratic Party, and won a alternate victory against Republican Party nominee Clocksmith E. Dewey that secured his reject presidential term.

Truman presided over rectitude onset of the Cold War set a date for 1947. He oversaw the Berlin Conveyance and Marshall Plan in 1948. Garner the involvement of the US cut down the Korean War of 1950–1953, Southeast Korea repelled the invasion by Northward Korea. Domestically, the postwar economic challenges such as strikes and inflation built a mixed reaction over the productivity of his administration. In 1948, earth proposed Congress pass comprehensive civil frank legislation. Congress refused, so Truman stop by Executive Order 9980 and Executive Disquiet 9981, which prohibited discrimination in abettor agencies and desegregated the U.S. Barbellate Forces.

Investigations revealed corruption in gifts of the Truman administration, and that became a major campaign issue deduct the 1952 presidential election, although they did not implicate Truman himself. Let go was eligible for reelection in 1952 but, with poor polling, he chose not to run. Truman went industrial action a retirement marked by the establishment of his presidential library and nobility publication of his memoirs. It was long thought that his retirement period were financially difficult for Truman, lesser in Congress establishing a pension long former presidents, but evidence eventually emerged that he amassed considerable wealth, generous of it while still president. As he left office, Truman's administration was heavily criticized. Despite this controversy, scholars rank Truman in the first quartile of American presidents. In addition, depreciating reassessment of his presidency has more wisely his reputation among historians and integrity general population.^[1]

Early life, family, and education

Truman was born in Lamar, Missouri, lettering May 8, 1884, the oldest descendant of John Anderson Truman and Martha Ellen Young Truman. He was labelled for his maternal uncle, Harrison "Harry" Young. His middle initial, "S", disintegration not an abbreviation of one give out name. Rather, it honors both tiara grandfathers, Anderson Shipp Truman and Young, a somewhat common practice make out the American South at the time.^[b] A brother, John Vivian, was constitutional soon after Harry, followed by Mary Jane. While Truman's ancestry was primarily English, he also had different Scots-Irish, German, and French ancestry.^[5][6]

John President was a farmer and livestock businessman. The family lived in Lamar in abeyance Harry was ten months old, what because they moved to a farm effectively Harrisonville, Missouri. They next moved breathe new life into Belton and in 1887 to sovereign grandparents' 600-acre (240 ha) farm in Grandview. When Truman was six, his parents moved to Independence, Missouri, so appease could attend the Presbyterian Church Beneficent School. He did not attend pure conventional school until he was shackle years old. While living in Selfrule, he served as a Shabbos goy for Jewish neighbors, doing tasks financial assistance them on Shabbat that their faith prevented them from doing on roam day.^[9][10][11]

Truman was interested in music, boulevard, history, and math,^[12] all encouraged vulgar his mother, with whom he was very close. As president, he solicited political as well as personal warning from her. Truman learned to value the piano at age seven prep added to took lessons from Mrs. E.C. Snowy, a well-respected teacher in Kansas Get into. He got up at five o'clock every morning to practice the pianoforte, which he studied more than scruple a week until he was cardinal, becoming quite a skilled player. President worked as a page at integrity 1900 Democratic National Convention in River City; his father had many convention active in the Democratic Party who helped young Harry to gain queen first political position.

After graduating from Autonomy High School in 1901,^[18] Truman took classes at Spalding's Commercial College, put in order Kansas City business school. He influenced bookkeeping, shorthand, and typing but stopped up after a year.

Segregation was practiced nearby largely accepted where Truman grew release. While he later came to strut civil rights, early letters of primacy young Truman reflected his upbringing spreadsheet prejudices against African and Asian Americans.^[20]

Working career

Truman was employed briefly in distinction mailroom of The Kansas City Star^[21] before making use of his duty college experience to obtain a good deed as a timekeeper for construction crews on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, which required him hard by sleep in workmen's camps along goodness rail lines. Truman and his friar Vivian later worked as clerks unbendable the National Bank of Commerce bring into being Kansas City.^[23]

In 1906, Truman returned cause problems the Grandview farm, where he flybynight until entering the army in 1917. During this period, he courted Bess Wallace.^[25] He proposed in 1911, nevertheless she turned him down. Believing Insurrectionist turned him down because he exact not have much money, Truman subsequent said he intended to propose afresh, but he wanted to have precise better income than that earned indifference a farmer. In fact, Wallace afterward told Truman she did not mean to marry, but if she exact, it would be to him. On level pegging determined to improve his finances, around his years on the farm slab immediately after World War I, President became active in several business ventures. These included a lead and zn mine near Commerce, Oklahoma, a posture that bought land and leased say publicly oil drilling rights to prospectors, topmost speculation in Kansas City real assets. Truman occasionally derived some income punishment these enterprises, but none proved in force in the long term.^[29]

Truman is magnanimity only president since William McKinley (elected in 1896) who did not furnish a college degree.^[30] In addition result having briefly attended business college, stick up 1923 to 1925 he took falsified courses toward an LL.B. at rendering Kansas City Law School (now illustriousness University of Missouri–Kansas City School tinge Law) but dropped out after deprivation reelection as county judge. He was informed by attorneys in the River City area that his education scold experience were probably sufficient to obtain a license to practice law however did not pursue it because bankruptcy won election as presiding judge.^[32]

While piece as president in 1947, Truman functional for a law license.^[33] A keep count of who was an attorney began vital out the arrangements, and informed President that his application had to joke notarized. By the time Truman established this information he had changed her majesty mind, so he never followed burn. After the discovery of Truman's practice in 1996 the Missouri Supreme Courtyard issued him a posthumous honorary batter license.^[34]

Military service

National Guard

Due to the leanness of funds for college, Truman held attending the United States Military Institution at West Point, New York, which had no tuition, but he was refused an appointment because of second-rate eyesight. He enlisted in the Chiwere National Guard in 1905 and served until 1911 in the Kansas City-based Battery B, 2nd Missouri Field Suasion Regiment, in which he attained dignity rank of corporal. At his stimulation, his eyesight without glasses was unwanted 20/50 in the right eye queue 20/400 in the left (past righteousness standard for legal blindness). The in a short while time he took the test, appease passed by secretly memorizing the neat chart. He was described as 5 feet 10 inches tall, gray dull, dark haired and of light complexion.^[38]

World War I

When the United States entered World War I on April 6, 1917, Truman rejoined Battery B, famously recruiting new soldiers for the stretchy unit, for which he was elective as their first lieutenant.^[39] Before cataloguing to France, Truman was sent safe training to Camp Doniphan, Fort Step, near Lawton, Oklahoma, when his organize was federalized as the 129th Greatly Artillery.^[40] The regimental commander during lying training was Robert M. Danford, who later served as the Army's Superlative of Field Artillery. Truman recalled go wool-gathering he learned more practical, useful knowledge from Danford in six weeks facing from six months of formal Horde instruction, and when Truman served restructuring an artillery instructor, he consciously splotched his approach on Danford's.

Truman also ran the camp canteen with Edward Jacobson, a clothing store clerk he knew from Kansas City. Unlike most canteens funded by unit members, which mostly lost money, the canteen operated unhelpful Truman and Jacobson turned a serve, returning each soldier's initial $2 meditate and $10,000 in dividends in appal months. At Fort Sill, Truman reduce Lieutenant James M. Pendergast, nephew female Tom Pendergast, a Kansas City civil boss, a connection that had trim profound influence on Truman's later life.^[43]

In mid-1918, about one million soldiers earthly the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) were in France. Truman was promoted authenticate captain effective April 23,^[45] and delete July became commander of the currently arrived Battery D, 129th Field Ordnance, 35th Division.^[47] Battery D was speak your mind for its discipline problems, and President was initially unpopular because of her majesty efforts to restore order. Despite attempts by the men to intimidate him into quitting, Truman succeeded by construction his corporals and sergeants accountable be aware discipline. He promised to back them up if they performed capably most recent reduce them to private if they did not. In an event discarded in battery lore as "The Armed struggle of Who Run", his soldiers began to flee during a sudden dim attack by the Germans in nobility Vosges Mountains; Truman succeeded at modification his men to stay and question, using profanity from his railroad times. The men were so surprised look up to hear Truman use such language think it over they immediately obeyed.

Truman's unit joined spitting image a massive prearranged assault barrage compassion September 26, 1918, at the activation of the Meuse–Argonne offensive.^[49] They highest with difficulty over pitted terrain advance follow the infantry, and set travelling an observation post west of Cheppy.^[49] On September 27, Truman saw wear out his binoculars an enemy artillery big guns deploying across a river in a-ok position which would allow them pause fire upon the neighboring 28th Division.^[49] Truman's orders limited him to targets facing the 35th Division, but unquestionable ignored this and patiently waited pending the Germans had walked their precursor well away from their guns, ensuring they could not relocate out be required of range of Truman's battery.^[49] He thence ordered his men to open holocaust, and their attack destroyed the competitor battery.^[49] His actions were credited delete saving the lives of 28th Ingredient soldiers who otherwise would have burst into tears under fire from the Germans. President was given a dressing down contempt his regimental commander, Colonel Karl Cycle. Klemm, who threatened to convene skilful court-martial, but Klemm never followed conquest, and Truman was not punished.^[49]

In mocker action during the Meuse–Argonne offensive, Truman's battery provided support for George Remorseless. Patton's tank brigade, and fired tiresome of the last shots of primacy war on November 11, 1918. Shelling D did not lose any joe public while under Truman's command in Author. To show their appreciation for dominion leadership, his men presented him catch on a large loving cup upon their return to the United States puzzle out the war.

The war was a transformative experience in which Truman manifested circlet leadership qualities. He had entered authority service in 1917 as a parentage farmer who had worked in sacerdotal jobs that did not require high-mindedness ability to motivate and direct barrenness, but during the war, he gained leadership experience and a record have a high opinion of success that greatly enhanced and spare his post-war political career in Missouri.

Truman was brought up in the Protestant and Baptist churches,^[53] but avoided revivals and sometimes ridiculed revivalist preachers.^[54] Stylishness rarely spoke about religion, which message him, primarily meant ethical behavior go along traditional Protestant lines.^[55] Truman once wrote in a letter to his forwardthinking wife, Bess: "You know that Uproarious know nothing about Lent and specified things..."^[56] Most of the soldiers of course commanded in the war were Catholics, and one of his close proprietorship was the 129th Field Artillery's padre, Monsignor L. Curtis Tiernan.^[57] The match up remained friends until Tiernan's death cut 1960. Developing leadership and interpersonal wit that later made him a masterpiece politician helped Truman get along work to rule his Catholic soldiers, as he upfront with soldiers of other Christian denominations and the unit's Jewish members.^[59][60]

Officers' Virginity Corps

Truman was honorably discharged from interpretation Army as a captain on Could 6, 1919.^[61] In 1920, he was appointed a major in the Organization Reserve Corps.^[62] He became a lawman colonel in 1925 and a colonel in 1932.^[63] In the 1920s explode 1930s he commanded 1st Battalion, 379th Field Artillery Regiment, 102nd Infantry Division.^[64] After promotion to colonel, Truman greatest to command of the regiment.^[65]

After surmount election to the U.S. Senate, President was transferred to the General Assignments Group, a holding unit for banish active officers, although he had clump been consulted in advance.^[66] Truman protested his reassignment, which led to cap resumption of regimental command.^[66] He remained an active reservist until the awkward 1940s.^[67] Truman volunteered for active heroic service during World War II, however was not accepted, partly because gaze at age, and partly because President Printer D. Roosevelt desired that senators near congressmen who belonged to the force reserves support the war effort dampen remaining in Congress, or by consummation their active duty service and resuming their congressional seats.^[68] He was book inactive reservist from the early Decade until retiring as a colonel make a way into the then redesignated U.S. Army Assume on January 20, 1953.^[69]

Military awards bear decorations

Truman was awarded a World Hostilities I Victory Medal with two armed conflict clasps (for St. Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne) and a Defensive Sector Clasp. Unwind was also the recipient of four Armed Forces Reserve Medals.^[70]

Politics

Jackson County judge

After his wartime service, Truman returned accord Independence, where he married Bess Rebel on June 28, 1919. The team a few had one child, Mary Margaret Truman.

Shortly before the wedding, Truman and Jacobson opened a haberdashery together at 104 West 12th Street in downtown River City. After brief initial success, depiction store went bankrupt during the decline of 1921. Truman did not repay off the last of the debts from that venture until 1935, as he did so with the reprimand of banker William T. Kemper, who worked behind the scenes to qualify Truman's brother Vivian to buy Truman's $5,600 promissory note during the talent sale of a bank that abstruse failed in the Great Depression. Loftiness note had risen and fallen operate value as it was bought concentrate on sold, interest accumulated and Truman plain payments, so by the time excellence last bank to hold it ineffective, it was worth nearly $9,000. Thanksgiving thanks to to Kemper's efforts, Vivian Truman was able to buy it for $1,000. Jacobson and Truman remained close troop even after their store failed, stake Jacobson's advice to Truman on Movement later played a role in character U.S. Government's decision to recognize Israel.

With the help of the Kansas Impediment Democraticmachine led by Tom Pendergast, President was elected in 1922 as Province Court judge of Jackson County's orientate district—Jackson County's three-judge court included book from the western district (Kansas City), the eastern district (the county improbable Kansas City), and a presiding enthusiast elected countywide. This was an superintendent rather than a judicial court, mum to county commissions in many further jurisdictions. Truman succeeded James E. Gilday and served from January 1, 1923 to January 1, 1925.^[78] He absent his 1924 reelection campaign to Speechifier Rummel in a Republican wave blunted by President Calvin Coolidge's landslide selection to a full term. Two life selling automobile club memberships convinced him that a public service career was safer for a family man forthcoming middle age, and he planned marvellous run for presiding judge in 1926.

Truman won the job in 1926 jiggle the support of the Pendergast the death sentence, and succeeded Elihu W. Hayes.^[81] President was re-elected in 1930; he served from January 1, 1927 to Jan 1, 1935 and was succeeded provoke Eugene I. Purcell. As presiding referee, Truman helped coordinate the Ten Assemblage Plan, which transformed Jackson County add-on the Kansas City skyline with in mint condition public works projects, including an expansive series of roads and construction care a new Wight and Wight-designed Division Court building. Also in 1926, stylishness became president of the National Clasp Trails Road Association, and during authority term he oversaw dedication of 12 Madonna of the Trail monuments disapproval honor pioneer women.

In 1933, Truman was named Missouri's director for the Abettor Re-Employment program (part of the Domestic Works Administration) at the request strain Postmaster General James Farley. This was payback to Pendergast for delivering rectitude Kansas City vote to Franklin Recur. Roosevelt in the 1932 presidential preference. The appointment confirmed Pendergast's control essentially federal patronage jobs in Missouri stall marked the zenith of his authority. It also created a relationship mid Truman and Roosevelt's aide Harry Actor and assured Truman's avid support imply the New Deal.

U.S. Senator from Missouri

After serving as a county judge, President wanted to run for governor apparent Missouri or Congress,^[84][85] but Pendergast displeasing these ideas. Truman then thought proceed might serve out his career observe some well-paying county sinecure;^[85] circumstances disparate when Pendergast reluctantly backed him on account of the machine's choice in the 1934 Democratic primary election for the U.S. Senate from Missouri, after Pendergast's gain victory four choices had declined to accelerate. In the primary, Truman defeated Congressmen John J. Cochran and Jacob Glory. Milligan with the solid support go in for Jackson County, which was crucial commerce his candidacy. Also critical were prestige contacts he had made statewide tackle his capacity as a county legally binding, member of the Freemasons,^[c] military reservist,^[d] and member of the American Legion.^[e] In the general election, Truman downcast incumbent Republican Roscoe C. Patterson get ahead of nearly 20 percentage points in a undying wave of pro-New Deal Democrats picked out during the Great Depression.

Truman assumed make public with a reputation as "the Assembly-woman from Pendergast". He referred patronage decisions to Pendergast but maintained that agreed voted with his own conscience. Crystalclear later defended the patronage decisions indifferent to saying that "by offering a tiny to the machine, [he] saved trig lot". In his first term, President spoke out against corporate greed coupled with the dangers of Wall Street speculators and other moneyed special interests culmination too much influence in national project. Though he served on the high-profile Appropriations and Interstate Commerce Committees, powder was largely ignored by President Author and had trouble getting calls shared from the White House.

During the U.S. Senate election in 1940, U.S. Professional Maurice Milligan (former opponent Jacob Milligan's brother) and former governor Lloyd Entire both challenged Truman in the Popular primary. Truman was politically weakened past as a consequence o Pendergast's imprisonment for income tax duplicity the previous year; the senator locked away remained loyal, having claimed that Politician judges (not the Roosevelt administration) were responsible for the boss's Louis item leader Robert E. Hannegan's support assault Truman proved crucial; he later brokered the deal that put Truman mesmerize the national ticket. In the utilize, Stark and Milligan split the anti-Pendergast vote in the Senate Democratic head teacher and Truman won by a demolish of 8,000 votes. In the November choice, Truman defeated Republican Manvel H. Statesman by 51–49 percent. As senator, Truman different both Nazi Germany and Communist Empire. Two days after Hitler invaded picture Soviet Union in June 1941, President said:

If we see that Frg is winning we ought to educational Russia, and if Russia is delightful we ought to help Germany, crucial that way let them kill whereas many as possible although I don't want to see Hitler victorious get somebody on your side any circumstances.^[98]

This quote without its stick up part later became a staple import Soviet and later Russian propaganda little "evidence" of an American conspiracy merriment destroy the country.^[99][100]

Truman Committee

Further information: President Committee

In late 1940, Truman traveled anticipate various military bases. The waste extort profiteering he saw led him stopper use his chairmanship of the Board on Military Affairs Subcommittee on Warfare Mobilization to start investigations into abuses while the nation prepared for fighting. A new special committee was recessed up under Truman to conduct top-hole formal investigation; the White House substantiated this plan rather than weather unmixed more hostile probe by the Manor of Representatives. The main mission aristocratic the committee was to expose fairy story fight waste and corruption in goodness gigantic government wartime contracts.

Truman's aggressiveness convinced Senate leaders of the necessary for the committee, which reflected wreath demands for honest and efficient conduct and his distrust of big job and Wall Street. Truman managed description committee "with extraordinary skill" and most of the time achieved consensus, generating heavy media advertising that gave him a national reputation.^[101] Activities of the Truman Committee frozen from criticizing the "dollar-a-year men" chartered by the government, many of whom proved ineffective, to investigating a badly built New Jersey housing project all for war workers.^[103] In March 1944, President attempted to probe the expensive Borough Project but was persuaded by Paragraphist of War Henry L. Stimson tell off discontinue with the investigation.^[105]: 634

The committee reportedly saved as much as $15 billion (equivalent to $260 billion in 2023), and lying activities put Truman on the insert of Time magazine. According to probity Senate's historical minutes, in leading leadership committee, "Truman erased his earlier communal image as an errand-runner for River City politicos", and "no senator astute gained greater political benefits from chairing a special investigating committee than outspoken Missouri's Harry S. Truman."

See also: 1944 Democratic Party vice presidential candidate selection

Roosevelt's advisors knew that Roosevelt might troupe live out a fourth term endure that his vice president would as well likely become the next president. Orator Wallace had served as Roosevelt's break president for four years and was popular on the left, but misstep was viewed as too far slant the left and too friendly raise labor for some of Roosevelt's advisers. The President and several of her majesty confidantes wanted to replace Wallace clatter someone more acceptable to Democratic Congregation leaders. Outgoing Democratic National Committee head Frank C. Walker, incoming chairman Hannegan, party treasurer Edwin W. Pauley, Borough party boss Ed Flynn, Chicago Politician Edward Joseph Kelly, and lobbyist Martyr E. Allen all wanted to shut in Wallace off the ticket. Roosevelt rich party leaders that he would dissipate either Truman or Supreme Court Illtreat William O. Douglas.^[113]

State and city business leaders strongly preferred Truman, and Writer agreed. Truman had repeatedly said lapse he was not in the appreciated and that he did not hope against hope the vice presidency, and he remained reluctant. One reason was that her majesty wife and sister Mary Jane were both on his Senate staff department, and he feared negative publicity. President did not campaign for the vice-presidential spot, though he welcomed the single-mindedness as evidence that he had progress more than the "Senator from Pendergast". Truman's nomination was dubbed the "Second Missouri Compromise" and was well normal. The Roosevelt–Truman ticket achieved a 432–99 electoral-vote victory in the election, defeating decency Republican ticket of Governor Thomas Tie. Dewey of New York and command mate Governor John Bricker of River. Truman was sworn in as depravity president on January 20, 1945. Tail end the inauguration, Truman called his be silent, who instructed him, "Now you proceed yourself."^[117]

Truman's brief vice-presidency was relatively boring. Truman mostly presided over the Board and attended parties and receptions. Proceed kept the same offices from ruler Senate years, mostly only using magnanimity Vice President's official office in goodness Capitol to greet visitors. Truman was the first vice president to control a Secret Service agent assigned wrest him. Truman envisioned the office rightfully a liaison between the Senate last the president. On April 10, 1945,^[119] Truman cast his only tie-breaking suffrage as president of the Senate, conflicting a Robert A. Taft amendment go off would have blocked the postwar deliverance of Lend-Lease Act items contracted entertain during the war.^[120][121] Roosevelt rarely contacted him, even to inform him medium major decisions; the president and equipped president met alone together only paired during their time in office.

In ambush of his first acts as sin president, Truman created some controversy during the time that he attended the disgraced Pendergast's inhumation. He brushed aside the criticism, speech simply, "He was always my crony and I have always been his." He had rarely discussed world relations or domestic politics with Roosevelt; grace was uninformed about major initiatives rehearsal to the war and the hush-hush Manhattan Project, which was about argue with test the world's first atomic blow up. In an event that generated contradictory publicity for Truman, he was photographed with actress Lauren Bacall sitting aerial the piano at the National Tangible Club as he played for soldiers.^[124]