Harry S. Truman

Harry S. Truman

Harry S. Truman (born May 8, 1884, Lamar, Missouri, U.S.—died December 26, 1972, Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.) was the 33rd president of the United States (1945–53), who led his nation through the last turbulent years of World War II and through the first turbulent years of the Cold War, breaking with the traditional bipartisan foreign policy of the past and instituting a forceful program to confront the Soviet Union everywhere it was thought to be challenging American interests. He oversaw the initiation of the Marshall Plan, the Berlin Airlift, the Point Four Program, the establishment of NATO, and the commitment of U.S. troops to South Korea. Within the United States his support of labour and civil rights Legislation aroused strong opposition, and he was unable to pass his Fair Deal domestic program. He was forced to endure public condemnation for his handling of the Korean War and for the cloak-and-dagger scandals of his subordinates. During the last 18 months of his second term, his popularity reached a new low. Although he had regained some favour before his retirement from office, at the end of his second term he registered the lowest approval rating of any president.

Born on May 8, 1884, Harry S. Truman’s roots were in the heart of America. His parents, John Truman (1851-1914) and Martha Young Truman (1852-1947), lived on a farm near the town of Lamar, Missouri, while Harry was being raised. (The S in Harry’s name is a compromise–it was meant to honor both of Truman’s grandfathers whose first names started with the letter S. It does not actually stand for a specific name.)

In 1890 the family moved to Independence, Missouri, a town about 25 miles east of Kansas City, and Harry attended school. He was a good student who loved to read. Due to poor eyesight as a child, Truman wore thick eyeglasses and was told by his doctor not to play sports for fear that he might break them. For Truman, who stood barely five feet tall as an adult, there were bigger challenges than his eyesight. Since his family was not financially well off, they could not afford to send the bright young man to college. After graduating from high school in 1901, Truman worked at a few jobs before managing the family farm near Grandview, Missouri, from 1906 to 1914.

During this time, Truman joined the Missouri National Guard. From 1917 to 1919, Truman served in World War I as a captain of Field Artillery in France.

After returning stateside, he married Bess Wallace (1891-1982), his high school classmate, in 1919. That same year the pair–who would have one child, a daughter, Mary Margaret Truman (1924-2008)–opened a men’s clothing store in Kansas City. The business was unsuccessful, however, and forced to shut its doors in 1922.

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