Clifton Truman Daniel

Clifton Truman Daniel was born on June 5, 1957, at Doctors Hospital in Manhattan, New York City. He is the eldest son of Clifton Daniel and Margaret Truman. His father, Clifton Daniel Jr., served as the managing editor of The New York Times, and his mother, Margaret Truman, was a best-selling mystery author. Daniel has three brothers.

He pursued his education at Milton Academy and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Professionally, he has held roles such as a feature writer and editor for the Morning Star and Sunday Star-News, newspapers associated with The New York Times in Wilmington, North Carolina. He currently serves as the Director of Public Relations for Truman College, which is part of the City Colleges of Chicago.

Daniel holds the position of vice president of the Society of Presidential Descendants and is the honorary chairman of the board of trustees of the Harry S. Truman Library Institute. The institute is a nonprofit organization that partners with the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum located in Independence, Missouri. He is also a member of the board of the National First Ladies Day Commission and frequently participates as a speaker and fundraiser.

In addition to his career in public relations and writing, Daniel is involved in Freemasonry. He was made a Mason at sight on December 3, 2011, by Most Worshipful Brother Terry L. Seward, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Illinois. He has been a Scottish Rite Mason since 2014, is an Honorary 33° member of the Scottish Rite, NMJ, and serves as an Exemplar. His Masonic affiliations include membership in the Valley of Chicago.

In 2012, Daniel visited Hiroshima and Nagasaki, sites associated with the atomic bombings ordered by his grandfather during World War II. He is often asked to comment on that historical decision. He has appeared as a commentator on topics related to Harry S. Truman's presidency, including his first term and the 1948 presidential election, notably on the program Race for the White House in 2016. Since 2017, Daniel has performed the role of Harry S. Truman in staged performances of the play Give 'em Hell, Harry!.

He married Polly Bennett in 1986, coinciding with the 67th wedding anniversary of Harry and Bess Truman. Daniel is also an author, with his first book titled Growing Up With My Grandfather: Memories of Harry S. Truman, published in 1995. The book discusses his childhood memories, his family's history, as well as his personal struggles with drug and alcohol abuse and subsequent recovery. His second book, Dear Harry, Love Bess: Bess Truman's Letters to Harry Truman, 1919–1943, was published in 2011.

For more information, Daniel’s website is ctrumandaniel.com. Additional resources include archived interviews and appearances, such as "Beneath the Mushroom Cloud" and contributions to C-SPAN.