Harry S. Truman

Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884 – December 26, 1972) was an American politician who served as the 33rd president of the United States from 1945 to 1953. He was born in Lamar, Missouri, and was the oldest child of John Anderson Truman and Martha Ellen Young Truman. The family resided in Lamar until Harry was ten months old, after which they moved to a farm near Harrisonville, Missouri. Subsequent relocations included Belton and a 600-acre farm in Grandview, Missouri, during Truman’s childhood. In 1887, his family settled in Independence, Missouri, where Truman attended the Presbyterian Church Sunday School and did not commence formal schooling until the age of eight.

Truman's ancestry was primarily English, with contributions from Scots-Irish, German, and French origins. His father was a farmer and livestock dealer. During his youth, Truman demonstrated interests in music, reading, history, and mathematics. He learned to play the piano and took lessons starting at age seven, practicing diligently until the age of fifteen. As a young man, Truman worked as a page at the 1900 Democratic National Convention in Kansas City and briefly attended Spalding's Commercial College in Kansas City, studying bookkeeping, shorthand, and typing.

In 1901, Truman graduated from Independence High School and briefly attended the college, but did not complete a degree. Early in his working life, he held positions in the mailroom of The Kansas City Star and as a timekeeper for construction crews on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. He also worked as a clerk at the National Bank of Commerce in Kansas City. During this period, Truman married Bess Wallace, whom he proposed to in 1911; she declined the proposal initially, but they eventually became engaged and married in 1919.

From 1906 until his military service in 1917, Truman lived on his family farm and was involved in several business ventures, including mining and real estate speculation, although these were not notably successful. He was elected as a Jackson County judge in 1922 and served in that capacity until 1934 when he was elected to the United States Senate representing Missouri.

Truman's military service began with his enlistment in the Missouri National Guard in 1905, where he served until 1911. His eyesight was initially inadequate for military service, but he managed to pass the eye exam by memorizing the eye chart. During World War I, he rejoined Battery B, 2nd Missouri Field Artillery Regiment, and was elected first lieutenant. He trained at Camp Doniphan and Fort Sill before being deployed to France, where he served as an artillery officer.

In 1934, Truman was elected to the U.S. Senate. During World War II, he gained national prominence as the chairman of the Truman Committee, which worked to reduce waste and inefficiency in wartime government contracts. In 1944, he was elected vice president of the United States as the running mate of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Upon Roosevelt’s death in April 1945, Truman assumed the presidency.

As president, Truman authorized the use of atomic bombs against Japan in 1945, dropping bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. His administration pursued an internationalist foreign policy, supporting initiatives such as the Marshall Plan and NATO to counter Soviet influence. He worked closely with Britain and took a stance against isolationism during the early Cold War period. Truman oversaw significant events including the Berlin Airlift, the initiation of the Korean War, and efforts to promote civil rights, including executive orders desegregating the Armed Forces and prohibiting discrimination in federal agencies.

He was elected president in 1948 in a surprise victory amid a divided Democratic Party, and sought renomination in 1952 but opted not to run amid declining popularity. Following his presidency, Truman engaged in writing his memoirs and establishing the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library. Despite initial financial difficulties reported after his retirement, evidence suggests that he accumulated considerable wealth during his lifetime. His presidency has been subject to reassessment over the years, with many scholars ranking him among the top ranks of U.S. presidents.