The Truman Presidential Library and Museum
I'm at a convention in Kansas City this weekend, and took the opportunity afforded by a few free hours to visit the Harry Truman Presidential Library and Museum, located in nearby Independence, Missouri. This was my second visit to the Truman Library. I was here in 2009, and it was a pleasure to make a return visit.
This was the first presidential library to be created under the provisions of the 1955 Presidential Libraries Act, and is one of thirteen presidential libraries administered by the National Archives and Records Administration. President Truman maintained a working office here, where he wrote articles, letters, and also wrote his book entitled Mr. Citizen. He met with Presidents Hoover, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon, and with other notable Americans like Jack Benny, Ginger Rogers, Robert F. Kennedy, Thomas Hart Benton, and Dean Acheson. A $1.6 million dollar preservation and restoration of Truman's working office was completed in 2009 and features an enclosed limestone pavilion for better access and viewing. The office appears today just as it did when Truman died on December 26, 1972, with the clock stopped at the time of his death.
The museum offers an introductory film on the life of President Truman, and two floors of exhibits relating his life and presidency through photographs, artifacts, film clips, documents, and memorabilia. It was the first presidential library to contain a full scale replica of the Oval Office, a feature that has been copied by the Johnson, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush 41 and Clinton libraries. The mural Independence and the Opening of The West by Thomas Hart Benton adorns the walls of the lobby entrance. The mural, completed in 1961, was painted on site by Benton over a three-year span.
Behind the cut are a few pictures that I snapped on my visit today.
1. A display at the entrance to the section on Truman's pre- and post-presidential life, showing photos of Truman at various ages. This is located in the downstairs area, where there is also a display about the White House renovations that took place during Truman's presidency.
2. The famous "Buck Stops Here"> sign that adorned Truman's desk. I learned that the expression comes from the game of poker, and refers to a Buck knife.
3. A painting of Truman (though not his official White House portrait).
4. Truman's White House desk, reproduced to look as it was during his presidency.
5-6. The Trumans are laid to rest in the center courtyard of the library, along with their daughter Margaret and her husband Clifton Daniel.
7. A Truman quote on the wall outside the section of the library devoted to his presidency.
8. The office Truman maintained at the library following his retirement, left as it was at the time of his death.
9. A photo of Truman in his office at his Presidential Library.
10. Another quote of Truman about the importance of reading history and biography.
11. After his presidency, Truman returned home to Independence, where he lived the life of a common man who loved to go for long walks in his home city.
12-13. A photo of Truman taking the oath of office, following the death of Franklin Roosevelt, along with his quote to reporters at the time.
14. Part of a display in the museum about the post-war economy.
15. A cartoon about the divisions in the Democratic Party at the time of the 1948 election, one in which everyone assumed Truman would lose.
16. Truman went on his famous "whistle stop campaign" during the 1948 election, where he addressed audiences from the back of a rail car.
17-18. The famous Chicago Tribune headline that erroneously told readers that Thomas Dewey had won the 1948 election.
19. This is an especially interesting exhibit. During the Korean War, Truman had sent a Purple Heart Medal to the family of a soldier killed in the war. The soldier's father returned the medal with a note which read "Mr. Truman: As you have been directly responsible for the loss of our son's life in Korea, you might just as well keep this emblem on display in your trophy room as a memory of one of your historic deeds. Our major regret at this time is that your daughter was not there to receive the same treatment as our son received in Korea." Truman kept the medal and the letter in a drawer in his office at the library.
20-21. A note about the end of Truman's presidency, and a photo of him relaxing as his successor Dwight Eisenhower delivers his inaugural address in 1953.
22. A life size statue of Truman at the end of the tour. Our group posted for pictures with Truman's bronze likeness before heading home.
If you find yourself in the Kansas City area, I highly recommend a visit to the Truman Library. It will be hours well spent.
This was the first presidential library to be created under the provisions of the 1955 Presidential Libraries Act, and is one of thirteen presidential libraries administered by the National Archives and Records Administration. President Truman maintained a working office here, where he wrote articles, letters, and also wrote his book entitled Mr. Citizen. He met with Presidents Hoover, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon, and with other notable Americans like Jack Benny, Ginger Rogers, Robert F. Kennedy, Thomas Hart Benton, and Dean Acheson. A $1.6 million dollar preservation and restoration of Truman's working office was completed in 2009 and features an enclosed limestone pavilion for better access and viewing. The office appears today just as it did when Truman died on December 26, 1972, with the clock stopped at the time of his death.
The museum offers an introductory film on the life of President Truman, and two floors of exhibits relating his life and presidency through photographs, artifacts, film clips, documents, and memorabilia. It was the first presidential library to contain a full scale replica of the Oval Office, a feature that has been copied by the Johnson, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush 41 and Clinton libraries. The mural Independence and the Opening of The West by Thomas Hart Benton adorns the walls of the lobby entrance. The mural, completed in 1961, was painted on site by Benton over a three-year span.
Behind the cut are a few pictures that I snapped on my visit today.
1. A display at the entrance to the section on Truman's pre- and post-presidential life, showing photos of Truman at various ages. This is located in the downstairs area, where there is also a display about the White House renovations that took place during Truman's presidency.
2. The famous "Buck Stops Here"> sign that adorned Truman's desk. I learned that the expression comes from the game of poker, and refers to a Buck knife.
3. A painting of Truman (though not his official White House portrait).
4. Truman's White House desk, reproduced to look as it was during his presidency.
5-6. The Trumans are laid to rest in the center courtyard of the library, along with their daughter Margaret and her husband Clifton Daniel.
7. A Truman quote on the wall outside the section of the library devoted to his presidency.
8. The office Truman maintained at the library following his retirement, left as it was at the time of his death.
9. A photo of Truman in his office at his Presidential Library.
10. Another quote of Truman about the importance of reading history and biography.
11. After his presidency, Truman returned home to Independence, where he lived the life of a common man who loved to go for long walks in his home city.
12-13. A photo of Truman taking the oath of office, following the death of Franklin Roosevelt, along with his quote to reporters at the time.
14. Part of a display in the museum about the post-war economy.
15. A cartoon about the divisions in the Democratic Party at the time of the 1948 election, one in which everyone assumed Truman would lose.
16. Truman went on his famous "whistle stop campaign" during the 1948 election, where he addressed audiences from the back of a rail car.
17-18. The famous Chicago Tribune headline that erroneously told readers that Thomas Dewey had won the 1948 election.
19. This is an especially interesting exhibit. During the Korean War, Truman had sent a Purple Heart Medal to the family of a soldier killed in the war. The soldier's father returned the medal with a note which read "Mr. Truman: As you have been directly responsible for the loss of our son's life in Korea, you might just as well keep this emblem on display in your trophy room as a memory of one of your historic deeds. Our major regret at this time is that your daughter was not there to receive the same treatment as our son received in Korea." Truman kept the medal and the letter in a drawer in his office at the library.
20-21. A note about the end of Truman's presidency, and a photo of him relaxing as his successor Dwight Eisenhower delivers his inaugural address in 1953.
22. A life size statue of Truman at the end of the tour. Our group posted for pictures with Truman's bronze likeness before heading home.
If you find yourself in the Kansas City area, I highly recommend a visit to the Truman Library. It will be hours well spent.