TRU Magazine | Winter 2018 | Truman Library Institute

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s Pecial wwi e D ition w i n t e r 2018 A DVA N C I N G P R E S I D E N T T R U M A N ’S L I B R A RY A N D L E G ACY

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Browse the timeline of Captain Truman’s service in the First World War. 06

Learn how Captain Truman’s military service prepared him for the presidency. 10

Go behind the scenes of the Truman Library’s temporary exhibition with the curator. 12

TRU MAGAZINE

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coVeR: Captain Harry S. Truman in his doughboy uniform, photographed in France during World War I.

Whistle Stop

“I have always wondered how things would have turned out in my life if the war had not come along when it did.”

conte nts

Highlights 10

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from soldier to President

behind the exhibition

Donor honor roll

Follow Truman’s steps as a soldier and learn how the war transformed him into a leader.

Go behind the scenes of the Truman Library’s new temporary exhibition with Curator Clay Bauske.

Thank you to our donors whose generosity funds crucial programming at the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum.

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M E SSAG E FROM EXECUTIVE D I R ECTOR Nearly 100 years ago, on March 30, 1918, Lieutenant Harry S. Truman deployed to France.

Unbeknownst to him, that day he began a critically important phase of his life – one that would greatly influence his historic rise to the presidency later in life. Entering the war with little experience leading men, let alone in combat, Truman’s service in The Great War revealed leadership skills that he did not know he possessed. He also developed a devoted network of friends and contacts that proved invaluable in his political career. A legacy of leadership that began on the muddy battlefields of France led him all the way to the White House where he proved to be one of our nation’s greatest leaders.

This issue of TRU Magazine honors the 100th anniversary of a deeply profound time in Harry Truman’s life. It is also the first installment in a yearlong series of activities being planned by the Truman Library to commemorate Truman’s military service. The highlight of these programs is a special exhibition, "Heroes or Corpses: Captain Truman in World War I," which opens on March 10. The exhibition tells the captivating story of Truman’s experiences in France while also highlighting the lessons that he learned that prepared him to be president. Museum Curator Clay Bauske masterfully tells this story with the help of never-before-exhibited photographs, personal letters, and more than 40 artifacts from Truman’s World War I collection. I encourage you to visit the Truman Library to see this exhibition and hope you will stay tuned for upcoming lectures and special events focused on Captain Harry and the Great War. It should come as no surprise that Harry Truman’s legacy of leadership – both on and off the battlefield – and his presidential library attract the involvement of prominent Kansas City business, civic and philanthropic leaders, as well as national elected officials and dignitaries.

The Truman Library Institute is fortunate to have the assistance of this devoted group as we work closely with Dr. Kurt Graham, director of the Truman Library, to develop ambitious plans for commemorating the 75th anniversary of Truman’s presidency in 2020. I am grateful to these individuals, led by the Institute’s Chairman Clyde Wendel and the president’s grandson, Clifton Truman Daniel, for answering our call to action. I am equally grateful for the leadership and support that we have received from you and so many others in our Truman community. Your belief in the lessons that can be learned from Harry Truman and the Truman Library inspires us to move forward with the important work we are doing with great confidence. Thank you!

A legacy of leadership that began on the muddy battlefields of France led Truman all the way to the White House where he proved to be one of our nation’s greatest leaders.

Alex Burden Executive Director | Truman Library Institute

Editor: Lacey Helmig Design: Elisa Berg Design Photographer: Mark McDonald Send comments, requests, and changes of address to: Truman Library Institute | 816.400.1220 5151 Troost Ave., Ste. 300 | Kansas City, MO 64110 info@TrumanLibraryInstitute.org | Visit us online at TrumanLibraryInstitute.org TRU is published for friends and members of the Truman Library Institute, the nonprofit partner of the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum, one of 14 presidential libraries administered by the National Archives.

Stay Connected The Truman Library Institute @TrumanLibInst Truman Library Institute For notification of public programs, exhibit openings and special events, subscribe to our special events e-newsletter at TrumanLibraryInstitute.org

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T RU LET TERS

“Harry represents everything my dad values about this country and the American dream.”

- D E B B I E M AYO

Wow - I am still blown away by our special tour! Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

event. In your introduction you stated the event brought in 100 new members — now that’s a benefit.

As my dad and I discussed Harry Truman, I realized more clearly why this man holds such a special place in my dad's heart. Harry represents everything my dad values about this country and the American dream.

Harry grew up in a working class family, like my dad, was an avid reader, like my dad, and stood by his convictions, like my dad (even if they were unpopular).

Thanks for putting together a memorable experience.

Harry was an underdog who never gave up and was faced with great challenges as president. One of the pictures my dad had hanging up in his office was the picture of Harry holding up The Chicago Tribune with the headline "Dewey Defeats Truman."

This, to my dad, is the ultimate message in life – "Don't ever give up – don't ever count Harry out, and don't ever count John Nappi out!"

Debbie Mayo Daughter of John Nappi, who passed away in late 2017. As a member of The Buck Stops Here Society, Mr. Nappi had the opportunity to fulfill a bucketlist wish by going on a VIP tour of the Truman Library and meeting Clifton Truman Daniel. Our deep condolences go to the Nappi family.

I just wanted to say what a great job the Truman Library Institute staff did at the Pete Souza program. The speaker was just amazing. I think everyone in the crowd was at times in awe, shed a tear and laughed. What an

Regards, Eric Chapman Truman Library Institute Member

You had a great program and attendance at the Bennett Forum last night. I observed all sorts of KC leaders and the mayor there. Good job.

I know Mr. Truman would be pleased with David Von Drehle’s tremendous work in many ways keeping his legacy alive. Thanks all.

Jim Homan Truman Library Institute Member

Doris Kearns Goodwin was the reason my husband and I became members of the Truman Library. The program this evening was outstanding!

Thank you for a pleasurable and educational evening!

Judy Allen Truman Library Institute Member

You’ve created many wonderful programs and events. I’m still crazy about Harry S. Truman! Such a great human being. Thank you for your effort to enrich many people’s experiences.

Byong Moon Kim Truman Library Institute Member

A good presidential library is not about partisanship. It is about people and how they dealt with the challenges they faced. In that regard, this one is EXCELLENT. Harry Truman was not a fellow who felt destined to lead the free world. He wanted to serve, and he found ways to do that. The Truman Library provides a lovely telling of his story (be sure to go downstairs, where the displays are more personal, and less about public life). It includes the hard stuff, like the Cold War, Korea, and the dropping of the A-Bomb. It doesn't shy away from the controversy, just as HE didn't, so I highly recommend it. Whatever your politics, this is a great look at the people who were part of some very important times.

Tim Newton Recent visitor to the Truman Library

It is such a pleasant experience to visit and/or attend a special event at the Truman Library!

My most recent event was Clifton Daniel’s talk about his grandfather. He was charming and most interesting, but above and beyond the talk itself was the friendly helpfulness of each person we came into contact with. We have had the same experience every time we have come to an event or just to visit the museum, and we want you to know how much we appreciate each and every member of the staff.

Thank you!

Lynne Bodle Truman Library Institute Member

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NEWS BRIEFS $1.65 Million Kauffman Grant It is a great honor to announce that the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation has awarded the Truman Library Institute a $1.65 million grant. The grant is focused on increasing fundraising efforts and expanding the Institute's capacity to support the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum. This renewed support from the Kauffman Foundation enables the Institute to collaborate with its federal partner, the Truman Library, to launch the most ambitious renovation plan in the Truman Library’s history. The primary goals include the creation of a new Truman exhibition, expanded and renovated public spaces and additional programming to bring the life and legacy of one of the nation’s most respected presidents to bear on current generations.

Welcome New Board Members The Truman Library Institute proudly welcomed three new board members to its board of directors in September. Join us in welcoming the following individuals to the board: Greg Gunderson, Ph.D., president of Park University; Bridget McCandless, M.D., president and CEO of the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City; Marny Sherman, community volunteer and granddaughter of Truman's Battery D mate Eugene P. Donnelly. These new board members join an esteemed group of more than 25 individuals who meet several times a year to provide strategic direction and leadership to the Truman Library Institute.

New Staff Members Three new staff members have joined the Truman Library Institute's team in the last few months. From left to right, Natalie Walker is a former Truman Library intern who has been hired as a Museum/Archives Technician and will be working closely with the archives and collections staff at the Truman Library. Tanya Anissy Dunn is the Institute's new Development Associate and joins the team after working in fundraising at Girl Scouts for eight years. Elizabeth Reynolds Silverstein is Director of Major Gifts and brings more than 30 years of major gift fundraising experience in healthcare, higher education and independent schools.

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PICTU R I NG H I STORY

The impact of Harry Truman’s service in World War I and friendships with his fellow soldiers from Battery D endured throughout his life.

ABOVE: Of the 138 members of Battery D alive 30 years after World War I, 79 of them traveled to Washington, D.C., to escort President Truman's car in the inaugural parade on January 20, 1949. For Truman, it was natural that his fellow soldiers would be included on this important day. As Pvt. Floyd Ricketts later said, “Truman told me personally, many times afterwards, that if it hadn’t been for the help of our organization, he doubted that he could have been elected.”

LEFT: LIFELONG FRIENDS One of the last public photos taken of Harry Truman, this image of him with his close friends from Battery D was taken in March 1972, a mere nine months before his passing. Pictured here is Truman presenting Eugene Donnelly (left) and Edward Meisburger (right) with watches for 50 years of service to Battery D, 35th Division.

Donnelly later recalled in his oral history that upon Truman’s passing, every surviving member of Battery D received a message from Gen. Cassidy commanding them to attend the former president’s funeral and explaining that transportation would be furnished if necessary.

“Quite an impressive thing for us, you know, to have that opportunity to attend the man's burial, but that all just emphasizes the regard he had for the men who served under him.”

“There we were watching New York’s skyline diminish, and wondering if we’d be heroes or corpses,” Harry Truman later recalled as he departed New York for the battlefields of France in the spring of 1918. Truman returned a hero, and his service helped set him on the path to the presidency. Celebrate the centennial of America’s involvement and Truman’s service in World War I, and view this story of leadership and triumph on display this year only at the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum.

A SPECIAL EXHIBITION On display March 10, 2018 through December 31, 2018 at the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum.

Temporary exhibition is included with museum admission or free for Truman Library Institute members.

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JUNE 28, 1914

ASSASSINATION Archduke Franz Ferdinand is assassinated.

MAY 7, 1915

LUSITANIA SINKS German U-boat torpedoes the Lusitania, a passenger ship that carried nearly 2,000 people, including 128 U.S. citizens.

ARCHDUKE FRANZ FERDINAND

CAPTAIN TRUMAN IN WORLD WAR I JULY 28, 1914

APRIL 6, 1917

WAR DECLARED

THE UNITED STATES DECLARES WAR ON GERMANY

Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia; World War I begins.

AUGUST 4, 1914

NEUTRALITY PROCLAIMED The U.S. proclaims neutrality days after Germany declared war on Russia and France. Also that same day, Germany declares war on Belgium and Britain declares war on Germany.

JUNE 22, 1917

LIEUTENANT HARRY S. TRUMAN TI M E LI N E

Truman reenlists in the National Guard of Missouri, joining Battery F, 2nd Missouri Artillery (later redesignated 129th Field Artillery).

Captain Truman in World War I

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“Dear Harry, May this photograph bring you safely home again from France.”

LOVE AND WAR Bess Wallace suggests she and Harry marry before he leaves for war.

Concerned he would be injured or killed in war, he declined. Harry’s love for Bess did not wane, however. He wrote Bess more than 130 letters during his time in service and carried a portrait of her in his left pocket over his heart throughout the war with the inscription, “Dear Harry, May this photograph bring you safely home again from France."

The original photograph still sits on the desk of President Truman’s working office at the Truman Library.

– BESS WALLACE

APRIL 23, 1918

CAPTAIN HARRY S. TRUMAN BESS WALLACE

Order promoting Harry S. Truman to Captain, Battery D, 129th Field Artillery issued.

TIMELINE CONTINUED ON NEX T PAGE

AUGUST 5, 1917

JULY 11, 1918

DRAFTED INTO SERVICE

TRUMAN TAKES COMMAND OF BATTERY D

Battery F, 2nd Missouri Artillery, National Guard of Missouri, is drafted into U.S. Army service and redesignated as the 129th Field Artillery Regiment, 35th Division.

JUNE 25, 1917

FIRST AMERICAN TROOPS LAND IN FRANCE

BATTERY D; HARRY TRUMAN IS IN THE FRONT ROW, EIGHTH FROM LEFT.

MARCH 30, 1918

TRUMAN DEPLOYS Truman and the 129th Field Artillery Regiment board the USS George Washington for a 15-day journey to Brest, France.

USS GEORGE WASHINGTON

Timeline continued on next page

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AUGUST 29, 1918

THE BATTLE OF WHO RUN Battery D experiences combat for the first time in the Vosges Mountains. Many men broke and fled, but Capt. Truman held his ground, later writing to Bess, “The men think I am not much afraid of shells but they don't know. I was too scared to run and that is pretty scared.” Battery D members later refer to this as the "Battle of Who Run.”

SEPTEMBER 27, 1918

DEFYING ORDERS Capt. Truman defied the First Army’s standing order not to fire on points outside their own area by commanding his men to fire out of sector against threats, ultimately saving the lives of the 28th Division. Col. Karl Klemm threatened to court-martial Truman for firing out of sector. Despite this threat, Truman called on his men to fire on German guns out of sector again the following morning.

Truman was never court-martialed for his actions.

“The men think I am not much afraid of shells but they don't know. I was too scared to run and that is pretty scared.”

– HARRY S. TRUMAN

CAPTAIN TRUMAN IN WORLD WAR I (continued) SEPTEMBER 26, 1918

SEPTEMBER 26-OCTOBER 2, 1918

MEUSEARGONNE OFFENSIVE

TRUMAN IN COMBAT

First phase of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive — the United States’ most important battle of the war — begins.

This was the largest military action in American history to date.

Harry Truman leads Battery D in intense combat supporting infantry units of the 35th and 1st Divisions during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. In the first three hours of fighting alone, Capt. Truman, the 129th Field Artillery, and others fighting in the battle expended more ammunition than in all of the Civil War. Truman would later write to Bess, “at 3:20 a.m. I began firing a barrage that lasted until 7:20. My guns were so hot that they would boil wet gunny sacks we put on them to keep them cool and I was as deaf as a post from the noise. It looked as though every gun in France was turned loose and I guess that is what happened.”

“My guns were so hot that they would boil wet gunny sacks we put on them to keep them cool and I was as deaf as a post from the noise.”

– HARRY S. TRUMAN

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NOVEMBER 11, 1918

JUNE 28, 1919

GERMANY SIGNS ARMISTICE

TREATY OF VERSAILLES

Germany signs armistice. Fighting ends on the Western Front at 11 a.m. Paris time.

Germany and the Allied Powers sign the peace treaty, the Treaty of Versailles.

MAY 3, 1919

HOMECOMING PARADE The local soldiers are welcomed home with a homecoming parade at Union Station in Kansas City.

APRIL 9, 1919

HOMEWARD BOUND The 129th Field Artillery Regiment sails for home aboard the former German steamship, SS Zeppelin.

“When a man gets the right kind of wife, his career is made — and I got just that.”

– HARRY S. TRUMAN

LEARN MORE ABOUT CAPTAIN TRUMAN IN WWI: Visit the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum

JUNE 28, 1919

A JUNE WEDDING Harry and Bess are married just 53 days after Truman was discharged from service.

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Captain Truman

FROM SOLDIER TO PRESIDENT Harry S. Truman may have entered World War I as a struggling farmer, but he left with the leadership skills and a personal network of friends that launched him into a lifetime of public service that culminated with him becoming one of the greatest presidents of the United States. Rising through the ranks from first lieutenant to captain, Truman built on his personal integrity and strong work ethic to develop his leadership style, earn the respect of his troops and inspire them.

Wilson asked Congress to declare war in April 1917, there were many reasons Truman did not have to serve. He was too old for the Selective Service Act at 33 years old, he had completed his service in the National Guard six years prior, he had poor eye sight and he was already part of the war effort as a farmer. Nevertheless, he reenlisted in the National Guard.

As was common at that time, Truman was banded together with local men to enlist and serve together, and these same men elected him to serve as one of their officers. On July 11, 1918, Truman was put in command of Battery D of the 129th Field Artillery, 35th Division. The regiment was comprised mostly of men from the Kansas City area, including Jim Pendergast who served in Battery B and was the elder brother of Thomas Pendergast, who later helped launch Truman’s political career.

As a boy Truman dreamed of attending West Point and becoming a career Army officer, but although he passed the written test, he failed the eye exam and was denied entry.

Undeterred from the desire to serve, Harry took matters into his own hands in 1905, memorized Battery D was wild, undisciplined and proud the eye chart and joined the National Guard. of this reputation. They were a cohesive and Twelve years later when President Woodrow athletic bunch, fiercely loyal to each other.

Mostly Irish and German Catholic boys, many of them were students and graduates of what was then called Rockhurst Academy.

Truman’s first day in command of Battery D was a challenging one. Truman later recalled, “I’ve been very badly frightened several times in my life and the morning of July 11, 1918, when I took over that battery, was one of those times.”

On that first day he faced 200 hungover and rowdy young men, many of whom were already detained to quarters for drunk and disorderly behavior. They were not initially impressed with their new captain. Sgt. Edward McKim remembered that Truman’s “knees were knocking together,” and Pvt. Floyd Ricketts thought Truman “gave the impression of a professor more than he did an artillery officer.” That night the men staged a drunken brawl in an effort to fluster their new captain.

Truman was not so easily spooked, though.

He quickly established discipline and order in

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LEFT: Harry S. Truman and Other Officers of Battery D – Captain Harry S. Truman is pictured here with other officers of Battery D: 1st Lt. Victor H. Housholder to his right and 1st Lt. Gordon B. Jordan and 2nd Lt. Leslie Zemer to his left. This photograph remains at Truman’s home today and features a caption on the back handwritten by Truman, “They took D Bty through the Argonne and Verdun fronts."

the group in such a way that earned his men’s respect, and very soon after they saw him as an effective leader. Truman demoted the existing officers and in their place promoted Sgt. William F. Tierney and Cpl. Eugene P. Donnelly.

Once Battery D was stationed in France, their respect for Truman only grew. “I don’t think he’d ever been under fire before either and it didn’t bother him a damned bit,” later recalled Pvt. Vere Leigh. Truman told his fiancee Bess a different story, however, “My greatest satisfaction is that my legs didn’t succeed in carrying me away, although they were very anxious to do it.”

Above all, Truman worked to do what he believed was right and protect his troops — even if it meant disobeying orders — and Truman did not lose a single man to combat.

In September 1918, Battery D marched through grueling rain to the Argonne Forest for what was the largest action in American military history at that point — the Meuse-Argonne Offensive.

Truman’s superior, regimental commander Col. Karl Klemm, started demonstrating unusual behavior. He rode up and down the line shouting orders “like a crazy man,” Truman remembered, including senselessly ordering an advance at double-time up a long hill.

Truman challenged Klemm’s orders. Through trickery and at times direct confrontation, the future president defended his fatigued solders from the erratic orders and bizarre behavior of their senior officer. When asked what he was doing allowing men to rest, Truman simply responded, “Carrying out orders, sir.” He failed to mention that the orders he was carrying out were his own.

Truman opposed Klemm again when one of his soldiers twisted an ankle. Truman allowed Sgt. Jim Doherty to ride on his horse, which was meant to be only for officers.

When Klemm saw an enlisted man on Truman’s horse, he flew into a rage on the sight and ordered Doherty down. Truman responded that as long as he was in command of the battery, Doherty would ride.

Doherty stayed on Truman’s horse.

Truman later wrote in his diary, “The Colonel insults me shamefully. No gentleman would say what he said. Damn him.”

Perhaps Truman’s most notorious defiance of orders was when he ordered his men to fire out of sector. In World War I, batteries were under strict orders not to fire on targets beyond a narrow assigned sector in front of them because of the well-founded fear that they could accidentally kill American soldiers in neighboring units. While in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, however, Truman observed German cannons out of sector on his left flank setting up to fire on the infantrymen that Battery D was supporting. Truman took it on himself to disobey the order of not firing out of sector and called on his men to destroy the enemy guns.

Klemm severely reprimanded Truman for his disobedience, yet when facing the same situation the next day, Truman knew what he had to do. He had his men destroy a dangerous German battery located outside of Battery D’s sector yet again.

Truman’s disobedience of his command was enough reason for him to be court martialed if not for the timely intervention of Gen. John J. Pershing, who recognized Truman’s quick decision-making as a proper display of initiative that saved the lives of many American soldiers.

Through all of this, Truman’s troops knew their captain was risking his career to defend them, and they became even more devoted to him.

Truman’s influence as the leader of Battery D was undoubted, even decades later. In fact, 79 of the 138 surviving members of the battery marched with Truman in his 1949 presidential inaugural parade. On that day — as he did nearly every day — he wore his bronze World War I Victory pin proudly on his lapel. Eight years later, on July 6, 1957, members of Battery D and their spouses joined former President Truman at the dedication of the Truman Library in Independence.

As Truman assumed the presidency and led the nation through the next world war, he was guided by his own experiences as a soldier in the First World War, even saying “My whole political career is based on my war service and war associates.”

When discussing this incident at the Truman Library many decades later, former Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates said, “Truman understood that in a democratic society, common decency builds a respect. It’s a respect that prompts people to give their all for a leader.”

When Battery D was headed home after the Allied victory, they took up a collection from proceeds of a craps game on board the ship home and purchased a loving cup to present to Captain Truman. It was inscribed, “Presented by the Members of Battery D in appreciation of his justice, ability and leadership.”

Upon honorable discharge from service, American soldiers received a bronze victory button recognizing their service in the Great War. Throughout his life, Harry Truman almost always wore this pin on his lapel.

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BEHIND THE EXHIBITION A Conversation with Curator Clay Bauske

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“ The Truman Library is best positioned to focus on the experiences of one man who happened to become president later in his life.”

The Harry S. Truman Library and Museum is commemorating the 100th anniversary of Truman entering combat during World War I this year through a new temporary exhibition, “Heroes or Corpses: Captain Truman in World War I.” TRU Magazine went behind the scenes and spoke with Curator Clay Bauske about this new exhibition.

TRU: 2018 is the 100th anniversary of Harry Truman entering combat during World War I. Why is it important for the public to immerse themselves in Truman’s WWI experience 100 years after he served?

CB: The Library has been working with the National World War I Museum and other organizations for several years now to commemorate the centennial of World War I, and there have already been a number of cooperative events to mark the anniversary. The culmination of the Library’s commemoration of the centennial is this exhibition on Harry Truman’s personal journey through the war – a topic that the Truman Library is uniquely positioned to explore. The broader story of the war itself is detailed in depth only a few miles away at the National World War I Museum, but the Truman Library is best positioned to focus on the experiences of one man who happened to become president later in his life.

TRU: What is your favorite story of Truman’s time in World War I? CB: Perhaps the most memorable combat story is what the battery called “The Battle of Who Run.” Battery D had moved to a new position in wet and muddy conditions in September 1918. Two of the battery’s artillery pieces got stuck in the mud on a hillside. Following an American artillery barrage on German positions, there was a silent pause for a few minutes before German guns started shelling Battery D’s position. In their first exposure to combat, many of the battery’s soldiers and horses broke and ran. Truman and a handful of others LEFT: Curator Clay Bauske admires Captain Truman’s boots used in World War I with Museum Registrar John Miller (left) and Museum Technician Stephanie Rohr (right).

ABOVE: The team unveils the belt Truman wore during World War I.

in Battery D held their ground amid the fierce shelling, while Truman screamed certain unprintable epithets to his scattering men, most of whom then returned to their positions. The episode demonstrated that many of the tough and ornery Irish Catholics of Battery D were not so tough in the face of battle, while their small bespectacled captain courageously held his ground. The episode bolstered the respect that many men of his battery had for him.

Outside of combat, Harry Truman the history buff reveled in touring historic places in France and amazed many of his colleagues with his detailed knowledge of French history. The Missouri farmer, they learned, had an encyclopedic knowledge of France, even though he had never visited there before.

TRU: What can museum visitors expect to see and learn from this exhibition?

CB: The exhibition will tell the story of Truman’s enlistment, training and combat in World War I, but it will also focus on the experiences he had that helped mold him into a leader. While he never envisioned being president, many of the lessons he learned in the war prepared him for the challenges that he would later face as president.

For example, the failure of the League of Nations after World War I provided lessons that Truman and his administration worked to correct when the United Nations was formed in 1945. The punitive measures forced on Germany after World War I, in part, led to the rise of Hitler, so Truman was determined to rebuild Germany after World War II into a strong democratic nation. The economic downturn after World War I that contributed to the failure of Truman’s haberdashery was caused, in part, by the wrenching reconversion from a war economy to a peace economy, so following World War II Truman maintained price controls and other economic controls that enabled the economy to make the transition smoother – in fact, leading to a post-World War II economic boom.

Visitors will also see the personal side of Harry Truman though the letters he wrote to his fiancee Bess Wallace and to his sister and mother. They were never far from his thoughts, and through his letters he clearly missed them as he relayed as much news from the front as he dared to, given the censorship of mail. The exhibition also (continued on next page)

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“While (Truman) never envisioned being president, many of the lessons he learned in the war prepared him for the challenges that he would later face as president.”

- C L AY B AU S K E , C U R ATO R , T R U M A N LI B R A RY

includes stories of life back on the home front through artifacts and photographs illustrating what Bess did to contribute to the war effort

while Harry was serving in Europe. Visitors will also meet a number of the men from Battery D who met Truman at the beginning of the war and, in some cases, remained his close colleagues and friends throughout his life.

TRU: What are a few of your favorite artifacts that will be displayed in this exhibition?

CB: The exhibition includes many objects of a personal nature, such as Truman’s sewing kit and a chipped lens from his eyeglasses which, he explained in a letter, he kept as a spare after he had a new set of eyeglasses made prior to his departure to France. There is a portable barber chair and set of clippers used by Frank Spina, who was a Battery D barber and would remain Truman’s barber for the rest of his life. The exhibition will feature the McClellan saddle that Truman used during the war. Having been a farmer, Truman was a skilled horseman who impressed many other soldiers of Battery D. Truman’s tack box

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CONSERVING TRUMAN'S PERSONAL BELONGINGS More than 40 items of Harry Truman’s personal World War I equipment have been professionally conserved in advance of this exhibition thanks to a generous gift from the Sherman Family Foundation. This collection includes Truman’s uniforms, riding boots and standard issue boots, his 1904 model McClellan saddle and accompanying saddle bags, instruments he used to calculate artillery, his foot locker, tack box and the loving cup presented to him by the men of Battery D. These items were stored for decades mostly in the Truman home or in Truman’s sister Mary Jane’s basement. They were then conserved by professionals aiming not necessarily to restore the items but to preserve them by removing any damage caused by dirt, grease, corrosion, etc., and apply a thin protective layer to conserve them for future generations.

More than 40 items from Truman’s personal World War I belongings were conserved in advance of this exhibition, including (clockwise from top left): Truman’s first aid pouch, tack box and riding boots.

is particularly interesting because, prior to shipping off for France, he painted “Lieutenant Harry S. Truman” on it as identification. Once he got to France he learned that he had been promoted to captain, so he painted directly over the existing name – “Captain Harry S. Truman.”

Although the exhibition will focus almost exclusively on Harry Truman’s journey through the war, there will be several items on display that are of national significance. One is a ship’s manifest from the RMS Lusitania that was sunk by a German U-boat in 1915 with a loss of American lives. Another is what is called the Zimmerman Telegram, which was a coded 1917 German telegram that was intercepted and decoded by British intelligence and forwarded to American authorities. The telegram outlined a German proposal for Mexico to enter the war and in return be rewarded with the ceding of American territory in the Southwest back to Mexico following the German victory. The telegram caused an outrage in the United States about a month prior to the American entry into the war. A third piece

"We hope that this conservation allows many future generations to view this collection of Truman’s World War I equipment and learn from his experiences,” said Marny Sherman, representative of the Sherman Family Foundation and a Truman Library Institute board member. "Truman's service in the Great War set him on a path that led to the White House. It is an honor to help preserve the history of this critically important time in Truman’s life.”

of interest is a one-page letter written by President Woodrow Wilson following the end of the war. In response to a request to put an official name to the recently-ended war, Wilson suggested that it be called simply “The Great War.”

“HEROES OR CORPSES: CAPTAIN TRUMAN IN WORLD WAR I” MARCH 10 - DECEMBER 31, 2018 ADMISSION: Members enjoy free and unlimited access to this exhibition and the entire museum and are also invited to an exclusive advance opening of the exhibition on March 8, including tours led by Curator Clay Bauske. This exhibition is included in museum admission for all other visitors.

DETAILS: TrumanLibraryInstitute.org/Museum-Exhibits/

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WILD ABOUT HARRY SPEAKER SPOTLIGHT

DAVID McCULLOUGH The following is an excerpt from David McCullough’s speech on December 9, 2001, at the rededication of the Truman Library. McCullough is the Pulitzer Prizewinning author of Truman, the definitive biography of Harry S. Truman. He will be honored with the Harry S. Truman Legacy of Leadership Award at Wild About Harry, on Thursday, April 19.

Harry Truman, as we all know, is the first and only president who ever came from Missouri. He was also the only president in the 20th and 21st centuries who never went to college. But very few presidents … have been so conscious of their predecessors as was Harry Truman … He was never without a sense of history.

In the very first Congress to meet in Philadelphia, another farmer’s son, another plain-spoken, not tall, not handsome, American patriot — John Adams — wrote a letter back to his wife in Massachusetts about his amazement at the range and variety of talents to be seen in the First

Continental Congress. “The art and address of ambassadors from a dozen belligerent powers in Europe, nay, of a conclave of cardinals at the election of the pope … would not exceed the specimens we have seen,” John Adams wrote. He was star struck. “Here were fortunes, abilities, learning, eloquence, acuteness equal to any on earth…”

Then about a month later he had a decided change of opinion. The acuteness and minuteness of every issue at hand was wearying him to death. “The business of Congress had become tedious beyond expression. This assembly, like no other that ever existed — every man in it is a great man, therefore an orator, a critic, a statesman. And therefore, every man, upon every question, must show his oratory, his criticism and his political abilities...”

Nearly 150 years later, Harry Truman went to the United States Senate, dazzled, star struck, until old Senator J. Hamilton Lewis came over to give the new senator a piece of advice. “Harry, don’t start out with an inferiority complex,” he said. “For the first six months you’ll wonder how in the hell you got here, then after that you’ll wonder how the rest of us got here.”

ABOVE: David McCullough will be the honored guest and featured speaker at the 19th annual Wild About Harry, the Truman Library Institute’s premier signature event and annual fund raising dinner benefiting the presidential library and promoting the legacy of Harry S. Truman. Photo credit: William B. McCullough.

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“(Harry Truman) understood what people felt in times of depression, in times of war, in times of scarcity, in times of uncertainty because he had been there himself.”

Reading what Adams wrote, reading what Ham Lewis advised Harry Truman, it just underscored one of Truman’s favorite remarks and maybe among his most astute observations: “There is nothing new in the world except the history you do not know.”

“Salus populi suprema lex esto” — Latin taught by Harry Truman’s high school teacher. Latin, drummed into him day after day by Miss Ardelia Hardin. He and Charlie Ross, high school students here in Independence, translated all of Cicero working together day after day. Yes, it is true that Harry Truman is the only president of the 20th and 21st century who never went to college, but it would be a great mistake to assume that Harry Truman was therefore uneducated. He was very well-schooled in English literature, history and Latin.

All of those who gathered in Philadelphia in 1776, with very few exceptions, were educated men, and because they were educated, they almost all read Latin and almost all read Greek. What is so important about that was not just that they had a fluency in those classic languages, but they were steeped in the ideals and ideas of the Greeks and the Romans, as was Harry Truman — the meaning of honor, the meaning of virtue, the meaning of the public good.

I have often thought there should be a statue here in Independence for those teachers who so influenced Harry Truman, particularly Tilly Brown and Ardelia Hart — Tilly Brown his English teacher who raised him on Shakespeare and insisted he and the others in his class understood not just the greatness of Shakespeare, not just the beauty of the language, but the meaning of the language. All writing is thinking, when it comes down to it, which is one of the reasons it is so hard, and Harry Truman learned to think. Harry Truman learned to understand right from wrong.

How can it be, I am often asked, that little Harry Truman, backwater smalltime machine politician could wind up being the president he was — simple little Harry? Well, he wasn’t simple, and he wasn’t little.

Giants come in all sizes.

When Truman served in the White House, the presence of his predecessors was a living thing for him. He believed the house was haunted — literally. He loved to take people around on tours of the

Scan the QR code to watch David McCullough’s entire speech.

house, particularly when it was being refurbished ... He loved to go into the East Room and describe how in the days when John and Abigail Adams moved into the White House (the first president and first lady to occupy the White House), the room was just a bare lath, and a big barn of a space in which Abigail Adams hung out her washing. He imagined late at night the ghosts of Abraham Lincoln and others walking the halls upstairs. He knew that the upstairs Oval Office, which he had made his study, was the scene of the first party given at the White House by the Adamses on New Year’s Day 1801 — the day it became truly the people’s house, open to the public.

He also knew, I suspected, that it was in that same room, much later in a much different time, on the night of July 11, 1944, a very steamy, hot night, when Franklin Roosevelt met with his political advisers, the big-time, big-city Irish American bosses — Ed Flynn, Ed Kelly, Bob Hannegan — who told him it had to be Truman, to put Harry Truman on the Democratic ticket for that crucial election that was approaching, which of course, we all know FDR did.

Roosevelt’s only known comment at the moment was to say that he knew that Truman was wise in the ways of politics. Harry Truman was wise in the ways of politics, for certain, but he was also wise in the ways of human nature. He was wise in his understanding of history, wise in the ways that he himself had experienced the hard work and the hard knocks of life. If not an educated man in the literal sense, he was very well educated in the experiences of life. He understood what people felt in times of depression, in times of war, in times of scarcity, in times of uncertainty because he had been there himself.

John Adams once wrote to his wife Abigail, “We live, my dear soul, in an age of trial, what will be the consequence, I know not.” Harry Truman, echoing very much the same outlook, said we can never tell what is in store for us, and certainly his life is a vivid example to make that point…

19TH ANNUAL WILD ABOUT HARRY THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 2018 Table host and sponsorship packages are now available.

Contact Kim Rausch at kim.rausch@TrumanLibraryInstitute.org or 816.400.1214 for details. Individual tickets are $200 and go on sale March 1.

DETAILS: TrumanLibraryInstitute.org/Wild

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MONUMENTAL: THE TRUMAN STATUE PROJECT

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BRINGING TRUMAN BACK TO WASHINGTON Truman friends — including elected and government officials, friends and donors — gathered in Washington, D.C. this past June for a congressional reception announcing plans for the Truman Statue Project.

UPPER LEFT: Sen. Roy Blunt addressing the crowd at the congressional reception.

LOWER LEFT: Institute Honorary Chairman Clifton Truman Daniel, Senator Roy Blunt and Board member Adam Sachs.

President Truman will soon be heading back to Washington, D.C. The Truman Library Institute is leading the effort to finance, create and install a statue of Harry S. Truman in the U.S. Capitol Building’s National Statuary Hall. With commitments totaling $307,000, the Institute is well on its way to raising the $350,000 needed to complete this monumental project.

The idea for National Statuary Hall – a sculpture collection that commemorates heroes and innovators from every state of the Union – was introduced in 1864 by Rep. Justin S. Morrill of Vermont. Today, National Statuary Hall is one of the most popular rooms in the U.S. Capitol Building. It, and its collection of statues (two from each state), is visited by three million visitors every year – thousands of tourists each day – and continues to be used for important national ceremonies.

President Harry Truman – one of America’s greatest leaders and Missouri’s most famous native son – deserves to be honored alongside these other great Americans.

This important initiative has received the necessary approvals from the Missouri Legislature, former Governor Jay Nixon and the Architect of the U.S. Capitol, Stephen T. Ayers. The Truman Statue Campaign also has the support of the Institute’s Board of Directors, the Jackson County Legislature, Senators Roy Blunt and Claire McCaskill, the City of Independence, and the project’s champion, Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, who shares our commitment in honoring Truman.

Now, more than ever, it is important to remind our elected officials and visitors to our nation's capital that Truman's legacy is worth remembering and honoring. Sixty-five years after leaving the White House, Harry Truman – veteran, county judge, senator, vice president and president – will return to Washington to be honored permanently.

Truman will join the ranks of other presidents who have been chosen as their state’s honorees, including the recent additions of Dwight Eisenhower in 2003, Ronald Reagan in 2009, and Gerald Ford in 2011.

Please consider supporting the Institute's plans to bring Truman back to Washington by making a gift for this special project today. Contact Kim Rausch, Director of Development, at 816.400.1214 or Kim.Rausch@ TrumanLibraryInstitute.org to be a part of this historic campaign.

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TRU EVENTS 01

AN EVENING WITH DEVAL PATRICK PUBLIC PROGRAM Thursday, March 1, 2018, 5:30 p.m. Reception | 6:30 p.m. Program Community of Christ Auditorium, Lower Assembly Room,1001 W. Walnut, Independence, MO 64050 One of four Truman Series programs presented by the Truman Library Institute, the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum, American Public Square and the Harry S. Truman Center at UMKC. From Massachusetts Governor to President Obama’s inner circle to rumored 2020 presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick has created a buzz in national political circles in recent years. Join us for this special program featuring Gov. Patrick discussing civility in politics in this Truman Series event.

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EXCLUSIVE EXHIBITION PREVIEW MEMBER EVENT Thursday, March 8, 2018, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Harry S. Truman Library and Museum, 500 W. Hwy. 24, Independence, MO 64050 Be the first to view the new temporary exhibition “’Heroes or Corpses’: Captain Truman in World War I” before it opens to the public.

Truman Library Institute members are invited to a special preview and reception, including remarks by Curator Clay Bauske.

MORE EVENTS AND EXHIBITS ONLINE: Subscribe to Truman eNews for complete details on public programs, members-only events, exhibition openings and more. Snap the QR code to sign up or visit TrumanLibraryInstitute.org.

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THE PRESIDENTS AND THE TRUTH PANEL DISCUSSION Tuesday, March 13, 2018, 6:30-8:30 Unity Temple on the Plaza, 707 W. 47th St., Kansas City, MO One of four Truman Series programs presented by the Truman Library Institute, the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum, American Public Square and the Harry S. Truman Center at UMKC. Misleading, persuading and deceiving — fake news has become a central part of the conversation on media and how it affects our nation’s politics and current events. How long has fake news affected our society, and what steps can we take to find the truth amidst the falsehoods? Join us for an enlightening panel discussion that includes Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial writer and leader of the Kansas City Star’s Editorial Board, Colleen McCain Nelson; White House correspondent for Bloomberg News and president of the White House Correspondents’ Association, Margaret Talev; and PR professional and senior advisor to and spokesman for Mitt Romney's 2012 presidential campaign, Kevin Madden.

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THE SUPREME COURT IN THE AGE OF PRESIDENT TRUMP PANEL DISCUSSION Thursday, April 5, 2018, 6:30 p.m.

Unity Temple on the Plaza, 707 W. 47th St., Kansas City, MO Hosted in partnership with the Historical Society for the Western District of Missouri (Howard Sachs Chapter) With a new Supreme Court justice sworn in last year and potential vacancies in the near future, President Donald Trump will have a lasting impact on our judicial branch and the decisions it will make in the coming years and decades. Join us for a program featuring David Von Drehle, columnist for The Washington Post, in conversation with Joan Biskupic, one of the nation’s preeminent authorities on the Supreme Court. The program will focus on a number of current issues and challenging cases facing the Supreme Court.

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19TH ANNUAL WILD ABOUT HARRY SIGNATURE EVENT Thursday, April 19, 2018, 7 p.m.

Marriott-Muehlebach Hotel, 1213 Wyandotte, Kansas City, MO Wild About Harry has become one of the most anticipated social events on the Kansas City calendar. Now in its 19th year, Wild About Harry is an evening of great food, lively entertainment and unforgettable programming. This year’s featured guest and honoree is Pulitzer Prize-winning Truman biographer David McCullough. Table host and sponsorship opportunities are now available, and individual tickets go on sale March 1. Visit TrumanLibraryInstitute.org/Wild for more information.

CREATE YOUR OWN TRUMAN EVENT: The Truman team has speakers available who can provide customized presentations for upcoming gatherings or meetings.

To create your own event, please contact us at info@TrumanLibraryInstitute.org.

WILD ABOUT HARRY 2018

STAND WITH TRUMAN THE 19TH ANNUAL FUNDRAISING DINNER

BENEFITING THE LIBRARY AND PROMOTING THE LEGACY OF HARRY S. TRUMAN April 19, 2018 FEATURING

David McCullough Honored Guest and Speaker EVENT LEADERSHIP Jo Ann and Bill Sullivan Betsy and Tim Triplett Honorary Chairs Event Chairs

TICKETS ON SALE MARCH 1

MORE INFORMATION

Sponsorship packages are now available and offer VIP access starting at just $1,000.

Individual tickets are $200.

Visit TrumanLibraryInstitute.org/WILD or contact Kim Rausch, Director of Development, at 816.400.1214 or Kim.Rausch@TrumanLibraryInstitute.org.

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Truman Travelers in France Oct. 16-22, 2018 October 22-24 (Optional Normandy Extension) $2,250 per person based on double occupancy $600 per person optional Normandy extension Contact: Kim Rausch at 816.400.1214 or Kim.Rausch@TrumanLibraryInstitute.org.

TRUMAN TRAVELERS

Walking in Capt.

Truman's Footsteps in France

The Truman Library Institute is pleased to offer unique travel opportunities as a benefit for members of The Buck Stops Here Society, the Truman Library’s premier membership program. In October 2018, Society members are invited to take part in an unforgettable adventure that will begin and end in majestic Paris, France.

Great leaders are forged upon battlefields, particularly in the harrowing year of 1918.

This fall, join the Truman Library Institute, in partnership with the National World War I Museum and Memorial, for a once-in-alifetime trip across the Western Front that inspired individuals and nations. Experience the beauty of serene spaces and delicious French cuisine as we follow in the footsteps of Capt. Truman and Battery D, visiting wellknown battlefields and exclusive locales, and relive their journey through Harry's own vivid letters home.

Plans include a visit to the Museum of the Great War in Meaux, observing the “Taps” ceremony at the American cemetery

at Romagne-en-Argonne, and visiting legendary Fort Douaumont. Follow Battery D’s gruelling100-mile march to the MeuseArgonne offensive, and visit Verdun to see the bunkers where Truman learned to “sleep with a gas mask on” in a place where the landscape still bears witness to the ferocity of the war.

This one-of-a-kind battlefield tour also offers an optional 2-day extension to visit the World War II site of Normandy. Spend a full-day learning about the U.S. Rangers Action at Pointe du Hoc, the 101st Airborne Division landings at St Mere Eglise, and action at Brecourt Manor. End the day with a moving visit to Omaha Beach and its nearby War Cemetery and Interpretation Centre.

View the trip’s full itinerary online at TrumanLibraryInstitute.org/Truman-Travel.

To ensure the very best experience for all involved, spaces are limited on this tour. If you are interested, please respond today.

The deadline to register is March 14.

Questions about this Truman Travel event or membership in The Buck Stops Here Society? Please contact Kim Rausch, Director of Development, at 816.400.1214 or Kim.Rausch@TrumanLibraryInstitute.org.

ABOVE: In 1918, Capt. Truman and his men waded through this stream in France to attack the hedge which the Germans had laced with barbed wire and lined with machine guns. Photo credit: Mike Sheil.

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Fiscal Year 2014 Donors

MEMBERS, DONORS AND FRIENDS We salute all who make our mission possible. Thank you for your support as we work on behalf of a great president and a treasured institution.

Gifts received between October 1, 2016 and September 30, 2017

OUR VISION

TH E B UCK STOPS H E R E SOCI ETY

People are inspired, enriched and empowered through the many resources of the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum.

Heads of State Jack L. Capps Jean and Tom McDonnell Marny and John Sherman

OUR MISSION

To bring the life and legacy of Harry S. Truman to bear on current and future generations through understanding of history, the presidency, domestic and foreign policy, and citizenship.

Cabinet Member Harvey S. Bodker Susie Evans Cheryl and William Geffon Marlys and Michael Haverty The McMeel Family Foundation Kay and Roger Novak Michael and Cathy Schultz Jeanne and Charles Sosland Estelle and Morton Sosland West Wing Council Jane and Dick Bruening Centerpoint Medical Center Nancy Lee and Jonathan Kemper Dolores and Jack Higgins Mary and John Hunkeler KCP&L Nancy and Herb Kohn Molly McGee Laurie and Greg Gunderson Cappy and Peter Powell Elberta and Delmar Sutton Cheryl and Bernie Williams

Presidential Aide Grace and Michael Albano Grania and George Allport Eric Anderson Sarah and Jonathan Baum Ann and G. Kenneth Baum Judy and David Bennett Merilyn and Loren Berenbom Elinor Borenstine * Pati Chasnoff Bunni and Paul Copaken Polly Bennett-Daniel and Clifton Truman Daniel Lois and Tom Davidson Rosalee and Richard Davison Mary Stahl and Sam Devinki Nancy and John Dillingham Polly and Paul Donnelly Amy and Bob Dunn Thomas G. Eads Robert N. Epsten Sandra Eveloff Jeanne and Larry Gates Barbara and J. Peter Gattermeir Susie and Ron Goldsmith Sharon Greenwood Shirley and Barnett Helzberg Sara and Douglas Horn City of Independence Harry Jonas

(Premier Membership Society) Sandy and Dick Jones Kathleen and Dick Kirkendall Polly and Jeff Kramer Jan and Tom Kreamer Jeanie and Bob Latz Sandy and Joel Leibsohn Charlotte and John Lowrey Daisy and John MacDonald Patricia and Michael Manners Barbara H. Marshall Kay Martin Bridget McCandless and Dennis Taylor Jill and Tom McGee Larry McMullen Ronay and Richard Menschel Betsy Michel Joanne Nappi Barbara Nelson Annabel and Jim* Nutter, Sr. Diane and David O'Hagan Georgia and Jack Olsen Anne and Craig Patterson Susan and Tom Pigott Mary Ann and Nick Powell Page and Bruce Reed June and Lawrence Rouse Sarah Rowland Miriam and Daniel Scharf Margo SoulĂŠ and Thomas Schult

Jonathan J. Seagle Arlene E. Segal Russ and Linda Sims Patty Skelton Harold Ivan Smith Betsey and Rick Solberg Mindy and Meyer Sosland Susan and Charles A. Spaulding, III Ruth and Robert Speaks Alicia and James Starr Mary and R. James Stilley, Jr. Jeannine Strandjord Jo Ann and William Sullivan Tawani Foundation Jane Taylor and Byron Constance Lori and Kent Thomas Patricia Werthan Uhlmann UMB Bank, N.A. Jean and Don Wagner Maurice A. Watson Katie and Clyde Wendel Beth and Dave Williams Mary Linna and Dick Woods * Deceased

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DONOR HONOR ROLL (Please note: individuals and organizations whose combined unrestricted support in FY2017 met or exceeded $10,000 are recognized as members of The President’s Inner Circle and are identified in bold.) $100,000+ Anonymous Mary Shaw Branton GKCCF Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation Marny and John Sherman Harry S. Truman Library and Museum $99,999 to $50,000 J.E. Dunn Construction Company William T. Kemper Foundation $49,999 to $25,000 Mary and Alan Atterbury Jack L. Capps The Evans family Mary and John Hunkeler Jewish Community Foundation of GKC The McDonnell Foundation Shepard Family Foundation Courtney S. Turner Charitable Trust, Bank of America, trustee $24,999 to $10,000 Ann and G. Kenneth Baum Bonnie and Herb Buchbinder Kirk W. Carpenter Emerson Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund Cheryl and William Geffon Arvin Gottlieb Charitable Foundation, UMB Bank, N.A., trustee Donald Hall Marlys and Michael Haverty Kansas City Southern Molly A. McGee The McMeel Family Foundation James B. Nutter & Company Oppenstein Brothers Foundation Karen and Steven Pack Harry Portman Charitable Trust, UMB Bank, N.A., trustee Cappy and Peter Powell J. B. Reynolds Foundation The Sosland Foundation Jeannine Strandjord / Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation Waddell & Reed Financial Inc.

Katie and Clyde Wendel Jack and Glenna Wylie Donor Advised Fund $9,999 to $5,000 Americo Life, Incorporated Mary Ellen and Jim Ascher Merilyn and Loren Berenbom Black & Veatch Black & Veatch Foundation Harvey S. Bodker Millie and Michael Brown Commerce Bank CPS Foundation The DeBruce Foundation Amy and Bob Dunn Euronet Worldwide Christy and Bill Gautreaux Karbank Real Estate Company Karbank Family Foundation KCP&L Kinder Foundation Nancy and Herb Kohn Barbara and Allen Lefko National Society Daughters of the American Revolution Page and Bruce Reed Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation / Michael and Cathy Schultz Cyd Slayton and Madeleine McDonough UMB Bank, N.A. Jean and Don Wagner $4,999 to $3,000 Anonymous Blue Cross and Blue Shield Centerpoint Medical Center Gary Dickinson Family Charitable Foundation Hall Family Foundation Sara and Douglas Horn Husch Blackwell LLP City of Independence Harry S. Jonas Daisy and John MacDonald Thomas Martin Foundation Bridget McCandless and Dennis Taylor Nancy and Paul McGraw Barbara Nelson Mary Ann and Nick Powell Patricia Skelton Jeanne and Charles Sosland Mary and R. James Stilley, Jr. Elberta and Delmar Sutton Veterans of Foreign Wars Cheryl and Bernard Williams Mary Linna and Dick Woods $2,999 to $1,000 Grace and Michael Albano Kathie L. Allison Grania and George Allport Eric R. Anderson

Connie and Keith Ashcraft Bank of Blue Valley Sarah and Jonathan Baum Kathy and John Benich Judy and David Bennett Marion and Henry Bloch Family Foundation Elinor Borenstine * Bryan Cave, LLP Ann Canfield and The Stanley J. Bushman Philanthropic Fund Charina Foundation, Inc. Pennie and Cliff Cohn Lynn and Terrence Coleman Bunni and Paul Copaken Country Club Bank Doug Dalgleish Lois and Tom Davidson Patricia and Dean Davison Rosalee and Richard Davison Jill and Marshall H. Dean, Jr. Katherine DeBruce Anne and Rudy deLeon Devinki Real Estate Nancy and John Dillingham Polly and Paul Donnelly Thomas G. Eads Robert N. Epsten Equitable Trust Company Federal Court Historical Fund Fidelity Security Life Ins. Co Jeanne and Larry Gates Sharon Greenwood Hallmark Cards, Inc. Susan M. Hartmann Cathy and Randy Hedlund Shirley and Barnett Helzberg Foundation Paget and Thomas M. Higgins, III

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$499 to $250 Molly and Arthur Benson Bergen County United Way Emily Branch Mary B. Brink Arthur W. Brooks, Jr. Stanton Brown Karen and Robert Bruner Jane Bryan Joanne and Gene Cable Gaye and Mark Cohen Richard Cosnotti Pat and Charles Dalton June and Leodis Davis Rebecca and Robert T. Davis, II Cheryl and Larry Delmont Aruna Konreddy and Raghuveer Dendi Howard S. Edelstein Cynthia and Larry Eisenhauer John Ellena Sarah and Mark Eubank

Jackie and Henry J. Massman, IV

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Museum Marketing

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Public Relations

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WHAT WE DO Student Museum Tours Public Programs Core Educational Programs The White House Decision Center Harry S. Truman Book Award Scholar’s Award Dissertation Year Fellowships Research Grants Summer Teacher Conference National History Day —

Greater Kansas City Region

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Forum on the Presidency

Wild About Harry!

Harry S. Truman

Legacy of Leadership Award

Truman Legacy Series Distinguished Authors Events Truman Medal for Economic Policy Community Partnerships Government Relations Membership Programs Volunteer and Docent Program

Publications/Communications Capital Improvements Preventative Maintenance Development and Fundraising Truman Legacy Society Events Website Hosting and Management Museum and Archives Support Digital Archives Support Student Internship Program

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Rise Terney

Memorial Gifts Honoring Herbert A. Bohn, WWII Veteran and Father: Dennis Bohn

Beth K. Smith: Stacia Stelk and Alex Burden Kay Martin Cappy and Peter Powell Kim and Tom Rausch Lisa A. Sullivan

Gifts in Kind Bob Compton Photography The Capital Grille Centerpoint Medical Center Polly Bennett Daniel and Clifton Truman Daniel Design Ranch The Examiner Heart of America Shakespeare Festival, Much Ado About Nothing, June 12 - July 1 HyVee Food & Drug Store Niel M. Johnson Leader Chauffeur Services Kansas City Marriott Downtown Mark McDonald Photography The Party Patch / Michele and Stan Crumbaugh PSAV Presentation Services Richardson Communications Group Tom's Town Distilling Co.

Donna Jean Clark: Kimberly Morrison

Dr. Benedict Zobrist: Tom Richter

Authur Easter: Peggy and John Easter

*Deceased

Diana Milstead: Anonymous C. Westbrook Murphy: David Flanagan John Nappi, Harry Truman's biggest fan!: Deborah Mayo Thomas W. Nappi Melvin Nicholson: Crystal Neild Claude T. and Emma Lou Owen: Joel Christensen Cappy Powell: Mary and Ron Pressman

Jesica (Turner) Gainer: Judy Turner Sir Arthur Gilbert: Elaine P. Meitus Nancy Lewis: Craig Kaintz James Mullarkey, Korean War Silver Star Recipient: Michael W. Mullarkey James B. Nutter, Sr.: Stacia Stelk and Alex Burden Amy and Bob Dunn Lisa A. Sullivan

MATCHING GIFTS Thank you to the following companies who matched gifts from their employees and board members this year: Andrews McMeel Universal Marion and Henry Bloch Family Foundation CITGO Petroleum Corporation DST Systems, Inc.

Tribute Gifts Honoring Mary and Alan Atterbury: The Kinder Foundation

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Farah Barrow: Charles Barrow

Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation

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Kansas City Southern Hall Family Foundation The Sosland Foundation Does your company have a matching gift program? We would be happy to help you research this process. Contact Kim Rausch at 816.400.1214 or Kim.Rausch@TrumanLibraryInstitute.org.

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BOAR D OF D I R ECTOR S Honorary Chair Clifton Truman Daniel Officers Clyde F. Wendel Chair Vice Chairman (Ret.), UMB Bank James B. Nutter, Jr. Vice Chair President and CEO, James B. Nutter & Company Jeannine Strandjord Vice Chair Chief Integration Officer (Ret.), Sprint Corporation John A. MacDonald Treasurer Vice President & Treasurer Hall Family Foundation Adam P. Sachs Secretary Partner Husch Blackwell LLP Members Alan L. Atterbury President & CEO Midland Properties, Inc. Merilyn K. Berenbom Community Volunteer Kirk W. Carpenter President & Owner Carpenter & Company Insurance Agency

Robert P. Dunn Vice President — Community Affairs JE Dunn Construction Company Susie S. Evans Community Volunteer Greg Gunderson, Ph.D. President Park University Mary Ann Heiss, Ph.D. Associate Professor of History Kent State University Mary Hunkeler Community Volunteer Kay Martin Community Volunteer Bridget McCandless, M.D.

President and CEO The Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City James D. Rine President, Kansas City Region UMB Bank Marny Sherman Community Volunteer

NATIONAL ADVI SORY COU NCI L The Hon. Eileen Weir Mayor Independence, Missouri

The Hon. John C. Danforth Partner, Bryan Cave LLP

Walter Isaacson President & CEO (Ret.) The Aspen Institute

Dennis Merrill, Ph.D. Curator’s Teaching Professor University of Missouri – Kansas City

The Hon. Richard A. Gephardt President & CEO Gephardt Group

Michael J. Johnston Executive Vice President (Ret.) The Capital Group

Janet Napolitano President University of California Timothy W. Triplett General Counsel Black & Veatch David Von Drehle Columnist The Washington Post David Williams CEO Centerpoint Medical Center, HCA Ex-Officio Directors Alex Burden Executive Director Truman Library Institute Kurt Graham Director Harry S. Truman Library and Museum

Meyer J. Sosland Director of Operations and Executive Editor Sosland Publishing

Maureen McMeel Carroll Executive Director McMeel Family Foundation

The Hon. James W. Symington Of Counsel (Ret.), Nossaman LLP Julián Zugazagoitia Director & CEO The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art

HONORARY TR USTE E S Henry W. Bloch Elinor Jacobson Borenstine* Willard L. Boyd Mary Shaw Branton* Donald H. Chisholm* George H. Curtis Donald S. Dawson* Robert J. Donovan* William Dunn Sr. Thomas F. Eagleton* George M. Elsey* Charles M. Foudree Lawrence E. Gelfand* Larry J. Hackman

Susan M. Hartmann Ken Hechler* Francis H. Heller* Mary Hunkeler Milton P. Kayle* Jonathan M. Kemper Richard S. Kirkendall J. Lane Kirkland* S. Lee Kling* Henry J. Massman Edward T. Matheny, Jr. Thomas A. McDonnell Joseph J. McGee* C. Westbrook Murphy William C. Nelson*

Richard E. Neustadt* Roger A. Novak James B. Nutter Sr.* James C. Olson* Barbara J. Potts Gloria Schusterman John J. Sherman Beth K. Smith* Morton I. Sosland Elmer B. Staats* David Stanley Benedict K. Zobrist*

*Deceased

TR U MAN LI B RARY I NTE R N S Mara Bradford Whitney Coleman Susanna DeHaven Trisa Gannaway Lacey Harris Elizabeth Hartzler Zoe Honeck

Mary Horn Maclen Johnson Hannah Kimbrough Karly Kinsey Bennett Nowotny Joseph Parisi Kevin Ploth

Bethany Redman Rebecca Reilly Christopher Renard Hannah Sabal Cassandra Schimpf Jarrod Showalter Natalie Walker

Thank you to the Truman Library interns who worked on a variety of projects in the archives, education and museum units.

TR U MAN LI B RARY VOLU NTE E R S Jennifer Alston Cathy Blake Betty Blatt Charlene Bledsoe Loren Boline Kathy Brant Harlan Brockman Alyson Burnett Jim Cable Bill Carpenter Alice Chapman John Chapman

Myrle Chastain Jolene Clark Sandra Colyer Cheryl Compton Rick DeBusk Marjorie Durkee Marietta Feather Don Foote Leslie Hagensen Paul Hansen JoAnn Hatch Joyce Howell

Jim Howk Dolores Hunter Ruby James Dave Jeter Mark Johnson Deb Keating Dave Kerr Jo Kleinman Drew Kloeppel Linda Kobe Tracy Laughery Janeal Matheson

Doris McCartney Doug McClellan Cliff McCormick Jean McCormick Mary Ann McCue Bill Naylor Patrick Nickle Ric Nyman Sara Nyman Curt Oldroyd Thurman Oliver Jack Perne

Patty Petet Mildred Polc Carolyn Reece Donna Ryan Barb Schmitt Larry Sebby John Shay William Strautman Judy Sturgess Bob Tobia Jim U’Ren Christl Webster

Erin West Judy Williams Paul Winans DeAun Young Steve Zvacek 1,000 CLUB MEMBERS (volunteers who have served 1,000+ hours) are identified in red.

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The Truman Legacy Society recognizes and honors the generous individuals who have bequeathed or pledged millions of dollars to benefit President Truman’s library and legacy.

In addition to helping the Truman Library Institute fulfill its mission, Legacy Society members are closely connected to the Truman Library in meaningful ways. For additional information about the Truman Legacy Society and various planned giving options, please contact Kim Rausch at 816.400.1214 or Kim.Rausch@TrumanLibraryInstitute.org.

ANONYMOUS (8) MIRIAM AND WILLIAM BLAHD* EDA AND CHARLES BRANNAN* MARY SHAW BRANTON* KIM CHAMBERLIN BETTY J. DAWSON* SPENCER M. DAYTON SHIRLEY AND JOHN DEIFEL* VIRGINIA T. DUNN* ANNE FULCHINO* MARY AND JOHN HUNKELER HULSTON FAMILY FOUNDATION VIRGINIA AND LAWRENCE HUTCHISON* MARY* AND MICHAEL JOHNSTON CONNIE* AND HARRY JONAS DOROTHY AND MILTON P. * KAYLE FRANK J. KELLY* GRETA KEMPTON* PHILIP D. LAGERQUIST* BEATRICE MANGIN MARJORIE N. MARTIN*

MILDRED AND ROBERT MARTIN* LARRY L. MCMULLEN HOLLEN BEATRICE MERTINS* MARGARET AND JEROME* NERMAN MARVIN ROGOLSKY SETH SLOCUM* DAVID STANLEY MARGARET STEVENSON TRUMAN* SULLIVAN FAMILY FOUNDATION JO ANN AND WILLIAM SULLIVAN LOUIS W. TRUMAN* JUDY TURNER ERIC L. WATKINS JEFFREY R. WAYNE KATIE AND CLYDE WENDEL MCKINLEY WOODEN* MARY LINNA AND DICK WOODS ELAINE O. ZIMMERMAN EUGENE M. ZUCKERT *Deceased

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A WOR D FROM HAR RY Densmore Hotel, Kansas City, Mo. July 14, 1917 11 p.m., Saturday night Dear Bess: I have just finished the Regimental Banquet. It was a very solemn affair. Colonel Klemm made us a speech on our duties to God and country, and Lieutenant Colonel Elliott made one on the duties of an artillery officer. They were both from the shoulder and gave us something to think about.

I had thought somewhat on both subjects, but not as far as these gentlemen went. According to them, we have placed ourselves on a position of placing the American Government above everything, even our lives. We are expected to do absolutely as we are told. Evidently, if we are ordered to go to Berlin, go we must -- or be buried on the way…

Bess, I’m dead crazy to ask you to marry me before I leave but I’m not going to because I don’t think it would be right for me to ask you to tie yourself to a perspective cripple -or a sentiment. You, I know, would love me just as much, perhaps more, with one hand as with two, but I don’t think I should cause you to do it. Besides, if the war ends happily and I can steal the Russian or German crown jewels, just think what a grand military wedding you can have, get a major general maybe.

If you don’t marry me before I go, you may be sure that I’ll be just as loyal to you as if you were my wife. I’ll not try to exact any promises from you either if you want to go with any other guy, why all right, but I’ll be as jealous as the mischief although not begrudging you the good time…

All I ask is love me always, and if I have to be shot I’ll try and not have it in the back or before a stone wall, because I’m afraid not to do you honor.

Sincerely, Harry

Harry and Bess Truman were married on June 28, 1919, a mere 53 days after Harry was discharged from service. They enjoyed 53 years of marriage, with Bess serving as Harry’s confidante throughout his time in the White House and beyond. Read Harry’s letter in its entirety by scanning the QR code at right.

131

The number of letters Harry sent to Bess while serving the nation in WWI digitized as part of the Truman Library’s Collection.

Find them online at TrumanLibrary.org.

TR Uism # 17

“We’ll be married anywhere you say at any time you mention, and if you want only one person or the whole town I don’t care as long as you can make it quickly after my arrival.”

H A R RY S . T R U M A N

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