Truman was known for making tough decisions. Harry S Truman. The Man from Missouri

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1 Truman was known for making tough decisions Harry S Truman The Man from Missouri

2 33 rd president Played the piano Wore thick glasses from age 6 Was not allowed to play contact sports Endured much teasing Read every book in the local library when he was a kid. From Lamar, MO Fought in WWI Became president when FDR died during WWII Lives of the Presidents by Kathleen Krull p58-60

3 Harry giving Bess a smooch. Harry was a family man.

4 Bess-- or Boss All the People Since 1945 by Joy Hakim Truman liked to introduce his wife & daughter on the campaign. He would say Would you like to meet the boss? he d say just before Bess appeared. Whistle Stop Campaign He s the president, one editor wrote, yet he s just an ordinary family man proud of his wife & daughter. Bess told her husband if he called her the Boss one more time, she d get off the train.

5 Bess, Harry, & Margaret Harry referred to Bess as the Boss Margaret was their only child.

6 Margaret grew up and became a singer and a writer of mystery books. (including Murder in the White House) Her father supported her singing ambitions, and when a music critic roasted her in print he fired off a letter warning that the man would need a new nose if Truman ever met him. Truman had a peppery nickname for several reasons. People would talk about Truman and say something like this, Give Em Heck Harry! It was what he was known for.

7 The letter that Truman wrote in defense of his daughter's singing Post Music Critic Paul Hume's December 6, 1950, review of Margaret Truman's singing performance at Constitution Hall, stating, "Miss Truman is a unique American phenomenon with a pleasant voice of little size and fair quality (she) cannot sing very well is flat a good deal of the time more last night than at any time we have heard her in past years has not improved in the years we have heard her (and) still cannot sing with anything approaching professional finish." President Truman responded with the following letter to Hume: THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON Dec. 6, 1950 Mr. Hume: I've just read your lousy review of Margaret's concert. I've come to the conclusion that you are an "eight ulcer man on four ulcer pay." It seems to me that you are a frustrated old man who wishes he could have been successful. When you write such poppy-cock as was in the back section of the paper you work for it shows conclusively that you're off the beam and at least four of your ulcers are at work. Some day I hope to meet you. When that happens you'll need a new nose, a lot of beefsteak for black eyes, and perhaps a supporter below! Pegler, a gutter snipe, is a gentleman alongside you. I hope you'll accept that statement as a worse insult than a reflection on your ancestry. H.S.T. Since the letter was sent by President Truman to Mr. Hume, the original letter was in Mr. Hume s possession, not President Truman s, and consequently did not come to the Library as part of the President s papers. Hume sold the letter in 1951, for $3,500. The original letter continued to reside in private hands as part of the Malcom Forbes Estate, where it hung in the family s New York corporate art galleries. The Estate purchased the letter in 1983, from an unnamed individual for an unnamed, but "substantial" sum. A copy of the letter also hung in the office of President Bill Clinton. In 2002, the letter was puchased by the Harlan Crow Library, a private library at the Highland Park, Texas, estate of Harlan Crow, a real estate businessman.

8 Loyal to his family? Peppery?

9 Honest? He told people what he thought. Sometimes they didn t like it. Some people said that is not how a president should act. What do you think?

10 Responsible? Hard Working? Stubborn? It was a tough job taking over as president when Roosevelt died. Truman accepted the responsibility. He did not make excuses. Stalin, Roosevelt, and Churchill When that term was over Truman ran for reelection. Everyone said Dewey would win and Truman would lose. But guess what? He won. Truman pulled off one of the biggest upsets in political history.

11 Fiery? Peppery? Known to pop off? First Truman was Lieutenant During WWI. His men were not ready to take orders from him. He said, I didn t come here to get along with you. He bluntly told the men. You ve got to get along with me. If there are any of you that can t, speak up right now and I will bust your back right now. After that, the soldiers found they could, in fact, get along with their new commander. Before long, Truman was promoted to captain. He and his men were involved in horrific battles the last year of the war. Encyclopedia of the Presidents Hargrove p28

12 What were some of Truman s nicknames? What were some of Truman s favorite quotes?

13 What were some of Truman s favorite quotes? The BUCK STOPS here! Truman kept a plaque with this quote on his desk in the oval office He also kept this sign on his desk. The BUCK STOPS here!

14 More of Truman s Quotes Always do right. This will gratify some, and astonish the rest. Mark Twain

15 Truman s Quotes This sign was on his desk. Truman seldom backed away from a struggle. Do you think the soldiers who served with him in WWI knew this?

16 The BUCK STOPS here! Truman kept a plaque with this quote on his desk in the oval office. explain It meant he accepted responsibility. When you make a mistake do you own up to it? Or do you try to pass the buck?

17 decisive: able to make tough decisions How did WWII finally end? Who are the men? What countries do they represent? Who were we fighting? How did Truman decide to try to end WWII?

18 tough decisions How did WWII finally end? Truman made the decision to drop 2 atomic bombs on Japan. This was one of the toughest decisions a president ever faced. He believed it saved American lives & ended WWII.

19 Some historians say that Harry Truman made more tough decisions than any other modern president did.

20 Courageous? Fair? During WWII both black & white American soldiers fought & died for the USA. But black soldiers were not treated equal to white soldiers. Truman struggled to make the Armed Services racially fair. Nearly every admiral, general & civilian advisor tried to talk Truman out of this. But in 1948 it became law. He knew it was the right thing to do. (always do right) He made the tough decisions (the buck stops here) And he wasn t afraid of the heat (if you don t like the heat get out of the kitchen)

21 Some historians say that Harry Truman made more tough decisions than any other modern president did. Do you agree? Truman was known for making tough decisions

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23 The Buck Stops Here. Truman took his responsibility seriously. He had a knack for making hard choices. He dropped the bomb on Japan. He made the army racially integrated when most people opposed it. He could take the heat. He proved it when Roosevelt died.