author
Harry S. Truman
1884–1972
A plainspoken Missourian who rose from small-town life to the White House, he led the United States through the end of World War II and the uneasy opening years of the Cold War. His story is full of hard decisions, blunt honesty, and the steady confidence behind the famous line, “The buck stops here.”
1 Audiobook
State of the Union Addresses
by Harry S. Truman
About the author
Born in Lamar, Missouri, on May 8, 1884, Harry S. Truman grew up on farms and in small towns before working a string of jobs, serving in World War I, and later running a haberdashery in Kansas City. His easy, direct style never left him, even after he entered politics and rose through Missouri’s Democratic organization to become a U.S. senator.
In 1944, he became vice president under Franklin D. Roosevelt, and just months later, on April 12, 1945, he was suddenly thrust into the presidency after Roosevelt’s death. As the 33rd president, he oversaw the final phase of World War II and then faced the difficult early years of the Cold War. His administration is closely linked with the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan, the Berlin airlift, and the start of the Korean War.
Truman left office in 1953 and returned to Independence, Missouri, where he became known for the same straightforward character that had shaped his public life. He died on December 26, 1972. Today he is often remembered as a decisive, unadorned leader whose willingness to take responsibility became one of the defining images of his presidency.