author
Harry S. Truman
1884–1972
Thrust into the presidency in 1945, he led the United States through the end of World War II and the turbulent opening years of the Cold War. His plainspoken style and readiness to make hard decisions helped define a presidency still studied for its enormous consequences.
1 Audiobook
State of the Union Addresses
by Harry S. Truman
About the author
Born in Lamar, Missouri, in 1884, Harry S. Truman grew up in Independence and spent his early adult years as a farmer, soldier in World War I, and small-business owner before entering politics. He served as a U.S. senator from Missouri and became vice president in 1945, only to assume the presidency weeks later after Franklin D. Roosevelt's death.
As the 33rd president of the United States, Truman guided the country through some of the most difficult decisions of the 20th century. His administration oversaw the final stage of World War II, the use of atomic bombs against Japan, the creation of the United Nations, the Marshall Plan, the Truman Doctrine, and the early years of the Korean War. At home, he backed civil rights measures and promoted his Fair Deal program.
Truman left office in 1953 and returned to Independence, where he remained an unusually accessible former president. He died in 1972, and his reputation has endured in part because of his direct manner, his sense of accountability, and the famous desk sign that captured his approach to leadership: "The buck stops here."