Harry Truman: From Humble Beginnings to the Presidency - An Examination of His Educational Background and Rise to Power
Harry S. Truman, the 33rd President of the United States, led the nation through the tumultuous final months of World War II and the early years of the Cold War. While his presidency is often defined by his momentous decisions regarding the atomic bomb and the shaping of post-war foreign policy, Truman's journey to the highest office in the land was significantly shaped by his educational experiences and early career. This article delves into Truman's educational background, his early life, and the key events that paved his way to the presidency.
Early Life and Education: Shaping the Man
Born on May 8, 1884, in Lamar, Missouri, Harry S. Truman was the son of John Anderson Truman and Martha Ellen (Young) Truman. His parents chose the middle initial "S" to honor his grandfathers, Anderson Shipp Truman and Solomon Young, without it representing a specific name. The family moved several times during Truman's childhood, eventually settling in Independence, Missouri, in 1890.
Truman's poor eyesight prevented him from actively participating in sports, but it fostered a love for reading and music. His mother encouraged his interests, and he developed a passion for history, biography, and mathematics. He was an avid reader, proudly claiming to have read every book in the Independence Public Library.
Truman's formal education began at the Noland School, where he was considered an excellent student. A Noland School record book, dating from September 18, 1893, to June 1, 1894, indicates that Harry S. Truman was an excellent second-grader in Minnie L. Ward's classroom. His fourth-grade report card, signed by his mother, Martha Truman, is preserved in the archives. According to his cousin, Mary Ethel Noland, Truman "dearly loved his teachers" and was "always the teachers' pet because he was a very fine little boy."
In his memoirs, Truman fondly recalled his early education: "My first year in school was a happy one. I do not remember a bad teacher in all my experiences. They were all different, of course, but they were the salt of the earth." He emphasized the importance of history, stating, "Reading history, to me, was far more than a romantic adventure. It was solid instruction and wise teaching which I somehow felt that I wanted and needed. I could see that history had some extremely valuable lessons to teach."
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Miss Adelia G. Hardin, who later married Prof. W.L.C. Palmer, taught mathematics and Latin to Truman during his high school years. Mrs. Palmer recalled that Truman "even read the Encyclopedia Britannica." His knowledge of Latin was evident later in life when he corrected Chief Justice Vinson's Latin quote, "Delenda est Carthago," demonstrating his well-rounded education.
Truman graduated from Independence High School in 1901. Financial constraints prevented him from attending college, and his poor eyesight made him ineligible for West Point. Instead, he pursued various jobs, including working as a timekeeper for a railroad construction contractor and as a clerk in two Kansas City banks. In 1906, he returned to the family farm in Grandview to assist his father.
Although Truman never obtained a college degree, his commitment to self-education remained steadfast throughout his life. He briefly attended Spalding's Commercial College, a business school in Kansas City, and later took night courses toward an LL.B. degree from 1923 to 1925. His lack of a formal college education made him unique among presidents, as he was the only one since William McKinley not to have earned a college degree.
Early Career and Military Service: Building a Foundation
After graduating from high school in 1901, Truman worked briefly as a timekeeper for a railroad construction contractor, then as a clerk in two Kansas City banks. In 1906 he returned to Grandview to help his father run the family farm. From 1905 to 1911, Truman served in the Missouri National Guard.
Truman's experiences in the Missouri National Guard instilled in him a sense of discipline and leadership. When the United States entered World War I in 1917, Truman joined the Army, helping to organize the 2nd Regiment of Missouri Field Artillery, which was quickly called into Federal service as the 129th Field Artillery and sent to France. He was promoted to Captain and given command of the regiment's Battery D. He and his unit saw action in the Vosges, Saint Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne campaigns.
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His service in World War I proved to be a transformative experience, shaping his leadership qualities and providing him with invaluable experience in managing and motivating men. Truman's leadership skills were evident in his ability to restore order and discipline to Battery D, a unit known for its problems. Despite facing intimidation from his men, Truman succeeded by holding his corporals and sergeants accountable and backing them up when they performed capably.
Truman's experiences in the war also broadened his perspective and deepened his understanding of the world. He witnessed firsthand the horrors of war and the importance of international cooperation. These experiences would later inform his decisions as president, particularly in his efforts to promote peace and stability in the post-war world.
Political Ascent: From County Judge to the Senate
After returning from World War I, Truman married Bess Wallace in 1919, whom he had known since childhood. Their only child, Mary Margaret, was born on February 17, 1924. From 1919 to 1922 he ran a men's clothing store in Kansas City with his wartime friend, Eddie Jacobson. The store failed in the postwar recession.
Truman's foray into the business world was short-lived, but it provided him with valuable experience in managing finances and dealing with people. After failing in the haberdashery business, Truman ran for county judge (the title for a county commissioner) in Jackson County, MO. In 1924, he ran for re-election and lost, the only election he ever lost.
With the help of the Kansas City Democratic machine led by Tom Pendergast, Truman was elected in 1922 as County Court judge of Jackson County's eastern district-Jackson County's three-judge court included judges from the western district (Kansas City), the eastern district (the county outside Kansas City), and a presiding judge elected countywide. This was an administrative rather than a judicial court, similar to county commissions in many other jurisdictions. Truman succeeded James E. Pendergast's support was crucial to Truman's early political success.
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Truman won the job in 1926 with the support of the Pendergast machine, and succeeded Elihu W. Hayes. Truman was re-elected in 1930; he served from January 1, 1927, to January 1, 1935, and was succeeded by Eugene I. Purcell. As presiding judge, Truman helped coordinate the Ten Year Plan, which transformed Jackson County and the Kansas City skyline with new public works projects, including an extensive series of roads and construction of a new Wight and Wight-designed County Court building.
His tenure as a county judge was marked by his commitment to honesty, efficiency, and public service. He gained a reputation for his ability to manage county affairs effectively and for his dedication to improving the lives of the citizens of Jackson County.
In 1934, Truman was elected to the United States Senate. He had significant roles in the passage into law of the Civil Aeronautics Act of 1938 and the Transportation Act of 1940. After being reelected in 1940, Truman gained national prominence as chairman of the Senate Special Committee to Investigate the National Defense Program.
During World War II, Senator Truman headed The Truman Committee that investigated wartime corruption and waste spending, saving the government between $10 and $15 billion, not to mention thousands of lives of servicemen. The Truman Committee, as it became known, investigated waste, fraud, and inefficiency in the defense industry. The committee's work saved billions of dollars and earned Truman national recognition for his integrity and effectiveness.
The Unexpected Presidency: Leading in a Time of Crisis
In July 1944, Truman was nominated to run for Vice President with President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Truman later called his first year as President a "year of decisions." He oversaw during his first two months in office the ending of the war in Europe. He participated in a conference at Potsdam, Germany, governing defeated Germany, and to lay some groundwork for the final stage of the war against Japan. Truman approved the dropping of two atomic bombs on Japan on August 6 and 9, 1945. Japan surrendered on August 14, and American forces of occupation began to land by the end of the month.
On April 12, 1945, less than three months as vice president, Harry S. Truman was sworn in as the 33rd President of the United States following the unexpected death of Roosevelt. He assumed the presidency during a critical juncture in world history, with World War II drawing to a close and the dawn of the nuclear age looming large.
Truman's presidency was marked throughout by important foreign policy initiatives. Central to almost everything Truman undertook in his foreign policy was the desire to prevent the expansion of the influence of the Soviet Union. The Truman Doctrine was an enunciation of American willingness to provide military aid to countries resisting communist insurgencies; the Marshall Plan sought to revive the economies of the nations of Europe in the hope that communism would not thrive in the midst of prosperity; the North Atlantic Treaty Organization built a military barrier confronting the Soviet-dominated part of Europe. Truman's recognition of Israel in May 1948 demonstrated his support for democracy and his commitment to a homeland for the Jewish people.
His decision to use atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki remains one of the most debated events of the 20th century. Truman and his advisors argued that the bombings were necessary to end the war quickly and save lives, while critics have condemned the use of such devastating weapons against civilian populations.
In his domestic policies, Truman sought to accomplish the difficult transition from a war to a peace economy without plunging the nation into recession, and he hoped to extend New Deal social programs to include more government protection and services and to reach more people. He was successful in achieving a healthy peacetime economy, but only a few of his social program proposals became law.
The Truman administration went considerably beyond the New Deal in the area of civil rights. Although, the conservative Congress thwarted Truman's desire to achieve significant civil rights legislation, he was able to use his powers as President to achieve some important changes. He issued executive orders desegregating the armed forces and forbidding racial discrimination in Federal employment.
In 1948, Truman won reelection. His defeat had been widely expected and often predicted, but Truman's energy in undertaking his campaign and his willingness to confront issues won a plurality of the electorate for him.
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