Fleming, Thomas Papers

Historian, novelist, and assistant to Margaret Truman

The Thomas Fleming Papers contain manuscript drafts, correspondence, printed materials, research notes, interview transcripts, and other items relating to Fleming's work as an assistant to Margaret Truman in the writing of her best-selling biography Harry S. Truman and other historical works.

Size: 10 linear feet, 6 linear inches (about 19,200 pages).
Access: Open, with the exception of a few items that are closed for reasons of national security.
Copyright: The donor gave his copyright interest in unpublished writings in this collection to the United States of America.
Processed by: Randy Sowell, Jim Armistead (2016-2017).

The Thomas Fleming Papers consist of manuscript drafts, correspondence, printed materials, research notes, interview transcripts, and other items relating to Fleming's work as an assistant to Margaret Truman in the writing of four books: Harry S. Truman (1972), Women of Courage (1976), Bess W. Truman (1986), and First Ladies (1995). The collection is arranged in four series, one for each of the books on which Truman and Fleming worked together.

The first series, the Harry S. Truman File, contains information concerning the life of President Truman and the research and writing of Margaret Truman's best-selling biography of her father. The series includes several drafts of the manuscript; transcripts and notes of interviews with Mr. Truman, Margaret Truman, and others; correspondence relating to the writing and publication of the book; copies of documents and printed materials that were used as sources; press clippings; research notes; and other items.

The second series, the Women of Courage File, contains information about a second literary project undertaken by Truman and Fleming: a study of the lives of twelve important women in the history of the United States. The series includes copies of documents and printed materials relating to the women; correspondence concerning the book; a draft of the manuscript; interview notes; photographs; and other items.

The third series, the Bess W. Truman File, contains information concerning the life of Mrs. Truman and the research and writing of Margaret Truman's biography of her mother. In addition to drafts of the manuscript, the series includes press clippings and other printed materials; research notes; correspondence relating to the writing and publication of the book; and other items.

The fourth series, the First Ladies File, contains information about the last book Fleming and Margaret Truman worked on together, a study of first ladies over the course of American history. The series includes sound recordings and notes of interviews conducted by the authors with Hillary Clinton, Nancy Reagan, Rosalynn Carter, Betty Ford, and Lady Bird Johnson. Also included are extensive press clippings; other printed materials that were used as sources; photographs; research notes; and drafts of the manuscript.

Related collections at the Truman Library include the papers of Margaret Truman Daniel and E. Clifton Daniel.