Dates: 1934-1945
The Harry S. Truman Papers: Papers as U.S. Senator and Vice President, contain correspondence, handwritten notes, memoranda, newspaper clippings, printed materials, speeches, and other items pertaining to Truman’s service as United States Senator from Missouri from 1935 to 1945, and his brief tenure as Vice-President, from January 1945 to April 1945.
[Administrative Information | Biographical Sketch | Collection Description | Series Descriptions | Folder Title List]
ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
Size: 140 linear feet, 1 linear inches (about 256,000 pages)
Access: Open, with the exception of a few documents that are closed in accordance with the legal instructions of the donors.
Copyright: Harry S. Truman donated his copyright interest in writings in these files to the United States Government. Documents created by U.S. Government officials in the course of their official duties are likewise in the public domain. Copyright interest in other documents presumably belongs to the authors of those documents, or their heirs.
Processed by: Frank Barkofske, Jerry Hess, Erwin Mueller, and others (1959, 1963, 1975); Tammy Kelly, Jan Davis, and Jessica Seigler (2009).
The creation of this online resource was made possible in part by funding from the William T. Kemper Foundation - Commerce Bank, Trustee.
[ Top of the page | Administrative Information | Biographical Sketch | Collection Description | Series Descriptions | Folder Title List ]
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
| 1884 (May 8) | Born, Lamar, Missouri | |
| 1887 | Moved with family to farm near Grandview, Missouri | |
| 1890 | Moved with family to Independence, Missouri | |
| 1901 | Graduated form Independence High School | |
| 1901-1906 | Lived in Independence and Kansas City, Missouri; held various jobs, including clerk at two Kansas City banks | |
| 1905-1911 | Served in Missouri National Guard | |
| 1906-1917 | Worked on family farm near Grandview, Missouri | |
| 1917-1919 | Served in 129th Field Artillery; commanded Battery D during World War I; promoted to rank of Captain | |
| 1919 (June 28) | Married Bess Wallace at Trinity Episcopal Church, Independence, Missouri | |
| 1919-1922 | Partner with Eddie Jacobson in Kansas City haberdashery | |
| 1923-1925 | Eastern District Judge, Jackson County (Missouri) Court | |
| 1924 (February 17) | Daughter Mary Margaret born | |
| 1927-1935 | Presiding Judge of the Jackson County (Missouri) Court | |
| 1935-1945 | United States Senator from Missouri | |
| 1945 (January 20-April 12) | Vice President of the United States | |
| 1945 (April 12)-1953 (January 20) | President of the United States | |
| 1953 (January) | Left Presidency and retired to Independence, Missouri | |
| 1957 (July 6) | Helped dedicate the Harry S. Truman Library, Independence, Missouri | |
| 1972 (December 26) | Died, Research Hospital, Kansas City, Missouri | |
A more detailed timeline of Harry S. Truman's life and Presidency is available on the Truman Trivia Page.
[ Top of the page | Administrative Information | Biographical Sketch | Collection Description | Series Descriptions | Folder Title List ]
COLLECTION DESCRIPTION
The Harry S. Truman Papers: Papers as U.S. Senator and Vice President contain correspondence, handwritten notes, memoranda, newspaper clippings, printed materials, speeches, and other items pertaining to Truman’s service as United States Senator from Missouri from 1935 to 1945, and his brief tenure as Vice-President, from January 1945 to April 1945. While there are some documents in the collection that date from Truman’s first term as Senator, most of the collection relates to Truman’s second term. The material from the first term (1935-1941) was presumably destroyed after being removed from Truman's office and sent into storage somewhere in the Senate Office Building. There is also some material in the collection dating from April of 1945, after Truman became President, that is attached to correspondence Truman received while still Vice President.
The Papers as U.S. Senator and Vice President are arranged into seven series. The first and main series is the Correspondence File. This series is arranged alphabetically by subject. Subjects covered include Kansas City, Jackson County, and Missouri politics; the Missouri River and flood control (especially in Kansas City); transportation issues; Army and Navy enlistments, commissions, discharges, and court martial cases; correspondence seeking Truman’s intervention regarding appointments to jobs or obtaining benefits; aid to veterans and their dependents; and correspondence seeking Truman’s assistance in obtaining money for federal projects. Material related to these topics is sometimes filed under the topic heading, or the name of the person who wrote to Truman.
Within the Correspondence File are several large subgroups of material. Two large groups of correspondence are with young men seeking entrance to the Naval Academy and the United States Military Academy. These files are arranged by location (Annapolis or West Point) and thereunder alphabetically by surname of applicant. The files include correspondence from the applicants and their families, references, and others interested in the young man’s application (including Tom Pendergast). Some of this material dates from 1934, shortly after Truman was elected to the Senate and before he even arrived in Washington.
A second major subgroup in the Correspondence File is the Applications for Government Jobs. These are divided into whether or not the person obtained a position, and thereunder alphabetically by surname. Some of this material dates from as early as 1934. Material in this subgroup documents the hardships people experienced during the Great Depression, and the appropriate connections sometimes required to get a position.
A third subgroup of material is the applications for immigration. This includes correspondence from people in Missouri seeking Truman’s intervention to assist people wanting to come to the United States. As one might expect for this time period, much of the material relates to Jewish people coming from areas controlled by Germany. The correspondents with Truman include his former business partner Eddie Jacobson and Kansas City friend Alex Sachs, among others.
There are several segments related to National Defense topics. One contains general material related to National Defense issues. Much of this material consists of correspondence from people in Missouri complaining about war-related issues, such as ration plans for various commodities or problems obtaining supplies and equipment. Other correspondence relates to businessmen and local government officials seeking Truman’s assistance in getting government contracts. Similar materials can be found in the files related to the Office of Price Administration and the War Production Board. There is also a large amount of correspondence from people seeking Truman’s aid or intervention in getting government facilities (veterans hospitals, airports, etc.) and defense plants located in various places in Missouri.
The second major segment of National Defense material is related to the Special Committee to Investigate the National Defense Program, popularly known as the Truman Committee. Much of the correspondence in this segment consists of commendations of Truman and the work of the Committee and tips concerning specific plants, camps, companies, or industries that the writers felt the Committee ought to investigate. There is also a small amount of correspondence from other members of the Committee and employees of the Committee. This segment also contains summaries of selected Committee hearings compiled by the Library of Congress Legislative Reference Service. More material related to defense issues and World War II can be found with the material about the Navy Department and the War Department in the Correspondence File.
The second series, the 1944 Campaign File, consists of two subseries. The first, the Card File, contains index cards of names and addresses of people invited to two 1945 Inaugural receptions: one hosted by the White House, the other hosted by John Snyder. The second subseries, the Correspondence File, primarily consists of correspondence and telegrams congratulating Truman on his elevation to the Vice-Presidency. Both of these subseries are arranged alphabetically.
The third series, Masonic File, contains correspondence, telegrams, newspaper clippings, printed materials, speeches, and memoranda related to Truman’s Masonic memberships. This series is arranged chronologically. The correspondence is equally divided between members of the Masonic hierarchy in Missouri and leaders of local lodges throughout the state. The vast majority of the correspondence relates to Masonic business and requests for Truman to attend various Masonic functions and communications, especially during his tenure as Grand Master of Missouri in 1940-1941.
The fourth series, the Cross Reference File, is arranged alphabetically by surname. This series consists of cross reference sheets created by Truman’s Senate staff that refer to items in the Correspondence File. Most of the correspondence is in the material related to the War Department, regarding commissions, transfers, promotions, and the like.
The fifth series is the Speech File, which is divided into four subseries. The first, the Press Release File, is arranged chronologically. This series contains printed copies of speeches given by Senator Truman. Some are labeled as press releases, while others are simply typed copies. Some of the files contain copies of speeches from the Congressional Record This subseries is digitized in its entirety and available online.
The second subseries, the Draft File, is also arranged chronologically. This series contains both typed and handwritten drafts of speeches delivered by Harry S. Truman. Some of the items in this series are simply press release copies. Some of the items may be reading copies of speeches. Most of the material that is in the Press Release File