Dates: 1860, 1953-1978. Bulk Date Span: 1953-1973
Most of this collection is composed of correspondence arranged in a number of different series, including the Secretary’s Office File, which contains material that Truman's personal secretary felt was especially sensitive and decided to keep in her own office; the Name File, which includes most of Mr. Truman's exchanges of correspondence with prominent persons; and the very large General Correspondence File, which contains public mail and other correspondence deemed by Truman’s staff to be less important. The collection also contains many other series, including a Speech File, a Trip File, an Invitations File, a series containing the documents found in Truman's desk after his death, a series containing materials created during the writing of Truman's Memoirs, and a series relating to the construction and early history of the Harry S. Truman Library.
Size: 364 linear feet.
Access: Open, with the exception of some material closed due to donor restrictions.
Copyright: The donor gave to the U.S. government the copyrights in this material and in any other material received by the U.S. government and maintained in a depository administered by the National Archives and Records Administration. Documents created by U.S. government officials in the course of their official duties are in the public domain. Copyright interest in other documents presumably belongs to the creators of those documents, or their heirs.
Processed by: Jan Davis, John Miller, Stephanie Rohr, Martina Smith, Randy Sowell, and others (2010-2015).
| Series and Subseries Descriptions | Folder Title List ]
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1884 (May 8) |
Born, Lamar, Missouri |
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1887 |
Moved with family to farm near Grandview, Missouri |
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1890 |
Moved with family to Independence, Missouri |
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1901 |
Graduated form Independence High School |
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1901-1906 |
Lived in Independence and Kansas City, Missouri; held various jobs, including clerk at two Kansas City banks |
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1905-1911 |
Served in Missouri National Guard |
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1906-1917 |
Worked on family farm near Grandview, Missouri |
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1917-1919 |
Served in 129th Field Artillery; commanded Battery D during World War I; promoted to rank of Captain |
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1919 (June 28) |
Married Bess Wallace at Trinity Episcopal Church, Independence, Missouri |
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1919-1922 |
Partner with Eddie Jacobson in Kansas City haberdashery |
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1923-1925 |
Eastern District Judge, Jackson County (Missouri) Court |
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1924 (February 17) |
Daughter Mary Margaret born |
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1927-1935 |
Presiding Judge of the Jackson County (Missouri) Court |
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1935-1945 |
United States Senator from Missouri |
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1945 (January 20-April 12) |
Vice President of the United States |
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1945 (April 12)-1953 (January 20) |
President of the United States |
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1953 (January) |
Left Presidency and retired to Independence, Missouri |
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1957 (July 6) |
Helped dedicate the Harry S. Truman Library, Independence, Missouri |
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1972 (December 26) |
Died, Research Hospital, Kansas City, Missouri |
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A more detailed timeline of Harry S. Truman's life and Presidency is available on the Truman Trivia Page.
| Series and Subseries Descriptions | Folder Title List ]
The Post-Presidential Papers of Harry S. Truman consist of correspondence and other documents created or compiled by Mr. Truman from the end of his Presidency in 1953 until his death in 1972. The paper are arranged in forty-three series, but four large series of correspondence make up more than half of the collection. The collection is currently being reprocessed and further information will be added to this finding aid as reprocessing continues.
The first series, the Daily Engagements File, contains appointment calendars, daily and monthly agendas, correspondence, newsprint clippings, and programs from various meetings, events, and dinners. The calendars and agendas contain the handwriting of Harry S. Truman, Rose Conway (Truman’s personal secretary), and Truman’s other secretaries. The monthly agendas include appointments and appearances, both attended and declined. The correspondence is mostly from Harry S. Truman, either accepting or declining various invitations. The programs and pamphlets are sometimes inscribed with Truman’s handwriting with directives on handling or replies to those who sent the programs and pamphlets. The engagements include everything from dinner with Margaret Truman Daniel to sporting events and political commitments.
The second series, the Family Correspondence File, contains correspondence, greeting cards, newspaper clippings, memorabilia, and photographs. The correspondence between relatives includes information about health and greetings exchanged at holidays and birthdays. Correspondence with close relatives such as Truman’s brother, J. Vivian Truman, and Margaret Truman Daniel are mostly routine in nature. Commemorative stamps and first day covers given to Harry S. Truman for his grandchildren and other memorabilia are included. Photographs of relatives and photographs associated with Margaret Truman Daniel’s television career are also included in this series.
The third series, the Secretary's Office File, contains correspondence, handwritten notes, greeting cards, memorabilia, newspaper clippings, photographs, memoranda, cables, speeches and speech drafts, itineraries and schedules, articles, books, and legislation. The contents of this series were segregated by Rose Conway, Truman’s personal secretary, due to their perceived importance. The series includes correspondence from such prominent figures as Dean Acheson, H. Roe Bartle, John F. Kennedy, Richard J. Daley, Herbert Hoover, Hubert H. Humphrey, Lyndon B. Johnson, George McGovern, Pope Pius XII, Bob Hope, and Jackie Robinson. There are also notes, annotated drafts, and lists concerning the various books written by Harry S. Truman after his Presidency.
The fourth series, the Name File, contains correspondence, handwritten notes, greeting cards, memorabilia, newspaper clippings, photographs, memoranda, cables, speeches and speech drafts, itineraries and schedules, articles, books, and legislation. The Name File contains correspondence with prominent figures in the Democratic Party, leaders of other countries, and such notable persons as Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Bob Hope, J. Edgar Hoover, Tallulah Bankhead, Jack Benny, and Edward R. Murrow.
The fifth series, the General Correspondence File, contains correspondence, handwritten notes, greeting cards, memorabilia, newspaper clippings, photographs, memoranda, cables, speeches and speech drafts, itineraries and schedules, articles, books, and legislation. The General Correspondence File primarily contains correspondence with the general public and also correspondence related to businesses, associations, organizations, churches, countries, memberships, and specific subjects.
The sixth series, the Outgoing Correspondence File (Pinks), contains primarily pink carbon copies of outgoing correspondence, mostly from Harry S. Truman and a small amount from Bess Truman. The series includes correspondence to such prominent individuals as Dean Acheson, Spiro Agnew, Eugenie Anderson, Tallulah Bankhead, Thomas Hart Benton, Winston Churchill, Clifton Daniel, Margaret Truman Daniel, John Foster Dulles, Dwight Eisenhower, Douglas Fairbanks, Erle Stanley Gardner, Georgia Neese Gray, Herbert Hoover, Hubert Humphrey, Eddie Jacobson, Lyndon Johnson, Edward Kennedy, John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, David Lloyd, Grandma Moses, Jawaharlal Nehru, Chester Nimitz, Richard Nixon, Syngman Rhee, Matthew Ridgway, Eleanor Roosevelt and Walter Bedell Smith.
The seventh series, the Birthday Correspondence File, contains birthday cards, telegrams, letters, and carbon copy replies that are primarily from the general public. Other individuals include U.S. Senators and Representatives, former White House advisors, Supreme Court Justices, ambassadors, government officials, mayors, governors, organizations, and school classes. Donations for the Truman Library were also sent to as part of some of the birthday wishes.
The eighth series, the Christmas Correspondence File, contains Christmas cards, telegrams, letters, and carbon copy replies that are primarily from the general public. The ninth series, the Wedding Anniversary Correspondence File, contains anniversary cards, telegrams, letters, and carbon copy replies that are primarily from the general public. The tenth series, the Illness Correspondence File, contains get well cards, telegrams, letters, and carbon copy replies that are primarily from the general public.
The eleventh series, the Correspondence Relating to Margaret Truman File, contains correspondence, carbon copy replies, greeting cards, newspaper clippings, printed materials, and telegrams related to Margaret Truman’s engagemen