Presidents

President Harry S. Truman in the Oval Office, receiving a gold membership card in the American Guild of Variety Artists, with Senator Paul Douglas of Illinois (third from left), Lorraine Rognan, and four Guild officials (Dewey Barto, Jack Irving, Jerry Baker, and Guild President Gus Van).

President Harry S. Truman (third from left) at the George Washington National Masonic Memorial in Alexandria, Virginia with other unidentified dignitaries.

President Harry S. Truman at his desk in the Oval Office, displaying the National Security Act Amendments of 1949, which he had just signed.

President Harry S. Truman, using his cane, takes his morning walk accompanied by several Secret Service agents. Agents identified as William Shields (third person from left), Charles Peyton (second from right), and Henry Nicholson (right). The President is visiting Independence, Missouri, his home town, for the Christmas holidays. National Archives number 306-PS-51-860 is on catalog card. From: Office of War Information, Acme purchase.

President Harry S. Truman at his desk in the Oval Office, signing H.R. 5632, the National Security Act Amendments of 1949, which converted the National Military Establishment into a new Department of Defense and made other changes in the national security system.

President Harry S. Truman in the Oval Office, receiving a gold pass to all games of the All-America Football Conference during the 1949 season. From left to right: Robert Embry of the Baltimore Colts; President Truman; Commodore O. O. Kessing, Commissioner of the All-America Football Conference; and Walter Driskill, President and General Manager of the Baltimore Colts.

President Harry S. Truman (left) watches as Secretary of State Edward Stettinius signs the United Nations Charter at the San Francisco Conference. All others are unidentified.

President Harry S. Truman smiles and points to his watch upon arrival in Miami, Florida. He traveled to Miami aboard the presidential airplane, "The Independence," to deliver a speech at the Golden Jubilee Convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Others are unidentified.

President Harry S. Truman, seated behind his desk, distributes pens he used to sign the National Security Act Amendments bill to assembled on-lookers. From left to right: Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson, unidentified, Congressman Dewey Short, Congressman Carl Vinson, Secretary of the Army Gordon Gray, unidentified, Secretary of the Air Force Stuart Symington, Under Secretary of Defense Stephen Early, and Secretary of the Navy Francis Matthews.

President Harry S. Truman smiling and pointing to his watch upon his arrival in Miami. He traveled to Miami to deliver a speech at the Golden Jubilee Convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. The bottom of the photo is inscribed by President Truman: "To Abbie Rowe, a good, careful "one more club" member with kindest regards. Harry S. Truman."