Statue of President Harry S. Truman to be Installed in the United States Capitol

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Truman Library Institute is proud to announce that local artist Tom Corbin has been awarded the commission of a statue of President Harry S. Truman for the Rotunda in the United States Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. The National Statuary Hall Collection consists of 100 statues contributed by the 50 states, with two statues representing notable people from each state. President Truman—one of America’s greatest leaders and Missouri’s favorite native son—will join Francis Preston Blair, a Missouri statesman who fought in the Civil War and was active in preventing the state from joining the Confederacy.

The Truman Library Institute has spearheaded the effort to finance, create and install the statue. A committee of Truman family and friends along with current and former Institute board members reviewed proposals from six artists and presentations from four finalists before choosing Corbin. “Now, more than ever, it’s important to remind Americans and the more than 3 million annual visitors to our nation’s capital that President Truman’s legacy is worth remembering and honoring,” said Institute Board Chair Clyde Wendel. “The Truman Statue Committee agreed that Tom Corbin was best able to capture the essence of our 33rd president.”

Tom Corbin’s work can be seen in over 22 showrooms and galleries internationally. Locally, his artistic prowess can be viewed in public installations at the Country Club Plaza, Kauffman Foundation, Firefighter’s Memorial, Children’s Fountain, and the University of Missouri- Kansas City, among many others. Upon receiving the commission, Corbin said, “Being chosen as the sculptor to complete this monument is an immense honor, to say the least. Portraying this amazing man through my art will be the highlight of my career.”

In March, the Missouri Senate unanimously passed a resolution to remove the statue of Thomas Hart Benton, a Missouri statesman who served five terms as one of Missouri’s first two U.S. senators (and is the great-great-uncle to the famous painter whose mural, Independence and the Opening of the West, is on view in the lobby of the Truman Library). The resolution will now be sent to the Missouri House of Representatives and then to the governor for approval. Once approved, the statue will be installed next year in celebration of the 75th anniversary of Truman’s presidency.

The Truman Library Institute is the member-supported, nonprofit partner of the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum, one of 14 presidential libraries of the National Archives. The Truman Library Institute draws on President Truman’s legacy to enrich public understanding of history, the presidency, and America’s unique form of government. This mission is achieved through the development and funding of world-class museum exhibits, a robust international research grant program, public forums, and nationally acclaimed education programs serving more than 50,000 students and teachers each year. Learn more at TrumanLibraryInstitute.org.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Lacey Helmig
Director of Communications
Truman Library Institute
816-400-1217
lacey.helmig@TrumanLibraryInstitute.org