TRU Events – The Long Telegram | February 12, 2021
The Long Telegram
George Kennan and the Most Influential Cable in American History
Featuring Evan Thomas, in Conversation with Truman Library Director Kurt Graham
Tuesday, February 23 at 5:30 PM CST
Before the “Cold War,” there was “The Long Telegram.”
75 years ago this month, a Moscow-based U.S. diplomat named George Kennan sent an 8,000-word telegram to President Truman’s State Department. The “problem of how to cope with [the Soviets],” he argued presciently, “is undoubtedly the greatest task our diplomacy has ever faced and probably the greatest it will ever have to face.”
Today, “The Long Telegram” is regarded as a foundational U.S. document, right up there with the Declaration of Independence, The Federalist Papers and George Washington’s Farewell Address. As a sign of its enduring significance, the telegram’s 75th anniversary appears on top-ten lists of historic moments to note in 2021.
What influence did this 19-page cable have in 1946? And how does it continue to inform U.S. policy today? Read More
THIS DAY IN HISTORY | February 12, 2021
Isaac Woodard and the Awakening of President Truman
“YOU CAN’T CURE A MORAL PROBLEM BY IGNORING IT.” – President Harry S. Truman
Today marks the 212th birthday of Abraham Lincoln, remembered for his leadership through the Civil War and our nation’s greatest moral and political crises.
But February 12 marks another important day in American history. This is a difficult and mostly forgotten story, but one we feel certain President Truman would ask us to remember. It changed the course of American history. It changed him.
75 years ago today, Sergeant Isaac Woodard – a returning, decorated African American WWII veteran – was removed from a Greyhound bus in Batesburg, South Carolina, after he challenged the bus driver’s disrespectful treatment of him. Woodard, still in uniform, was arrested by the local police chief, Lynwood Shull, and brutally beaten and blinded while in custody.
You can hear it straight from Harry…
Exclusive Sneak Peek | February 10, 2021
Exclusive Sneak Peek
Step Inside the $26 Million Truman Museum Renovation
Wednesday, February 10 | 6PM CST
The renovation of the Truman Library and creation of the new Truman exhibition is nearing completion. The exhibit and audiovisual installation teams are busy finalizing the state-of-the-art multimedia, hands-on interactives, and cases for never-before-seen documents and artifacts. Read More
TRU History – Inauguration Day 1949 | January 20, 2021
Inauguration Day 1949
On this day in 1949, Harry S. Truman delivered his Inaugural Address on the U.S. Capitol’s East Portico. More than 100,000 people were gathered in the Capitol Plaza when he began his 2,272-word address with these words…
“Mr. Vice President, Mr. Chief Justice, fellow citizens:
I accept with humility the honor which the American people have conferred upon me. I accept it with a resolve to do all that I can for the welfare of this Nation and for the peace of the world.”
“In performing the duties of my office, I need the help and the prayers of every one of you. I ask for your encouragement and for your support. The tasks we face are difficult. We can accomplish them only if we work together.
“Each period of our national history has had its special challenges. Those that confront us now are as momentous as any in the past…”
A Thanksgiving Promise | November 24, 2020
A Thanksgiving Promise
“Hunger has no nationality.”
“Abundance should have no nationality, either.”
On November 24, 1948, one day before Thanksgiving, Harry Truman uttered these words in his address to the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. The FAO, created in 1945, is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Their goal is simple: to provide high-quality food and ensure food security for all.
Truman began the address reflecting on the first Thanksgiving celebration and reminding the audience members of the spirit of the holiday. The spirit, Truman said, “is in the sharing of the harvest, and in a feeling of warm friendship and goodwill for others less fortunate.” Read More
WWII 80: The Formal Surrender of Japan | September 2, 2020
WWII 80: Highlights from the Truman Library
The Formal Surrender of Japan
September 2, 1945
It is Sunday, September 2, 1945. Some 280 Allied warships and thousands of troops are staged in Tokyo Bay. On the deck of one vessel, the battleship USS Missouri, General Douglas MacArthur and 50 other Allied leaders are assembled. It is not a battle they have prepared for, however, but a brief ceremony. The men aboard the Missouri are about to witness Japan’s formal surrender. Read More
An Update on the Truman Library’s Renovation | June 12, 2020
There is no better place in the United States to tell the story of America’s 33rd president than the Truman Library. And there is no better time to share Harry Truman’s life and legacy.
When the Midwestern farm boy who never went to college assumed the presidency in the final months of World War II, he inherited a worldwide catastrophe. With his “Buck Stops Here” leadership, he created post-war order at home and abroad. The new Truman exhibition will explore these achievements, from the Truman Committee and the Truman Doctrine to desegregating the military and recognizing Israel, for a 21st-century audience.
As the renovation completion date comes into view later this year, the Truman Library is looking more and more like the finished project. Here are a few renderings from the fly-through presentation alongside photos of the current progress. It’s exciting to see our plans become a reality.
On the anniversary of Harry Truman’s recognition of Israel | May 14, 2020
Seventy-two years ago today, on May 14, 1948, President Harry S. Truman made one of the most momentous decisions of his presidency: recognizing the new state of Israel just minutes after its founding. Weeks later, Israel’s grateful president, Chaim Weizmann, presented a gift of appreciation to Truman during a visit to the White House.
Truman in the News | May 11, 2020
The nation has once again turned its attention to the 33rd president as we observe the 75th anniversary of Harry Truman’s presidency. The following is just a sampling of some of the recent media highlights focused on our favorite president:
McCullough, Albright and Baime are Wild About Harry! | April 23, 2020
The Truman Library Institute’s annual fundraiser, Wild About Harry, was originally scheduled to take place today. While we are disappointed not to be gathering with our Truman community this evening, we’re very excited to announce that Wild About Harry, including the presentation of the Harry S. Truman Legacy of Leadership Award to General James Mattis, has been rescheduled for Thursday, October 8, 2020. We hope you will mark your calendar and make plans to join us.
