Women’s History Month

“AMERICAN WOMEN HAVE BUILT FOR THEMSELVES A PROUD RECORD OF ACHIEVEMENT, OF UNSELFISH DEVOTION TO THE PUBLIC WELFARE, OF COURAGEOUS INDUSTRY ADVANCING EVERY GOOD CAUSE.”

As Women’s History Month 2021 draws to a close, we are dedicating our March Digital Digest to Harry Truman and the trailblazers whose leadership, decisions and courage helped advanced women’s rights in post-WWII America.

Enjoy this digital dive into women’s history!
TEAM TRUMAN

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The Women’s Armed Services Integration Act

Of the many decisions, acts, policies and executive orders signed by former President Harry S. Truman, one of the most famous remains his decision to desegregate the military. Truman’s Executive Order 9981 (July 26, 1948) figures prominently in ongoing discussions on civil rights and equality today.

Yet while Executive Order 9981 is perhaps one of Truman’s most progressive pieces of legislation, his decision to sign the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act in the same year suggests Truman recognized a need for even more equalizing change in the United States military.   Read More

The Daughters of Yalta

A Distinguished Author Event Celebrating the 136th Birthday of First Lady Bess Wallace Truman

Featuring Catherine Grace Katz
Saturday, February 13 | 2 PM CST

Please join us online for the 2021 Bess Wallace Truman Birthday Celebration featuring Catherine Grace Katz, author of The Daughters of Yalta. Read More

A Lasting Valentine’s Day Gift

The Perfect Personalized Gift for Your Sweetheart

VALENTINE’S DAY IS SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14
Please Order by Friday, February 12

Profess your love on Valentine’s Day with a custom engraved Valentine’s Day Brick – a unique gift that will last forever. Order by February 12 to receive a downloadable certificate announcing your thoughtful gift. Read More

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

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

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…”

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Ernestine “Ernie” Wagner and Women’s Military Service

On June 12, 1948, Harry S. Truman signed the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act (WASIA) which allowed women to serve in official capacities in all four branches of the military. Most importantly, the act permitted women’s military service during peace time.

The WASIA paved the way for thousands of women’s military careers, including a Korean War veteran named Ernestine “Ernie” Wagner. Read More

The Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum is currently closed for a transformative renovation. A new museum entrance and permanent exhibition are scheduled for completion this fall in celebration of the 75th anniversary of Truman’s ascension to the presidency. Tour the new museum virtually in this fly-through video:

We invite you to learn more about this historic campaign and how you can get involved here, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest updates on the project.

Meanwhile, if you are planning a trip to the Kansas City area, we encourage you to visit the other Truman-related sites in Independence and the surrounding areas: Read More

History Happy Hour: World War I and its Aftermath with Garrett Peck

Thursday, June 6, 2019
4:00-5:00 p.m.
Tom’s Town Distilling Company

On Thursday, June 6, the Truman Library is partnering with the National World War I Museum and Memorial for a History Happy Hour event featuring author and historian Garrett Peck. This special event takes place at Tom’s Town Distilling Company and will feature Peck discussing his latest book, The Great War in America: World War I and Its Aftermath, which examines the American experience during World War I and the unexpected changes that rocked the country in its immediate aftermath — the Red Scare, race riots, women’s suffrage and Prohibition, particularly timely on the centennial of the Armistice. Read More