THE CONFIDANTE
The Untold Story of the Woman Who Helped Win World War II and Shape Modern America
FEATURING CHRISTOPHER GORHAM
March 28, 2024 | 6 p.m. Wine Reception | 6:30 p.m. (CT) Program
Online and Onstage | Truman Forum, KC Public Library, 4801 Main Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64112
The Truman Library Institute proudly presents Christopher Gorham in a “Women Rising” Distinguished Author Event. The third installment in an annual series reflecting on the contributions of women on the world stage, The Confidante, brings to life the untold story of an American heroine.
Anna Marie Rosenberg was a Hungarian Jewish immigrant who would become, according to LIFE magazine, “far and away the most important woman in the American government, and perhaps the most important official female in the world.” As Franklin Roosevelt’s special envoy to Europe in WWII, she went where the president couldn’t go. Rosenberg was among the first Allied women to enter a liberated concentration camp, and she stood in the Eagle’s Nest, Hitler’s mountain retreat, days after its capture. Following the war, she guided the direction of the G.I. Bill of Rights and the Manhattan Project. In 1950, President Truman tapped her to become the assistant secretary of defense—the highest position ever held by a woman in the U.S. military—prompting Senator Joe McCarthy to wage an unsuccessful smear campaign against her.
Though Anna Rosenberg emerged from modest immigrant beginnings, equipped with only a high school education, she played a pivotal role in shaping the course of history, serving as a trusted advisor to some of the most powerful men in the world. Her intelligence, wit, and courage made her an indispensable ally in the fight against fascism and helped to shape the post-war world. Astonishingly, her story remained primarily forgotten until now.
Distinguished Author: Christopher Gorham
CHRISTOPHER C. GORHAM is a lawyer turned historian and writer. With degrees from the University of Michigan, Tufts University, and Syracuse University College of Law, Gorham brings a wealth of knowledge to his work. His writing has been featured in numerous publications, including the Washington Post, Literary Hub, and Paper Brigade. When he’s not writing or teaching Modern American History at Westford Academy, Gorham can often be found exploring the great outdoors or indulging his passion for travel.
“An incredible catalog of adventure… a resurrection of history [told with] cinematic color and encyclopedic clarity.”
— The Wall Street Journal
Women Rising
WOMEN RISING is generously sponsored by the Martha Jane Phillips Starr Field of Interest Fund to profile the women who found their place on the world stage during the Truman administration; to reflect on the contributions of women; and to serve as a catalyst for promoting women as activists and leaders. Additional support provided by the Gattermeir Family Foundation.
PAST WOMEN RISING EVENTS
2023 Code Girls: The Riveting, Untold Story of the Brave Young American Women who Cracked German and Japanese Code to Help Win World War II, featuring Liza Mundy
2022 The Women with Silver Wings: The Inspiring True Story of the Women Airforce Service Pilots of World War II, featuring Katherine Sharp Landdeck
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