“Did they tell you President Obama was coming?” Pete Souza asked the crowd at Unity Temple last night, remarking on the fact that nearly 1,000 people had flocked into the auditorium to hear him speak.

Souza, the official White House photographer of Barack Obama and Ronald Reagan, enthralled the audience with hilarious stories of White House practical jokes, insider experience sitting in every single Situation Room meeting of the Obama presidency and his poignant retelling of the days following the Sandy Hook massacre. He showed just a few of the nearly 2 million photos that he took during his eight years as Obama’s Chief Photographer, sharing behind-the-scenes stories of the photos of each. The crowd walked away with an insider’s look at both the presidency and Obama himself. Read More

When the Trumans moved into the White House in 1945, they soon discovered the old mansion was on the brink of collapse. The floors swayed as they walked on them, joints popped and cracked, and rats even scurried through holes in the walls and across the floors. While Harry, Bess and Margaret Truman all joked in their letters and diary entries about hearing the “ghosts” of presidents past,  these mysterious noises were actually telltale signs that the White House was disintegrating.

The Harry S. Truman Library and Museum is telling the incredible story of the largest White House renovation in history this year through the temporary exhibition Saving the White House: Truman’s Extreme Makeover, on display through 2017. Read More

Andrew Jackson approached the presidency differently from his predecessors. He was the first president from “the West,” and he believed passionately that the president should represent all citizens and not just a few. Harry Truman often listed him as one of his favorite presidents, and admired his desire to represent all Americans. In Jackson’s eight years in office, he was responsible for balancing the federal budget for the first and only time in history and helping to expand the nation’s territory, not without controversy along the way.

Next month we’re welcoming Howard Kittell, President & CEO of Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage, to the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum for a free public program discussing Jackson’s White House.

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White House Stories with Clifton Truman Daniel

We had a packed auditorium last night for a public program featuring President Truman’s grandson Clifton Truman Daniel. Clifton shared stories he heard directly from his grandfather that had the audience both inspired and entertained. Watch the recording from this incredible event (video begins at 30 seconds):

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Get Up Close and Personal with Special Artifacts

Get up close and personal with some of the most unique artifacts at the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum every Wednesday this summer during White Glove Wednesdays, when an archivist, curator or technician selects a special item not generally on display in the museum. Wednesdays at 11 a.m., museum visitors have the chance to view the items up close, hear more from the experts and ask any questions they may have about the artifacts. Read More

Cheers to 10 Years

Truman Library Institute Members have unlimited access to the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum every day, but each summer at Members Night, the museum is exclusively yours. We celebrated the impact your generosity has year-round last week at the 10^th Annual Members Night at the Museum on Thursday, June 8.

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Get Up Close and Personal with Truman Library Artifacts

Pull back the curtains on some of the most interesting objects at the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum this summer with special events showing off rare objects not usually on display. Join us every Wednesday for White Glove Wednesdays at 11 a.m. and the first Friday of each month for Talkin’ Truman discussions focusing on specific themes.

Check out what is scheduled this next month at the Truman Library and make your plans to visit:

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Annual Event Celebrated Truman’s Civil Rights Legacy

What an incredible evening! The 18th Annual Wild About Harry was an unforgettable event celebrating the Civil Rights legacy of Harry Truman that raised over $500,000. We were so inspired by the stories of Rep. James Clyburn, Rep. John Lewis and Calvin Trillin, and we were inspired your generosity.

If you were as inspired as we were by this event, feel free to share the following graphics on social media:
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Author Q&A

Robert Klara literally wrote the book on Truman’s renovation of the White House. We’re excited to welcome him to the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum on April 6 for a free public event and book signing (Event is free but RSVPs are requested—RSVP today).

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Event Slideshow

Truman Library Institute Members got to be the first to see the brand-new temporary exhibition, Saving the White House: Truman’s Extreme Home Makeover, on display through the end of the year. Members were welcomed after-hours with a wine and hors d’oeuvres reception and private viewing of the exhibition.

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