HISTORIC PHOTOS OF CAMP DAVID

Nestled in the Catoctin Mountain Park in Frederick County, Maryland, is Camp David, a retreat for use by the President of the United States.

Officially a U.S. Navy installation, the facility was originally built by the Works Progress Administration as a camp for government employees, opening in 1938. President Franklin D. Roosevelt took it over and named it “Shangri-La,” for the mountain kingdom in Lost Horizon, the 1933 novel by James Hilton. It was later renamed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in honor of his then-five-year-old grandson, Dwight David Eisenhower II.

Over the years, American presidents and their families have used it for a variety of reasons. Some spent weekends there relaxing with their families. Others have used it to study, write, or confer with top advisers. A few have used it to conduct global diplomacy and forge historic peace agreements. During his first visit to Camp David, President Biden played Mario Kart with his granddaughter Naomi (and won!).  Read More

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

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

History Happy Hour: In the Kitchen with Bess

Friday, August 16, 2019 from 4:00-5:00 p.m.

Truman Library Institute
5151 Troost Ave., Ste. 300
Kansas City, MO 64110

On Friday, August 16, the Truman Library is hosting a History Happy Hour event featuring one of the Truman Library’s archivists, Tammy K. Williams. This event takes place at the Truman Library Institute in Kansas City and will feature Williams exploring Bess Truman’s recipe box, including recipes that she gave out and received, food trends in the 1940s and 1950s, and some of the Truman family favorite foods and meals.

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On June 25, 1948, Harry S. Truman signed the Displaced Persons Act of 1948. In its most basic sense, the act would assist in the resettlement of thousands of European refugees (largely through granting American visas) who had been displaced from their home countries due to World War II. Read More

The Courtship of Harry and Bess

Harry S. Truman and Bess Wallace carried on a nine-year courtship almost entirely through letters and some supervised visits. Harry first met Bess when they attended Sunday school together in 1890. Harry was six years old and Bess was five.

By 1910, Harry began what some call his longest “campaign” — the courtship of Bess Wallace. Nine years after sending his first letter, Harry and Bess married on June 28, 1919.

Below are a selection of letters, one from each year of their courtship, that give brief insights into Harry’s feelings for Bess and his determination to one day wed the “one girl in the world” for him.

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Today, military production is highly mechanized. Machines piece together uniforms, weapons, and all manner of personal equipment issued to soldiers. During World War I, however, soldiers occasionally found themselves making their own supplies.

Take, for example, this tack box which Harry S. Truman carried with him during his service in France. Soldiers crafted these tack boxes from a standard size wood crate, adding the necessary identification markings for each battery, division and rank. Read More

Welcome guest blogger Kaete O’Connell, a Ph.D. candidate in history at Temple University, who received a Research Grant to explore the archives at the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum thanks to the generosity of Truman Library Institute members and donors. Thank you to the American Historical Association for allowing us to reprint her blog post on food relief in post-war Germany.

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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

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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