Final Days

of
Harry S. Truman
Heesoo Kim
Post-Presidency Years
● Lived for 19 years in his hometown, Independence, Missouri, with his wife,
Bess, after stepping down from the presidency in 1953.
● Remained politically involved for his last years.

1964
1953 1956 Exercised “privilege of
Stepped down Published Vol 2 the floor” to address
from Presidency of Memoir the Senate

1955 1958 1972

Published Vol 1 Former Presidents Act Died of old age
of Memoir
Financial Troubles
● Refused to enter any commercial
endorsement contracts in fear of harming
the reputation of the Office of the
Presidency.
● Had to survive on a small army pension
($112.56/month).
● No personal savings due to previous
unsuccessful business ventures.
Financial Troubles cont.
● Took out a personal loan to fund his
memoir writing, but though the
memoirs were successful, he only got
a lump sum of $670,000 for both
volumes, and after paying his
assistants, only took away ~$37,000.
● Truman and his financial troubles was
the main impetus for the passing of
Former Presidents Act in 1958, which
gives $25,000/year pension to each
former living presidents.
Image source:
https://natedsanders.com/ItemImages/000024/44844h_lg.jpeg
Death
● On Dec. 5, 1972, admitted to
Research Hospital and Medical
Center in Kansas City,
Missouri, for
pneumonia-related lung
complications.
● Developed multiple organ
failures and fell into a coma.
● Died the morning of Dec. 26,
1972 (aged 88).
Image source: https://natedsanders.com/ItemImages/000025/39014h_lg.jpeg
Image credits:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6f/TrumanFuneralWreath.jpg/220px-TrumanFuneralWreath.jpg
https://trumanlibrary.org/photographs/73-366.jpg

Funeral
● His wife, Bess, opted out of
having an elaborate state
funeral.
● Episcopalian service in the
Truman Library, and was buried
in the courtyard of the library.
● Small private ceremony
attended by Bess (widow),
Margaret Daniels (daughter),
family friends, and few political
friends.
Truman in the National Memory:
A Controversial President
● Left office with an approval rating of 22% (matched by the lowest approval
rating gotten by Nixon)
● Journalist, Samuel Lubell, said in 1952,
○ “After seven years of Truman’s hectic, even furious, activity the nation seemed to be about on
the same general spot as when he first came to office… Nowhere in the whole Truman record
can one point to a single decisive break-through… All his skills and energies---and he was
among our hardest working Presidents--were directed to standing still.”
● Received much disapproval from the public for the unsuccessful and costly
military campaigns in Korean peninsula, and for several boom and bust cycles
through which the economy went during his administration.
Truman in the National Memory:
A Political Folk Hero
● Truman died during the Vietnam War crisis and the Watergate Scandals,
which resulted in reinvigoration of fond public sentiments towards Truman.
● The years following his death (1972), Truman recaptured the public sentiment
with his image of steadfastness, honesty, and incorruptible integrity, much in
contrast to the Nixon and his scandals.
● Critics of Truman’s cold war policies also decreased with the fall of the Soviet
Union in 1991.
Truman Scholarship
● Recognizes U.S. college juniors who
have demonstrated great leadership
and dedication to public service with
$30,000 towards their graduate studies.
● Established via a bill sponsored by
Senator Symington of Missouri on May
30, 1974, which was then signed by
President Ford into Public Law 93-642
on Jan. 4, 1975.
Bibliography
● Hamby, Alonso. “Harry S. Truman: Life After the Presidency,”
https://millercenter.org/president/truman/life-after-the-presidency
● Ayers, B. “Truman Buried in Presidential Library Courtyard,” New York Times,
https://www.nytimes.com/1972/12/29/archives/truman-buried-in-presidential-li
brary-courtyard-truman-is-buried-in.html
● Wikipedia, “Harry S Truman,” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_S._Truman
● Wikipedia, “Harry S. Truman Scholarship,”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_S._Truman_Scholarship
●