# AC583 FDC - 1/26/1984, USA, Saluting Harry S. Truman 100th Ann. Of his Birth
First Day Cover Honors 100th Birth Anniversary of President Truman
The stamps on this cover reflect Harry Truman's life. The include:
US #932 - featuring Franklin D. Roosevelt, Truman's predecessor, and the White House
US #992 - issued on the 150th anniversary of the US Capitol building. Truman was a US Senator for 10 years.
US #1426 - celebrating 150 years of Missouri's statehood. President Truman lived most of his life in this state.
US #1490 - this commemorative stamp was issued in 1974, just two years after his death.
US #1499 - part of the Great Americans series, the stamp was issued in honor of the 100th anniversary of Truman's birth.
The postmark tying the stamps to the cover commemorates the First Day of Issue of the Great Americans stamp.
This stamp would make a neat addition to your US history or presidential collections. Order yours now.
Birth Of Harry Truman
After graduating from high school, Truman worked as a clerk for a railroad construction company and two banks. In 1906, he returned to his family farm to help his father and joined the Missouri National Guard. When the US entered World War I, Truman organized a regiment that was called into service. He became a captain, and his unit was sent to France where it saw heavy fighting.
After the war, Truman returned to Missouri and opened a men’s clothing store in Kansas City, but it failed three years later because of the poor economy. While working in his store, Truman became involved in politics. In 1922, he was elected to be one of three judges of the Jackson County court. Though it was an administrative position, he built a reputation for integrity and efficiency. After losing his bid for reelection in 1924, Truman was elected as judge for the court two years later.
During Truman’s second term, he chaired the Senate Special Committee to Investigate the National Defense Program. His commission focused on excess spending by defense contractors and saved the country an estimated $15 billion. Truman became a national figure through his work, and the committee was named in his honor. He also caught the attention of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
At that time, the president was planning for his fourth term in office. His health was failing, and there was a strong possibility he would not survive his tenure. FDR’s Vice President Henry Wallace was unpopular with the Democratic leadership, so the president looked for an alternative. He wanted a vice president who could guide the country through the end of the war. Roosevelt chose Truman as his running mate, and Truman proved to be an energetic campaigner.
In July, Truman traveled to Potsdam, Germany, to participate in meetings with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin. The Allied leaders discussed the occupation of defeated Germany and called for Japan’s unconditional surrender.
The rest of Truman’s first term was marked by continued foreign policy decisions. The relationship between the US and Russia quickly deteriorated after the war. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) began expanding its communist influence in Eastern Europe. In response the president issued the Truman Doctrine, stating America would provide military aid to any country resisting communist takeover.
In addition to military aid, the US also helped many European countries rebuild through the Marshall Plan. Beginning in 1948, America spent billions of dollars reviving the economies of former allies. Officially known as the European Recovery Plan, the program also strengthened democratic governments and increased trade to the US.
A supporter of FDR’s New Deal, Truman wanted to expand Social Security, public housing, and control rent, wages, and prices, but Congress did not back many of his proposals. When his civil rights legislation was not passed, Truman created executive orders that desegregated the armed forces and prohibited racial discrimination in Federal employment.
Truman’s approval ratings had decreased entering the 1948 campaigning season. Southern Democrats were against his executive orders and formed a new party. When the president’s party nominated him for a second term, many people believed Republican candidate Thomas Dewey would beat him.
The president’s second term in office proved to be as challenging as the first. With communism advancing in Eastern Europe, western countries formed a military alliance to protect themselves from further attacks. Realizing the need for America’s involvement, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization was formed with US General Dwight Eisenhower in command.
The defining event of Truman’s second term began in 1950. The Korean Peninsula had been divided after World War II. The north was supported by communist China and the Soviet Union. To the south, the non-communists were supported by the United States. On June 25, North Korean forces crossed the border into South Korea with the aim of taking over the country. Truman committed American troops to support the south and sponsored a United Nations resolution for military sanctions against the invaders. Fifteen countries joined the US and South Korea in pushing the North Koreans and their Chinese allies back over the border. In an effort to avoid another world war, Truman refused to use nuclear weapons or attack the Chinese mainland.
The president alienated labor unions by seizing steel mills when owners refused to raise wages and workers threatened to strike. The move was ruled unconstitutional, further tarnishing Truman’s reputation. In March 1952, he announced he would not run for reelection.
When his term ended, Truman and his wife Bess returned to Independence, Missouri. The former president enjoyed his role as “Mr. Citizen” and filled his days with writing his memoirs, overseeing construction of his library, and taking long walks. Harry S. Truman died on December 26, 1972, and was buried in the library’s courtyard.
First Day Cover Honors 100th Birth Anniversary of President Truman
The stamps on this cover reflect Harry Truman's life. The include:
US #932 - featuring Franklin D. Roosevelt, Truman's predecessor, and the White House
US #992 - issued on the 150th anniversary of the US Capitol building. Truman was a US Senator for 10 years.
US #1426 - celebrating 150 years of Missouri's statehood. President Truman lived most of his life in this state.
US #1490 - this commemorative stamp was issued in 1974, just two years after his death.
US #1499 - part of the Great Americans series, the stamp was issued in honor of the 100th anniversary of Truman's birth.
The postmark tying the stamps to the cover commemorates the First Day of Issue of the Great Americans stamp.
This stamp would make a neat addition to your US history or presidential collections. Order yours now.
Birth Of Harry Truman
After graduating from high school, Truman worked as a clerk for a railroad construction company and two banks. In 1906, he returned to his family farm to help his father and joined the Missouri National Guard. When the US entered World War I, Truman organized a regiment that was called into service. He became a captain, and his unit was sent to France where it saw heavy fighting.
After the war, Truman returned to Missouri and opened a men’s clothing store in Kansas City, but it failed three years later because of the poor economy. While working in his store, Truman became involved in politics. In 1922, he was elected to be one of three judges of the Jackson County court. Though it was an administrative position, he built a reputation for integrity and efficiency. After losing his bid for reelection in 1924, Truman was elected as judge for the court two years later.
During Truman’s second term, he chaired the Senate Special Committee to Investigate the National Defense Program. His commission focused on excess spending by defense contractors and saved the country an estimated $15 billion. Truman became a national figure through his work, and the committee was named in his honor. He also caught the attention of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
At that time, the president was planning for his fourth term in office. His health was failing, and there was a strong possibility he would not survive his tenure. FDR’s Vice President Henry Wallace was unpopular with the Democratic leadership, so the president looked for an alternative. He wanted a vice president who could guide the country through the end of the war. Roosevelt chose Truman as his running mate, and Truman proved to be an energetic campaigner.
In July, Truman traveled to Potsdam, Germany, to participate in meetings with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin. The Allied leaders discussed the occupation of defeated Germany and called for Japan’s unconditional surrender.
The rest of Truman’s first term was marked by continued foreign policy decisions. The relationship between the US and Russia quickly deteriorated after the war. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) began expanding its communist influence in Eastern Europe. In response the president issued the Truman Doctrine, stating America would provide military aid to any country resisting communist takeover.
In addition to military aid, the US also helped many European countries rebuild through the Marshall Plan. Beginning in 1948, America spent billions of dollars reviving the economies of former allies. Officially known as the European Recovery Plan, the program also strengthened democratic governments and increased trade to the US.
A supporter of FDR’s New Deal, Truman wanted to expand Social Security, public housing, and control rent, wages, and prices, but Congress did not back many of his proposals. When his civil rights legislation was not passed, Truman created executive orders that desegregated the armed forces and prohibited racial discrimination in Federal employment.
Truman’s approval ratings had decreased entering the 1948 campaigning season. Southern Democrats were against his executive orders and formed a new party. When the president’s party nominated him for a second term, many people believed Republican candidate Thomas Dewey would beat him.
The president’s second term in office proved to be as challenging as the first. With communism advancing in Eastern Europe, western countries formed a military alliance to protect themselves from further attacks. Realizing the need for America’s involvement, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization was formed with US General Dwight Eisenhower in command.
The defining event of Truman’s second term began in 1950. The Korean Peninsula had been divided after World War II. The north was supported by communist China and the Soviet Union. To the south, the non-communists were supported by the United States. On June 25, North Korean forces crossed the border into South Korea with the aim of taking over the country. Truman committed American troops to support the south and sponsored a United Nations resolution for military sanctions against the invaders. Fifteen countries joined the US and South Korea in pushing the North Koreans and their Chinese allies back over the border. In an effort to avoid another world war, Truman refused to use nuclear weapons or attack the Chinese mainland.
The president alienated labor unions by seizing steel mills when owners refused to raise wages and workers threatened to strike. The move was ruled unconstitutional, further tarnishing Truman’s reputation. In March 1952, he announced he would not run for reelection.
When his term ended, Truman and his wife Bess returned to Independence, Missouri. The former president enjoyed his role as “Mr. Citizen” and filled his days with writing his memoirs, overseeing construction of his library, and taking long walks. Harry S. Truman died on December 26, 1972, and was buried in the library’s courtyard.