Truman was thrust into power and never actually wanted to be President.[2]
While President, Truman had a Republican Congress that opposed his every move, highly powerful special interest groups, and a critical media biased against him.[3]
He was one of only two Presidents to tour Fort Knox.[4]
Muriel Keith, noted for meeting many Presidents, considered Truman the best out of all of them.[5]
RepublicanAlbie Duncan began his tenure at the Department of State during the Truman administration.[6]
He was quoted as saying the Oval Office was the "crown-jewel of the federal penal system."[7]
He was responsible for ending World War II with the use of atomic bombs. He decided on using them after General George Marshall told him he would lose between 150,000 to 268,000 American soldiers.[8] Some scholars believed that the atomic bombs were a show of strength to Joseph Stalin.[9]
He passed the Presidential Succession Act of 1947. It is said he put the Speaker of the House third in line in order to put the good of the country over politics. Others say it was because he drank bourbon with congressman Sam Rayburn.[10]
In 1952, Truman used his executive power to draft coal miners into military service in order to prevent a potentially crippling strike. It was later struck down by the Supreme Court.[11]
He was considered to have run his own presidential campaign.[12]
The Truman Balcony in the White House is named after him,[13] as is the aircraft carrier Truman.[14]
He had a popular biography written on him that was later used as a gift by future First Lady Abigail Bartlet.[15]
↑"I never wanted to
be President of the United States." "Neither did Mr. Truman." from The Dogs of War
↑"I have the following things to negotiate: an opposition Congress, special interests with power beyond belief, and a bitchy media." "So did Harry Truman." from The Short List
↑"No. Only two Presidents have: Roosevelt and Truman." from The Two Bartlets
↑"I told my granddaughter I was meeting you and I asked what question she wanted me to ask you and she said to ask you of all the presidents you've met, who is your favorite and I assured her that it would be me." "No, no. Um... Mr. Truman. He was a good man." from 20 Hours in America (Part II)
↑"He's been at the State Department since Truman." from Gone Quiet
↑"Truman called it the crown-jewel of the federal penal system." from The Dogs of War
↑"Well there's some evidence to suggest that Marshall told Truman that and some estimates say 150,000. Some say 268,000." from The Women of Qumar
↑"That's one argument. The other is that after Potsdam Truman wanted Stalin to know we had the bomb and we were willing to use it." from The Warfare of Genghis Khan
↑"The Presidential Succession Act of 1947 did. And I'm not prepared to think about politics while we're under terrorist attack. The Republic comes first. That's why Truman wanted the Speaker third in line." "Truman wanted the Speaker third in line because he used to drink bourbon with Sam Rayburn." from 7A WF 83429
