(1884-1972)
Biography: Harry S. Truman was born in Lamar, Missouri 1884 to parents John Anderson Truman, and Martha Ellen Young Truman. Both Parents supported the confederacy during the Civil War. Harry was the oldest of three children. The "S" is not an abbreviation but it reflects on how his parents could not choose between his grandfathers names of Anderson Shippe Turman and Soloman Young. The Truman family moved to Independence, Missouri in 1890 which is where Harry spent is childhood. Harry was very blind in his eyes so he had to have extreamly thick glass', which prevented him from partacing in many activitys that most young boys do. His mother made him participate in piano and reading many books. The books helped to influence his laster career. Harry always had trouble meeting girls, "I was always afraid of girls my age and older." Harry was married Elizabeth Virginia Wallace in Kanses City, she was not a good supporter of Trumans political advances.
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Education: His family did not have money for him to go to college, and with his poor eye sight he was not able to enter the Military Academy at West Point.
Work Life: He worked for a railroad and a bank in an effort to better himself and to escape from the drugery of farm life. But his family life soon forced him home and he became a farmer for the next 12 years of his life. He began to participate in the Democratic Political Party. He soon joined many ogranizations including the Free Masons which helped him to further his political future. Once war was declaired on Germany in 1917 Harry Truman enlisted as a captain of Artillery in the United States Army. He learned then that he was to lead men for the rest of his life. Elected senator in 1934 and again in 1940. And during his second term he was named chairman to investigate the national defense program, where he did an excellent job. He saved eth government hundreds of millions of dollars.
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