The Legacy of President Harry S. Truman

By: Ryan Webb

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

Length: 21 mins

Publisher's summary

When Harry S. Truman left office in 1953 he was one of the most unpopular presidents in American history. With an approval rating of only twenty-six percent, the national joke was, "To err is Truman." Clearly, the American populace held an unfavorable view of their parting President. Even so, by 1976, author Daniel Yergin commented that "Harry Truman does just about hold first place in the ranks of modern national heroes." (Yergin, p.138) In fact, in the Presidential race of the same year Gerald Ford attempted to cast himself as the Truman of 1976. Meanwhile, Jimmy Carter was saying that Truman was his favorite President. Yet while the public now held Truman in high regard, historians who previously commended Truman, now altered their position. This metamorphosis in the eyes of historians, the result of analysis of new information from Truman's Presidency, prompted author Daniel Yergin to write his article "Harry Truman-revived and revised" for the "New York Times Magazine" in 1976. In this article Yergin acknowledged that Truman was a man of exemplary character who achieved limited successes, but that he failed to seize opportunities or provide clear leadership.