(1885-02-13)February 13, 1885 Independence, Missouri, U.S.
Died
October 18, 1982(1982-10-18) (aged 97) Independence, Missouri, U.S.
Resting place
Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum
Political party
Democratic
Spouse
Harry S. Truman
(m. 1919; died 1972)
Children
Margaret
Signature
Elizabeth Virginia Truman (née Wallace; February 13, 1885 – October 18, 1982) was the wife of President Harry S. Truman and the First Lady of the United States from 1945 to 1953. She also served as the second lady of the United States from January to April 1945. At 97 years, 247 days, she remains the longest-lived first and second lady.
She was born in Independence, Missouri, where she kept a home her entire life. She had known Harry since they were children, though she did not return his affections until adulthood. She was strongly affected by the suicide of her father when she was 18, which shaped her opinions about privacy from the public eye and the responsibilities of a spouse. Bess and Harry married in 1919, and Bess would spend the following years managing the Truman household and working in her husband's offices as his political career advanced. She was apprehensive about Harry running for vice president in 1944, and she was deeply upset when he ascended to the presidency the following year.
As first lady, Bess avoided social obligations and media attention whenever possible, and she made regular excursions to her home in Independence. She chose not to continue in the regular press conferences carried out by her predecessor Eleanor Roosevelt, believing that her responsibility as a wife was to keep her opinions private. Her influence on her husband's presidency came about in their private conversations, as he would consult her about most major decisions during his presidency. She was also prominent in his reelection campaign, making regular appearances for crowds as he toured the United States. She was greatly relieved when Harry chose not to run for another term in 1952. After her tenure as first lady, Bess lived in retirement at her home in Independence until her death in 1982.
Truman was generally popular among her contemporaries, but her lifelong devotion to privacy has allowed for limited historical analysis. She refused to provide information about herself or her beliefs to journalists during her lifetime, and she destroyed many of her letters after leaving the White House. There is no consensus among historians on her performance as first lady or to what extent she influenced her husband's presidency.
responsibilities of a spouse. Bess and Harry married in 1919, and Bess would spend the following years managing the Truman household and working in her...
oldest grandson of former United States President Harry S. Truman and First Lady BessTruman. He is a son of the late E. Clifton Daniel Jr., former managing...
York socialite. She was the only child of President Harry S. Truman and First Lady BessTruman. While her father was president during the years 1945 to 1953...
the paternal grandmother of Margaret Truman, and the mother-in-law of BessTruman. Martha Ellen Young was born in Jackson County, Missouri, on November...
presidential pension was created in 1958 when Truman was again experiencing financial difficulties. Harry and BessTruman received the first Medicare cards in...
Rita Regina Merthan. In October 1982, Carter attended the funeral of BessTruman in Independence, Missouri. In March 1983, the Carters traveled throughout...
Most as Presidential Material; Laura Bush, Pat Nixon, Mamie Eisenhower, BessTruman Could Have Done More in Office Eleanor & FDR Top Power Couple; Mary Drags...
US GPO – via HathiTrust. Truman, Harry S. (1983). Ferrell, Robert H. (ed.). Dear Bess: The Letters from Harry to BessTruman, 1910-1959. New York City:...
Most as Presidential Material; Laura Bush, Pat Nixon, Mamie Eisenhower, BessTruman Could Have Done More in Office Eleanor & FDR Top Power Couple; Mary Drags...
bathrooms. Eisenhower is remembered neither as a traditionalist like BessTruman nor as an activist like Eleanor Roosevelt. Her tenure occurred at a time...
previous first ladies, Bush likened herself to Eleanor Roosevelt and BessTruman. Bush was the last first lady to be raised prior to the onset of second-wave...
2010. "Biography of BessTruman". whitehouse.gov. Retrieved March 11, 2010 – via National Archives. "First Lady Biography: BessTruman". National First Ladies'...
Diggers: The Secret of Bear Mountain and Heat, and she portrayed BessTruman in Truman. In 1996, Scarwid had roles in Trial By Fire and Bastard Out of...
Most as Presidential Material; Laura Bush, Pat Nixon, Mamie Eisenhower, BessTruman Could Have Done More in Office Eleanor & FDR Top Power Couple; Mary Drags...
Most as Presidential Material; Laura Bush, Pat Nixon, Mamie Eisenhower, BessTruman Could Have Done More in Office Eleanor & FDR Top Power Couple; Mary Drags...
Most as Presidential Material; Laura Bush, Pat Nixon, Mamie Eisenhower, BessTruman Could Have Done More in Office Eleanor & FDR Top Power Couple; Mary Drags...
It was used as a sitting room by first ladies Eleanor Roosevelt and BessTruman. The room underwent a major architectural change in 1952. The northeast...
Wilson Florence Harding Grace Coolidge Lou Hoover Eleanor Roosevelt BessTruman Mamie Eisenhower Jacqueline Kennedy Lady Bird Johnson Pat Nixon Betty...
Truman Garcia Capote (/kəˈpoʊti/ kə-POH-tee; born Truman Streckfus Persons; September 30, 1924 – August 25, 1984) was an American novelist, screenwriter...
great-nephew of Mary Paxton Keeley, a prominent journalist and close friend of BessTruman. At the age of eight, he was in the crowd when President John F. Kennedy...
most famous for being a favorite food of President Harry Truman, a recipe by his wife BessTruman having been widely published in the 1950s as her contribution...
Most as Presidential Material; Laura Bush, Pat Nixon, Mamie Eisenhower, BessTruman Could Have Done More in Office Eleanor & FDR Top Power Couple; Mary Drags...
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