urn:taro:utexas.cah.01266 A Guide to the Harry Truman Collection, 1945-1948 Original EAD encoding by Megan Mummey according to TARO 2 EAD 2002 Editing Instructions. July 2009 Finding aid written in English. Descriptive Summary Truman, Harry (1884-1972) Harry Truman Collection 1945-1948 Materials are written in English. 2009-138 1 in. Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin The Harry Truman Collection, 1945-1948, created by secret service agent John T. Gorham, contains 15 black and white photographs of Truman, a telephone directory prepared for Truman’s trip to Mexico in 1947, and a souvenir airline certificate signed by Truman. Biographical Note

John T. Gorham was a member of President Harry S. Truman’s secret service team in 1945.

Harry S. Truman (1884-1972) was the 33rd President of the United States (1945-1953). He succeeded Franklin Roosevelt as President in April 1945 after serving just three months as the 34th Vice President. Truman was born May 8, 1884 in Lamar, Missouri. During World War I, he served as an artillery officer stationed in France. Following the war, Truman married Bess Wallace in 1919 and had one child, Mary Margaret. He was elected a judge of the County Court of Jackson County in 1922, before serving as a U.S. Senator for Missouri, 1935-1945. Truman’s two terms as president were eventful in both foreign and domestic affairs, which included the end of World War II, the decision to use nuclear weapons against Japan, the founding of the United Nations and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the Korean War, the passage of the Taft-Hartley Act, and his Fair Deal Program. Truman died on December 5, 1972 after suffering complications from pneumonia.

 Scope and Contents

The Harry Truman Collection, 1945-1948, created by secret service agent John T. Gorham, contains 15 black and white photographs of Truman, a telephone directory prepared for Truman’s trip to Mexico in 1947, and a souvenir airline certificate signed by Truman. The photographs show Truman smiling with Joseph Stalin at the Potsdam Conference in 1945 and Truman riding with Winston Churchill in Fulton, Missouri, on the occasion of Churchill’s “Sinews of Peace” speech, 1946. Furthermore, in the photographs Truman can be seen touring Los Angeles, Fort Worth, and Chicago, as well as attending the Army-Navy Football Game in Philadelphia, December 1, 1945.

Access Restrictions

Unrestricted access.

 Index Terms Subjects (Persons) Gorham, John T. -- Archives. Truman, Harry S., 1884-1972 -- Pictorial works. Stalin, Joseph, 1879-1953 -- Pictorial works. Churchill, Winston, 1871-1947 -- Pictorial works. Churchill, Winston, 1874-1965. Sinews of peace. Carter, Amon Giles, 1879-1955 -- Pictorial works. Subjects Potsdam Conference (1945) -- Pictorial works. Army-Navy Football Game. Places Philadelphia (Pa.) -- Pictorial works. Blair House (Washington, D.C.) -- Pictorial works. Los Angeles (Calif.) -- Pictorial works. Fulton (Mo.) -- Pictorial works. Chicago (Ill.) -- Pictorial works. Fort Worth (Tex.) -- Pictorial works. Columbus (Ohio) -- Pictorial works. Preferred Citation

Harry Truman Collection, 1945-1948, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin.

 Processing Information

This collection was processed by Megan Mummey, July 2009.

 Detailed Description of the Papers Inventory 3T76 Photographs of Harry S. Truman, 1945-1948 3E298 Pocket telephone directory prepared for Truman’s visit to Mexico, 1947 3So14a Souvenir airline certificate issued to Agent John T. Gorham, signed by Truman, September 1, 1947 3So14a Print of the Capitol building, undated