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Bess Truman

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Bess Truman
Portrait, c. 1940s
First Lady of the United States
In role
April 12, 1945 – January 20, 1953
PresidentHarry S. Truman
Preceded byEleanor Roosevelt
Succeeded byMamie Eisenhower
Second Lady of the United States
In role
January 20, 1945 – April 12, 1945
Vice PresidentHarry S. Truman
Preceded byIlo Wallace
Succeeded byJane Hadley Barkley
Personal details
Born
Elizabeth Virginia Wallace

(1885-02-13)February 13, 1885
Independence, Missouri, U.S.
DiedOctober 18, 1982(1982-10-18) (aged 97)
Independence, Missouri, U.S.
Resting placeHarry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse(s)
Harry S. Truman
​
​
(m. 1919; died 1972)​
ChildrenMargaret Truman
Signature

Elizabeth Virginia Wallace Truman (February 13, 1885 – October 18, 1982) was the first lady of the United States from 1945 to 1953 as the wife of the 33rd president of the United States, Harry S. Truman. Before becoming first lady, she was the second lady of the United States from January to April 1945 when her husband was vice president.

Biography

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Early life and education

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Elizabeth Virginia Wallace was born on February 13, 1885, in Independence, Missouri, to Margaret Elizabeth Gates and David Willock Wallace. As a child, Bess had a reputation as a tomboy due in part to her love for sports, including golf, tennis, horseback riding, basketball, baseball, and ice skating. She practiced dance and etiquette, and she attended town balls.[1]

In 1903, when Wallace was 18, her father committed suicide. The family moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado, for a year to avoid the community's attention.[2] After her father's death, Wallace took responsibility for raising her younger brothers, and the family moved in with her maternal grandparents.[3] She refused to speak about her father for the rest of her life.[4]

After graduating from Independence High School, she studied at Miss Barstow's Finishing School for Girls in Kansas City, Missouri. Wallace played on the women's basketball team, and she studied literature and French.[5] After returning from school, she resumed her role as the head of the family, and she became involved with the community through her bridge club and her charity work with the Needlework Guild.[6]

Marriage and family

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Truman and her husband on their wedding day, June 28, 1919.

Wallace met Harry S. Truman after his family moved to Independence in 1890, and the two attended school together until graduation.[7]

They got married on June 28, 1919, at Trinity Episcopal Church in Independence.[8] Their only child, Margaret Truman, was born in 1924.

First Lady, 1945–1953

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Official portrait of Truman as First Lady of the United States.

Truman became the first lady of the United States when her husband became the 33rd president on April 12, 1945, after Franklin D. Roosevelt died while in office. As first lady, Truman served as Honorary President of the Girl Scouts, the Woman's National Democratic Club, and the Washington Animal Rescue League. She was Honorary Chairman of the American Red Cross.[9] She worked with various organizations, but she never adopted a group or cause to focus on, as many first ladies do.[10]

After the end of World War II, Truman was responsible for restoring the White House social season, and she organized the White House's receptions and events. She was inspired by the history of the White House in particular during the presidency of James Monroe.

She resisted any changes to her lifestyle, often handling bookkeeping, dusting, and other chores on her own, though she did enjoy having domestic servants.[11][12] Truman also allowed reporters to have copies of her schedule, becoming the first first lady to do so.

Death and funeral

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Truman died on October 18, 1982, from congestive heart failure at the age of 97, and a private funeral service was held on October 21. Afterwards, she was buried beside her husband in the courtyard of the Harry S. Truman Library in Independence, Missouri.[13]

References

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  1. ↑ Gould, Lewis L. (1996). American First Ladies: Their Lives and Their Legacy. Garland Publishing. pp. 449–462. ISBN 0-8153-1479-5.
  2. ↑ Devine, Michael J. (2016). "Elizabeth Virginia "Bess" Wallace Truman". In Sibley, Katherine A. S. (ed.). A Companion to First Ladies. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 476–491. ISBN 978-1-118-73218-2.
  3. ↑ Foster, Feather Schwartz (2011). The First Ladies: From Martha Washington to Mamie Eisenhower, an Intimate Portrait of the Women Who Shaped America. Cuberland House. pp. 145–150. ISBN 978-1-4022-4272-4.
  4. ↑ Boller, Paul F. (1988). Presidential Wives. Oxford University Press. pp. 312–331.
  5. ↑ "Bess Truman Biography". National First Ladies' Library. Archived from the original on May 9, 2012. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
  6. ↑ Schneider, Dorothy; Schneider, Carl J. (2010). First Ladies: A Biographical Dictionary (3rd ed.). Facts on File. pp. 250–260. ISBN 978-1-4381-0815-5.
  7. ↑ Cite error: The named reference schneider2 was used but no text was provided for refs named (see the help page).
  8. ↑ Margolies, Daniel S. (July 30, 2012). A Companion to Harry S. Truman. John Wiley & Sons. p. 37. ISBN 978-1-118-30075-6.
  9. ↑ Cite error: The named reference Truman: Bess Truman's Biography was used but no text was provided for refs named (see the help page).
  10. ↑ Cite error: The named reference nfll3 was used but no text was provided for refs named (see the help page).
  11. ↑ Cite error: The named reference boller3 was used but no text was provided for refs named (see the help page).
  12. ↑ Cite error: The named reference feinberg was used but no text was provided for refs named (see the help page).
  13. ↑ "Bess Truman Buried". The Gettysburg Times. October 22, 1982. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
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