I didn’t know much about Bess Truman as she is overshadowed by both Eleanor Roosevelt and Mamie Eisenhower, but there is much to admire in her life story of overcoming adversity and her dedication to family. Her story is like so many Americans who grew up in the early 20th century, and more people need to know about her fortitude!
Each month, I’ll detail the life of the first lady and their legacy. Then I’ll share what I learned while studying them, along with ways you can travel in their footsteps through historical sites and museums. I’ll also share books, podcasts, TV shows, and websites where you can learn even more about that first lady. Read all of the way through the blog post or click on the links below to go straight to those sections.
Life
Childhood
Elizabeth “Bessie” Virginia Wallace was born on February 13, 1885 in Independence, Missouri to Margaret and David Wallace (she would eventually go by Bess). Her father was a local politician, and her maternal grandparents were financially well-to-do and doted on little Bess as their first grandchild. She was soon joined by three brothers and a sister, who died as a child. Bess was delightful, charming everyone she met with her blond hair and blue eyes.
As she grew older, she took on more responsibility for her siblings as her mother’s health was precarious. She still found time to be an excellent student and played on many sports teams becoming the champion slugger on her brother’s baseball team, the best tennis player in town, and an expert horse rider and ice skater. She kept her brothers out of trouble and had a distinctive whistle to bring them home.
She met a new Sunday School classmate, Harry S. Truman, when she was five and he was six; he had just moved to town and said later that he fell in love at first sight. She didn’t feel the same as Harry had to work while she attended parties and school dances.
All of that frivolity ended in 1903 when she was eighteen and her father committed suicide at their home. He had become an alcoholic and was deep in debt and depressed. Bess and her family moved to Colorado Springs for a year before moving back to Independence and into the home with her maternal grandparents. This would remain her home for the rest of her life.
Two years later, Bess enrolled in the Barstow school in Kansas City which prepared young women for college in the eastern United States. Even though she excelled, she had to stay home after finishing school because her mother had become a recluse. Someone had to keep the family together.
Bess joined charitable organizations and put on plays with her best friend while dating. She didn’t have anyone special in her life until an old friend made a reappearance.
Courtship
In the summer of 1910, Harry Truman visited his aunts who lived across the street from Bess and her mother. When they said they needed to return a plate to the Wallaces, Harry jumped at the chance to see Bess again. It had been nine years since they last saw each other at their high school graduation, and he still thought she was the love of his life. Bess was surprised that the small, studious Harry had become handsome and muscular thanks to his farm work. She invited him in and thus began their long courtship.
Harry lived in Grandview, a complicated two hour trip away, so they corresponded through letters. He made her laugh with his quips about country living and his interest in her life. After less than a year, he proposed via letter but she turned him down. He didn’t let that deter him, and he kept asking her to events and taking her to the movies. They went on long walks and loved to fish. After two and a half years, she finally told him she wanted to marry him. She said, “Harry Truman, you’re an enigma!”
They didn’t want to marry until he was more financially secure as his family farm was not stable. He worked in a bank and invested in land throughout the west, but nothing seemed to work. When his father died in 1915, he had less time for Bess as he had to take over running the farm.
WWI
When America joined WWI in 1917, Harry rejoined the Missouri National Guard. Bess wanted to marry before he left, but he refused, not wanting to burden her with his care if something happened to him. He carried her photo throughout his time in France where he saw dangerous combat.
Bess joined in war efforts at home, selling war bonds and entertaining soldiers. She joined a group of other war wives and fiancées and kept in touch with Harry’s mother. After the war ended, Harry traveled to Paris, Nice, and Monte Carlo, not knowing that Bess was clinging to life at home. She had contracted the dreaded Spanish flu and almost died. He raced home to be by her side.
Marriage
Bess and Harry finally married on June 28, 1919 at Trinity Episocpal Church in Independence. Harry was 35 and she was 34 – they had 9 total years of courtship including 6 years of being engaged. She wore a gown of georgette and a wide brimmed picture hat.
The newlyweds headed for Chicago in a roadster and then went to Detroit and Port Huron, Michigan. When they came home, they moved in with Bess’ mother, thinking it would be temporary. While Harry was trying to make ends meet by running a clothing store and getting into politics, Bess endured two miscarriages.
She became pregnant again in the fall of 1923 but was so superstitious, she refused to buy any baby clothes or items. When Mary Margaret Truman was born at home on February 17, 1924, they had to put her to sleep in a drawer!
While their home life was happy, politics was turning ugly with the rise of the KKK. Harry refused their support and lost reelection to his judgeship. He went to law school and remained in the National Guard, often having to spend time away from his little family. Bess and Margaret wrote him lots of letters and enjoyed spending time with her brothers’ families who all lived next door. Bess’ mother had a strong grip over all of her children which caused Bess’ nerves to falter.
Harry was elected judge again in 1926 and had to travel all over the state. Bess hated how much he was away and took out her frustrations on little Margaret who saw her as a harsh disciplinarian. Margaret commented later in life that she always felt like she disappointed her mother.
Missouri politics continued to be wretched and even dangerous as a political opponent tried to take Margaret from school! Bess was overcome with worry and insisted on someone accompanying Margaret to and from school.
Bess aided Harry’s political career, becoming his best sounding board and personal secretary (he called her “the boss” and Margaret “the boss’ boss). When he announced a run for the US Senate, she was unhappy but supported him. It was one of the most painful experiences of her life to hear the attacks heaped on his head.
“A woman’s place in public is to sit beside her husband, be silent, and be sure her hat is on straight.” Bess Truman
Washington, DC
When Harry won in 1934, the whole family moved to Washington for six months of the year. They lived in an apartment at 3106 Connecticut Avenue and sent Margaret to Gunston Hall School for Girls. Bess was not happy in Washington at first, but soon she grew to love the social aspects, meeting with other Senate wives and the First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt. Her happiness carried over to her relationship with her daughter which improved.
Bess and Margaret spent summers back in Missouri and hated how the job separated them from Harry who was overworked and ill in Washington. She continued this pattern over the next several years – January – June in Washington and June – December in Missouri. It was hard on their family life.
When she wasn’t in town, Harry would send her copies of the Congressional Record so she could keep up with the political news, particularly on the Supreme Court packing bill. She was his most valued advisor. They had to deal with death threats from Harry’s votes and got protection. She worried over his health and insisted he get away when possible.
She was back in Washington when the British Royals visited in 1938 and traveled back and forth constantly over the next several years while also dealing with his mother’s health issues and her mother’s constant worrying. She loved spending time with Margaret and was sad when she went off to college in 1942.
During WWII, she fretted over shortages in staples and ran Harry’s DC office. She handed out doughnuts every Wednesday to soldiers and stayed to chat with them before they shipped out.
Rumblings about Harry being part of the 1944 ticket as FDR’s new vice presidential candidate worried her, and he was especially worried how the press’ intrusiveness would affect their lives. Neither wanted the news about her father’s suicide to go public.
The day after he received the nomination, she held a press conference, one of the very few times she ever spoke to the press herself. She spent the summer in Missouri but campaigned some with him, reading all of his speeches in advance.
She enjoyed her time as the wife of the vice president, beginning with the inaugural parties. She was just getting her footing as the VP’s wife when FDR died.
First Lady
“We are not any of us happy to be where we are but there’s nothing to be done about it except to do our best—and forget about the sacrifices and many unpleasant things that pop up.” Bess Truman
On April 12, 1945, Bess got a call from Harry that President Roosevelt had died. He wanted her and Margaret to come to the White House so he could be sworn in as president; she cried. She asked to see Eleanor when they arrived to express her condolences and then was there for the solemn swearing in.
“I was very apprehensive. The country was used to Eleanor Roosevelt. I couldn’t possibly be anything like her. I wasn’t going down into any coal mines.” Bess Truman
The Trumans moved to the Blair House across the street from the White House to give Eleanor time to move out of her home of twelve years. Bess loved the Blair House and didn’t want to leave, especially when she saw the state of the White House.
People expected Bess to continue in Mrs. Roosevelt’s traditions which Bess was firmly against. She admired former First Lady Elizabeth Monroe who had to follow in Dolley Madison’s charming footsteps and decided to chart her own course. She refused to hold press conferences or speak with the reporters on the record and didn’t take up causes unlike Eleanor. Bess was truly her own person.
“I don’t know what I am going to do. I’m not used to this awful public life.” Bess Truman
Germany surrendered just weeks after taking office on May 8, 1945 – Harry’s 61st birthday. Bess went to Missouri for the summer at the end of May and refused to have Secret Service protection while at her home. The excessive crowds kept coming by, however, worrying everyone involved.
Bess knew about the atomic bomb but not the details on Harry’s decision to drop it. This is when she realized she was no longer his most trusted advisor; she had become a spectator in his political life. She joined Harry to wave on the north portico when Japan surrendered but was angry about being left out.
With the war over, she took on more of the First Lady roles but still refused to meet with the press. She got into an argument with a congressman over her attendance at a DAR tea, and he called her the “last lady” which infuriated Harry. It was one of the most controversial times during her White House years.
She did the First Lady duties with minimal enthusiasm; her only enjoyment in the job was when Harry started having long discussions with her at night over pressing issues. She enjoyed traveling with Harry, especially to Brazil in 1947.
The press complained about her, and Newsweek even wrote an article, entitled, “Behind Mrs. Truman’s social curtain: No comment.” That was her favorite line – no comment.
Her one project that she completed as First Lady was a complete overhaul of the White House which was crumbling underneath their feet. They had steel pipes holding up ceilings in their personal spaces and Margaret’s piano leg broke through the floor where it was rotted. The Trumans moved back into the Blair House so the White House could be taken back down to its original walls. Nothing else was left as the extensive renovation took three years.
She loved living back in the Blair House except that she had to host more parties since they couldn’t have as many people there.
Harry surprisingly won reelection in 1948 (see her inaugural gown here), and 1949 was the most peaceful year of his presidency. They spent time relaxing in Key West and even went to Cuba!
The only cause she pressed for is funding to the National Institutes of Health which went from receiving just $2 million a year to $46 million in Harry’s presidency. She began experiencing some health issues, namely arthritis in her hand and high blood pressure. She tried losing weight and not worrying which was made easier when Harry decided not to run again.
However, with the advent of the Korean War, her worry skyrocketed. Harry was consumed by work, and she fretted over his health. She pitched into the war effort by hosting afternoon parties for soldiers wounded in Korea.
On November 1, 1950, she was badly shaken by an attempt on their lives – two Puerto Rican nationalist terrorists attacked their guards at the Blair House, trying to gain access. This attack changed the way presidents were protected and cast a shadow over the last months of Harry’s presidency.
Before leaving office, she was able to host receptions at the newly renovated White House, including one for Britain’s Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip. She also invited the new incoming First Lady, Mamie Eisenhower, to the White House for a tour. She couldn’t wait to get back to Missouri.
Post-White House Years
Bess and Harry moved back to their home although it was empty as her mother had just passed away. People swarmed their street, trying to catch a glimpse of them, and thousands of letters came their way. She pushed for Harry’s presidential library to be built in Independence but didn’t want any of their personal letters to be available for research – she burned them all.
Their daughter married in 1956 and soon they had several grandchildren on whom to dote. They vacationed in Hawaii and Europe and had many distinguished visitors. They even drove cross country without any Secret Service protection!
Their health continued to be an issue. Bess underwent a mastectomy but thankfully the tumor was benign. Harry continued to have heart issues and Bess worried about him constantly.
He died the day after Christmas in 1972. Bess insisted on staying in Independence, even when she was consigned to a wheelchair, and was a doting grandmother to Margaret’s four boys. She stayed involved in politics and especially liked Jackie and Jack Kennedy and the Fords (disliking the Carters!). Almost thirty years after leaving the White House, she fell and had a stroke. She died on October 18, 1982 and was buried beside Harry in Independence, her home for her entire life. She lived to be ninety-seven years old – the longest living First Lady to date.
Legacy
Bess Truman was an enigma (even though that’s what she called Harry!). She was a tomboy and was both physically and emotionally strong. She had a no nonsense, can do attitude that got her through great trials such as her father’s suicide and her miscarriages. She seems like a good foil to Harry’s unbridled optimism and happiness. She brought him down to reality while he lifted her spirits.
Her impact on the role of First Lady is mostly felt through the White House renovations. The pictures from the renovations are stunning – the White House was down to the bare bricks fthat had survived the British attack in 1814. While she didn’t relish the role, she did enjoy leaving her mark through ensuring the White House would be there for decades and centuries of Presidents and First Ladies.
My Time with Bess
I had a hard time getting to know Bess this month. I read a biography by her daughter that, at times, was less than complementary. She seemed like a woman who had been ravaged by life – a father’s suicide at 18, a long, drawn-out courtship and marriage at an older age, troubles with starting a family, and most of all, an overbearing mother who refused to let any of her children go. That would be enough to drive anyone crazy! Bess handled it all in her signature way – confident and realistic.
I did empathize with her worry gene – I have that too! I can see how all of these issues caused her to worry – she wanted to control the situation but in all of these listed above, she couldn’t. I understand how hard that is!
I admired her confidence to not follow in Eleanor’s footsteps. She knew who she was and wasn’t afraid to show it, even when it didn’t meet expectations. Instead of changing herself, she changed the expectations. That is something we all need to learn!
Travels with Bess
Bess spent her entire life living in Independence, Missouri. She moved to her grandparents’ home at 19 years old, and this is the same home where she died at the age of 97.
Missouri
Independence
Her hometown has almost all of the Bess Truman historical sites, including her birthplace, the church they married in (Trinity Episcopal), and the church in which they met (First Presbyterian) – along with the main Truman sites below.
Harry S. Truman National Historic Site
Visit the home where Bess lived with her mother and then with Harry. Her White House portrait is here (the original which she took from the White House!). See other Truman sites nearby here.
Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum
I would love to visit Truman’s Presidential library and learn more about Bess. He, Bess, Margaret, and her husband are all buried here, just blocks from the national historic site mentioned above
Florida
Little White House, Key West
See the home of Bess and Harry when they were able to get away from Washington and relax. It’s kept all of the mid-century modern furniture! A dear friend visited it earlier this year and sent me these amazing pictures!
Washington, DC
Smithsonian National Museum of American History
See Bess’ White House china here!
To Learn More
Books to Read
Not much is written about Bess Truman – and I think she would have liked it that way! Her daughter was a prolific writer and wrote many murder mysteries set all around Washington (her first book was Murder in the White House). As Bess was a lifelong mystery/thriller reader, I think she would have enjoyed them.
Links are Amazon affiliate links. Be sure to see my Bookshop.org list for all of the books related to my Booking It Through History: First Ladies project.
Nonfiction:
Bess W. Truman by Margaret Truman
I really enjoyed this lovely book written by Bess and Harry’s only child. I loved the personal tidbits and how the author saw her parents. It was the best way to get to know Bess as she didn’t let many people in.
Bess Wallace Truman: Harry’s White House “Boss” (Modern First Ladies) by Sara L. Sale
Dear Bess: The Letters from Harry to Bess Truman, 1910-1959, edited by Robert H. Farrell
Dear Harry Love Bess: Bess Truman’s Letters to Harry Truman, 1919-1943, edited by Clifton Truman Daniel (their grandson!)
The Hidden White House: Harry Truman and the Reconstruction of America’s Most Famous Residence by Robert Klara
Harry Truman’s Excellent Adventure: The True Story of a Great American Road Trip by Matthew Algeo
TV Shows
C-SPAN First Ladies: Influence and Image – enjoy a tour of their Independence home by their grandson and several videos of Bess
Truman – Gary Sinise plays Harry in this made-for-TV biopic. It’s not available for streaming but you can purchase the DVD.
Podcasts
The White House 1600 Sessions – Remembering the Truman White House, a Grandson’s Reflections
Websites
NPS online exhibit “A Lady First, then a First Lady”
NPS Dear Bess and Dear Harry – Truman letters
White House Historical Society
- The White House ornament honoring the Truman presidency features the “Truman balcony” which was added during their extensive renovations.
Bess Truman was her own person and that shone through her time as First Lady. Most people would have been intimidated to follow Eleanor Roosevelt, but Bess held her own and did it her way. She is very admirable!
Harry Truman did NOT die on Christmas night! He died Dec. 26, 1972!
Thanks for this. I changed the article to say it was the morning after Christmas.