- Née:
- Elizabeth Virginia Wallace
- Born:
- February 13, 1885, Independence, Missouri, U.S.
- Died:
- October 18, 1982, Independence, Missouri (aged 97)
- Title / Office:
- first lady (1945-1953)
- Notable Family Members:
- spouse Harry S. Truman
- daughter Margaret Truman
Bess Truman
-
Who was Bess Truman?
Bess Truman (1885–1982) was the wife of Harry S. Truman, 33rd president of the United States, and served as the American first lady from 1945 to 1953.
Before her husband's presidency, Bess took no public part in his campaigns, but she acted as his secretary and assistant behind the scenes, also helping to write speeches. When Harry Truman became president in April 1945, Bess Truman's anonymity disappeared.
As first lady, Bess Truman was very private. She refused to hold press conferences, and when she answered questions in writing, she often responded with "no comment." White House employees considered the Trumans a close-knit family. Although she did not take an active public role as first lady, she often acted privately as one of the president’s chief advisors.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
When did Bess Truman serve as First Lady of the United States?
Bess Truman, born on February 13, 1885, served as the First Lady of the United States from 1945 to 1953 during her husband Harry S. Truman's presidency.
Bess was known for her private nature, a stark contrast to her predecessor, Eleanor Roosevelt. She declined press conferences and offered minimal responses to reporters' questions. Despite her reserved public persona, she was a trusted advisor to President Truman. After Truman left office, he acknowledged her crucial role, stating that he had discussed significant decisions with her because of her sound judgment. Bess Truman passed away on October 18, 1982, and was buried next to her husband at the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum in Independence, Missouri.
4 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
Who was Bess Truman married to?
Bess Truman, an American first lady from 1945 to 1953, was married to Harry S. Truman, the 33rd president of the United States. They were married on June 28, 1919. Bess and Harry first met in elementary school and maintained a long courtship before marrying. Together, they had one child, Margaret Truman, born in 1924. After Harry left office, Bess described herself as a "full partner in all my transactions."
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What were some of Bess Truman's responsibilities as First Lady?
As First Lady (1945–53), Bess Truman took a different approach compared to her predecessor, Eleanor Roosevelt. Truman was intensely private; she declined press conferences and gave brief answers to written questions from reporters.
Despite her private nature, Bess Truman was a trusted advisor to her husband. President Truman stated that he discussed important decisions with her, valuing her judgment. However, their daughter, Margaret, suggested that Bess wasn't always closely involved. During the White House renovation from 1949 for three years, Bess favored renovating the White House instead of building a new one.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How did Bess Truman's personality influence her role in the White House?
Bess Truman's reserved and intensely private nature significantly shaped her role as First Lady. In contrast to her predecessor, Eleanor Roosevelt, Bess Truman avoided the public spotlight, refusing press conferences and offering minimal responses to written questions.
Despite her reluctance to engage publicly, she was a trusted advisor to her husband. Harry Truman stated that he discussed important decisions with her, valuing her judgment. However, her daughter, Margaret, suggested that Bess was not always fully included in her husband's most important decisions. Her preference for privacy and family shaped a more traditional, behind-the-scenes role, influencing the perception and execution of her duties as First Lady.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How is Bess Truman remembered for her impact on American history?
Bess Truman, U.S. First Lady from 1945 to 1953, is remembered for her distinct approach to the role compared to her predecessor, Eleanor Roosevelt. In contrast to the highly public and active Eleanor, Bess was intensely private. She declined press conferences and offered minimal responses to written questions from reporters, which made it difficult to assess her influence during her time as First Lady. Nevertheless, her popularity remained high, demonstrating the flexibility of the First Lady's role. President Truman stated that he discussed important decisions with her, valuing her judgment.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Bess Truman (born February 13, 1885, Independence, Missouri, U.S.—died October 18, 1982, Independence, Missouri) was an American first lady (1945–53), the wife of Harry S. Truman, 33rd president of the United States.
Bess Wallace, the daughter of David Wallace, a local politician, and Margaret Gates Wallace, came from one of the wealthiest and most prominent families in Independence, Missouri. Like her three brothers, Wallace attended local public schools, and she met Harry Truman when both were in elementary school. He was evidently smitten with her from the start, and their courtship lasted many years.
After graduating from high school in 1901, Wallace enrolled in Miss Barstow’s Finishing School for Girls in Kansas City, Missouri. In 1903 her father committed suicide, leaving his widow to depend on her parents for financial help. The far larger effect of the suicide, however, was psychological, and Wallace developed an inordinate desire for privacy that would cause problems for her in the White House. Her immense sense of family responsibility brought her back to Independence, where she lived with her mother and became an outstanding athlete, especially in tennis.
Bess Wallace and Harry Truman were married on June 28, 1919. Harry Truman started a haberdashery store with an old army friend, but the business went bankrupt in 1922. In the same year he entered politics (despite his wife’s misgivings about politicians), winning a seat as judge of Jackson county. Following several miscarriages, Bess Truman gave birth to their only child, Margaret Truman, in 1924. Like most political wives at the time, Bess Truman stayed in the background and took no public part in his campaigns except, as she said, to see that her hat was “on straight.” Behind the scenes, she acted as secretary and assistant and helped to write speeches.
When Harry Truman was elected vice president in 1944, Bess Truman was still unknown around Washington, D.C. Her anonymity suddenly disappeared in April 1945, when she became first lady and her husband became president following the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt. The long tenure and social activism of her predecessor, Eleanor Roosevelt, had set a daunting precedent, but Bess Truman was determined to handle the job differently. She refused to hold press conferences, and, after she finally agreed to answer questions in writing, she often did so with a firm “no comment.” White House employees judged the Trumans one of the most close-knit families ever to occupy the mansion, dubbing them the “three musketeers.” Although she did not take an active public role as first lady, she often acted privately as one of the president’s chief advisers, and after he left office President Truman claimed that his wife had been a “full partner in all my transactions.” Margaret Truman painted a different picture, however, writing later that her mother occasionally felt shut out of some of the presidents most important decisions.
In 1949, when it became clear that the White House was in need of significant repairs, Bess Truman favored renovation rather than the construction of an entirely new house, which would have been a cheaper option. For three years the Trumans lived in Blair House (the president’s guest house) while the interior of the White House was gutted and reconstructed. In March 1952, when television reporters requested a tour of the mansion, it was the president rather than the shy first lady who showed them around.
Retiring to their home in Independence, the Trumans had less to do with politics than with their grandchildren and friends. After her death Bess Truman was buried beside her husband at the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum in Independence. For his unpretentious wife, he had already specified her epitaph: First Lady of the U.S., 1945–1953.
The trusted destination for professionals, college students, and lifelong learners.
SUBSCRIBE
