Truman’s Little White House

Yesterday, we visited the building known as Truman’s Little White House. Guinness wore his Service Animal vest and was very well behaved. Here’s all you need to know:

The house itself is a very simple, unpretentious two-story building. I liked it, in part because it is a snapshot of a simpler time. No TV, no air conditioning, no water view. Entertainment involved whiskey, golf, or poker. There is a great life-size cutout of HST in a Hawaiian shirt, holding a golf club. Sorry, we weren’t allowed to take photos. The house is beautifully decorated; very calm and relaxing.

Interesting footnote: Truman’s ratings fell to 22% after he fired General McArthur- the lowest of any sitting president. But history has amended that: he has now been ranked #5 of all Presidents by CBS News. A farm boy from Missouri, who never wanted to be President. He assumed the office upon Roosevelt’s death in 1945.

1. Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865) Lincoln’s first-place standing in the C-SPAN survey is due to high ratings across the board, but historians hold him in highest esteem for crisis leadership.
2. George Washington (1789-1797) The nation’s first president ranked above all others for moral authority, economic management, and overall performance within the context of his times.
3. Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933-1945) Historians laud Franklin D. Roosevelt for his skills at public persuasion, ranking him first among all presidents in that category.
4. Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt (1901-1909) Theodore Roosevelt ranked highly for public persuasion. Just 42 when he became the youngest president in the nation’s history, he had the excitement and energy to convince Congress to pass progressive reforms and a strong foreign policy — exemplified by his motto, “Speak softly and carry a big stick.”

Truman wins praise from historians for his crisis leadership. 

After V-E Day, when Japan refused to surrender, he ordered atomic bombs to be dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, finally ending World War II in the Pacific. Shortly thereafter, Truman watched the signing of the charter of the United Nations, established to preserve peace.