Grand Rededication

Hundreds of people attended the reopening and grand rededication ceremony of the Truman Presidential Museum and Library, Sunday, December 9th. Missouri Governor Bob Holden and Clifton Truman Daniel, President Truman's grandson, spoke at the event and performed the official ribbon cutting. Vocalist Ida McBeth sang the national anthem, accompanied by the 339th Army Band from Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.

In his keynote address, guest speaker and author, David McCullough said, "Truman, who understood the importance of history and passing it on to our youth, would have been extremely proud today." McCullough won the Pulitzer Prize for his book, "Truman", and has authored other noted presidential biographies. McCullough spoke with reverence about President Truman when he said, "People called him a simple, little man from Missouri, but he wasn't simple and he certainly wasn't little. Giants come in all sizes."

Dr. Michael Devine, Director of the Truman Presidential Museum and Library (left), takes a moment with Missouri Governor Bob Holden at the newly unveiled bronze Truman statue. The lifesize image is featured in the newly constructed "Legacy Gallery" which overlooks the courtyard. The $22.5 million renovation began in September 2000, and was funded mostly by contributions from throughout the United States. The state of Missouri contributed $2 million of that total.