About the Collection

  This collection focuses on President Truman's 1948 Presidential Campaign. It includes 90 documents totaling 636 pages, covering the years 1946-1968. Supporting materials include the NBC broadcast of the President's acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, July 15, 1948   (Courtesy of Marr Sound Archives)   and a list of Campaign Stops.
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Documents
Featured Document: 1948 Campaign Comic Book, The Story of Harry S. Truman
 

Date                          Document Titles
1946
JanuaryLabor Market Area Series, Basic Statement, Spokane, Washington, dated January 1946, from Department of Labor, United States Employment Service  (5 pages)    

 
SeptemberStatement with attached letter of resignation from Secretary of Commerce Henry A. Wallace, dated September 20, 1946, from President Harry S. Truman  (3 pages)    

1947
AprilTelegram , dated April 14, 1947, from London to Secretary of State  (6 pages)    

 
SeptemberAnalysis: The Politics of 1948, dated September 18, 1947, from James Rowe, Jr. to President Harry S. Truman  (34 pages)    

 
NovemberMemo, dated November 19, 1947, from Clark M. Clifford, Special Counsel to President Harry S. Truman, to President Harry S. Truman  (43 pages)    

1948
         Comparing the 1948 Platforms  (1 page)    

 
         The Story of Harry S. Truman  (16 pages)    

 
         Truman Talks About Why He Ran in '48  (2 pages)    

 
         1948 Campaign Information: Highlights of the Career of Harry S. Truman  (1 page)    

 
         Brief Summary of the 1948 Campaign, From: The Loneliest Campaign, by Irwin Ross, copyright 1968, used with author's permission  (1 page)    
  • Full text document

 
FebruarySecond of a Series of Reports on the Communists and Pro-Communists for Wallace titled "Ferdinand C. Smith", dated February 16, 1948  (6 pages)    

 
         Fourth of a series of reports on the Communists and Pro-Communists for Wallace titled "Leo Isacson", dated February 23, 1948, from unspecified author to unspecified recipient  (3 pages)    

 
MarchSixth of a series of reports on Communists and Pro-Communists for Wallace titled "Glen Hearst Taylor", dated March 11, 1948, from unspecified author to unspecified recipient  (4 pages)    

 
MayLetter, dated May 11, 1948, from Raymond Pace Alexander, a Philadelphia lawyer to U.S. Senator (Pennsylvania) Frank Myers  (6 pages)    

 
         Letter, dated may 12, 1948, from Clarence C. Dill, lawyer in Spokane, Wa. to President Harry S. Truman  (2 pages)    

 
JuneRemarks of the President outside the Spokane Club in Spokane, Washington, June 9, 1948, 9:20 a.m., dated June 9, 1948  (3 pages)    

 
         Memo titled "Suggestions and Comments on the Western Trip", dated June 23, 1948  (3 pages)    

 
         Speech entitled "A Strong and Free America In a Free World Of Free Men," by Thomas E. Dewey, Governor of New York and Republican Candidate for President of the United States, delivered to the Republican Convention Delegates, Philadelphia, Pa., June 24, 1948  (1 page)    
  • Full text document

 
         Memo titled "Should the President call Congress back?", dated June 29, 1948, from unspecified author to unspecified recipient  (2 pages)    

 
JulyList titled "Trip of the President to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania", dated July 14, 1948  (3 pages)    

 
         July 15, Acceptance Speech of the President at the Democratic National Convention, Convention Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (original reading copy used by President Truman), dated July 15, 1948, from President Harry S. Truman to national audience  (22 pages)    

 
         July 19, Memo, dated July 19, 1948, from The Council of Economic Advisers to President Harry S. Truman  (12 pages)    

 
         My Commitments: Betrayal By Old Parties. By Henry A. Wallace Progressive Party Candidate for President of the United States, Acceptance Speech, Philadelphia, Pa., July 24, 1948  (1 page)    
  • Full text document

 
AugustMemo, dated August 17, 1948, from Clark M. Clifford, Special Counsel to President Harry S. Truman, to President Harry S. Truman  (8 pages)    

 
SeptemberRear Platform Remarks of the President at Toledo, Ohio (original reading copy used by President Truman), dated September 6, 1948, from President Harry S. Truman to audience at Toledo, Ohio  (8 pages)    

 
         Tell the People Who We Are: Significance of Southern Trip, by Henry A. Wallace Progressive Party Candidate for President of the United States, delivered at Progressive Party Rally, New York, N. Y., September 10, 1948  (1 page)    
  • Full text document

 
         Memo, dated September 17, 1948, to President Harry S. Truman  (3 pages)    

 
         Newspaper accounts titled "President Truman's Campaign Trip to the West Coast, September 17 - October 2, 1948", dated September 18-September 24, 1948, by multiple authors (New York Times, Washington Post, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, New York Herald Tribune)  (9 pages)    

 
         Speech at Dexter, Iowa, dated September 18, 1948  (30 pages)    

 
         Brief report titled "Missouri - President Truman's Western campaign trip, September 17-October 2, 1948", dated September 20, 1948, by the Kansas City Times  (1 page)    

 
         Time for American Affirmation: Pledge to Fellow Citizens, by Thomas E. Dewey, Governor of New York and Republican Candidate for President of the United States, delivered in Des Moines, Iowa, September 20, 1948  (1 page)    
  • Full text document

 
         United States Foreign Policy: We Must Match Our Faith With Our Works, by Thomas E. Dewey, Governor of New York and Republican Candidate for President of the United States, delivered at Salt Lake City, Utah, September 30, 1948  (1 page)    
  • Full text document

 
OctoberNewspaper accounts titled "President Truman's midwestern campaign trip, October 10-16, 1948. (Ohio, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Indiana, West Virginia)", dated October 12-18, 1948, by multiple authors: The Marion County Messenger, The Galesburg Post, The Kokomo Dispatch, The Tipton Daily Tribune, The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, The Indianapolis News, Akron Beacon Journal  (6 pages)    

 
         Letter, dated October 14, 1948, from Chairman, Lorain County Democratic Executive Committee to Albert A. Horstman, Ohio Democratic National Committeeman  (2 pages)    

 
         Letter with attached statement from Americans for Democratic Action, dated October 14, 1948, from Harold L. Ickes to Samuel I. Rosenman  (3 pages)    

 
         Speech in Indianapolis, Indiana, dated October 15, 1948, from President Harry S. Truman to audience at Indianapolis, Indiana  (28 pages)    

 
         Waging Peace in World, Our Freedom and Our Land, by Thomas E. Dewey, Governor of New York and Republican Candidate for President of the United States, delivered at the New York Herald Tribune Forum, New York, N. Y., October 20, 1948  (1 page)    
  • Full text document

 
         Speech in Scranton, Pennsylvania, dated October 23, 1948, from President Harry S. Truman to audience at Scranton, Pennsylvania  (15 pages)    

 
         Speech in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, dated October 23, 1948, from President Harry S. Truman to audience at Johnstown, Pennsylvania  (11 pages)    

 
         Letter (attached are President Harry S. Truman's notes for a stop at Mr. Dubinsky's reviewing stand), dated October 23, 1948, from Samuel I. Rosenman to President Harry S. Truman  (3 pages)    

 
         Newspaper accounts titled "President Truman's Campaign Trip to Chicago, Cleveland, Boston, Providence, New York, Brooklyn, St. Louis, and Kansas City: October 24-November 3, 1948", dated October 26-31, 1948, by multiple authors (Chicago Sun-Times, Boston Globe, Boston Herald, Boston Record, New York Times, New York Post, New York Herald Tribune, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, St. Louis Globe Democrat)  (6 pages)    

 
         Notes titled "Queens Topics", dated October 29, 1948, from unspecified author to President Harry S. Truman  (2 pages)    

 
         Speech in St. Louis, Mo., dated October 30, 1948, from President Harry S. Truman to audience at St. Louis, Mo.  (22 pages)    

 
NovemberHandwritten notes (with introductory memo) for an election-eve radio speech, dated November 1, 1948, from President Harry S. Truman to national audience  (10 pages)    

 
DecemberCampaign Recollection, dated December 6, 1948, by Charles S. Murphy  (93 pages)    

1964
AugustRecollections of the 1948 Campaign, dated August 1964, by William J. Bray  (38 pages)    

1968
         From: The Loneliest Campaign pages 21-27, by: Irwin Ross. Copyright: 1968, used with permission. Beginning Campaign Strategies  (1 page)    
  • Full text document

 
         The Home Stretch: Chapter 10: Pages 240-243 From: The Loneliest Campaign. By Irwin Ross. Copyright: 1968, used with permission.  (1 page)    
  • Full text document

 
         What Happened Chapter 11: Pages 245-252 From: The Loneliest Campaign.By Irwin Ross. Copyright: 1968, used with permission.  (1 page)    
  • Full text document

 
         From: Loneliest Campaign, Pages: 31-35. By Irwin Ross. Copyright: 1968, used with permission. Some background information on Dewey's political career prior to 1948  (1 page)    
  • Full text document

 
         Dewey's Strategies and Tactics: Chapter 8: Strategies and Tactics From: The Loneliest Campaign. By Irwin Ross. Copyright: 1968, used with permission.  (1 page)    
  • Full text document

 
         Chapter 9: The Long Campaign Trail From: The Loneliest Campaign. By Irwin Ross. Copyright: 1968, used with permission.  (1 page)    
  • Full text document

 
         From: Loneliest Campaign. Pages: 15-16. By Irwin Ross. Copyright 1968, used with permission. Henry Wallace - background on his resignation as Secretary of Commerce  (1 page)    
  • Full text document

Not Dated
          1948 Election Results  (1 page)  

 
          1948 Election Results As Compared with 1944  (2 pages)  

 
          1948 Projected Election Results  (1 page)  

 
          Analysis of the Southern Democratic Revolt  (3 pages)  

 
          Campaign Analysis titled "Henry A. Wallace: The First Three Months", not dated, by Americans for Democratic Action  (28 pages)  

 
          Campaign analysis titled, Henry A. Wallace: The Last Seven Months of his Presidential Campaign, not dated, from Americans for Democratic Action to unspecified recipient  (44 pages)  

 
          Chapter 9: The Long Campaign Trail. From: The Loneliest Campaign. By Irwin Ross. Copyright: 1968, used with author's permission  (1 page)   Full text document

 
          Confidential Memo, not dated, to President Harry S. Truman  (4 pages)  

 
          Dewey's Record Speaks for Itself  (2 pages)  

 
          FBI report titled "Communists and Pro-Communists for Wallace"  (6 pages)  

 
          Letter from Guadalupe Alvarado congratulating President Harry S. Truman on his election victory  (1 page)  

 
          Letter from Isaac Adams congratulating President Harry S. Truman on his election victory  (1 page)  

 
          Letter from Mrs. Grace Anderson congratulating President Harry S. Truman on his election victory  (1 page)  

 
          Letter, not dated, from U.S. Senator Francis J. Myers (Pennsylvania) to J. Howard McGrath, Democratic National Committee  (1 page)  

 
          List of Northwestern Ohio citizens to board President Truman's special train at Toledo, Ohio, Monday night, September 6, 1948, not dated  (3 pages)  

 
          Memo titled "Appearance of President Truman at Crawfordsville, Montgomery County, Indiana, on October 12, 1948", not dated  (2 pages)  

 
          Memo, not dated, to President Harry S. Truman  (3 pages)  

 
          Notes for St. Louis, Mo. speech, not dated, from President Harry S. Truman to audience in St. Louis  (4 pages)  

 
          Report titled Madison, Wisconsin, not dated  (2 pages)  

 
          Report titled Toledo, Ohio, not dated  (3 pages)  

 
          Report titled "Spokane: Inter-mountain area - major center east of the Cascades , west of the Rockies", not dated  (4 pages)  

 
          Report titled "Vital Issues in Flint, Michigan: Prices, Housing, and Flood Control", not dated  (8 pages)  

 
          Results of the Lyons Poll of 3 Midwestern States  (1 page)  

 
          Schedule of Whistle Stop Speeches, 1948 Campaign, not dated  (8 pages)  

 
          Telegram from American Legion Excelsior Post 628 congratulating President Harry S. Truman on his election victory  (1 page)  

 
          Telegram from Don Adler congratulating President Harry S. Truman on his election victory  (1 page)  

 
          Telegram from FL Mutt Abernethy congratulating President Harry S. Truman on his election victory  (1 page)  

 
          Telegram from James B. Alley congratulating President Harry S. Truman on his election victory  (1 page)  

 
          Telegram from James E. Allen congratulating President Harry S. Truman on his election victory  (1 page)  

 
          Telegram from Mrs. George L. Aycock congratulating President Harry S. Truman on his election victory  (1 page)  

 
          Telegram from U.S. Customs Lodge Number 176 congratulating President Harry S. Truman on his election victory  (1 page)  

 
          Translator's Summary of Communication from Miss Guadalupe Alvarado to President Harry S. Truman  (1 page)  

 
          Translator's Summary of Communication from Mr. B. Algarin to President Harry S. Truman  (1 page)  

 
          Truman and the 1948 Press  (2 pages)  

 



       

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The Harry S. Truman Library and Museum is one of twelve Presidential Libraries administered by the National Archives and Records Administration.

500 W. US Hwy. 24. Independence MO 64050
truman.library@nara.gov
;
Phone: 816-268-8200 or 1-800-833-1225;
Fax: 816-268-8295.