Home Research Museum Events Education Gift Store Kids Page Donations
Women’s History Month

Did you know President Truman appointed eighteen women to high ranking posts, many of which were firsts for women?
Some of these appointments include:


Georgia Neese Clark
First woman to be appointed Treasurer of the United States in June of 1949
Photo of President Truman and Georgia Neese Clark

Frieda Hennock
First woman to become a member of the Federal Communications Commission in 1948
View Frieda Hennock Papers

Anna Lord Strauss
Appointed member of the President’s Commission on Internal Security and Individual Rights in 1951
Portrait of Anna Lord Strauss

View Anna Lord Strauss’ Oral History

Eugenie Anderson
First woman to be appointed ambassador (to Denmark) in 1949

Perle Mesta
Appointed Minister to Luxembourg in 1949
Photo of Perle Mesta and Margaret Truman

Mildred C. Thompson
Member of the United States delegation of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNEXCO)

Frances Perkins
Appointed Member of Civil Service Commission in 1946 after serving as Secretary of Labor
Photo of Frances Perkins

Anna Rosenberg
First woman to be appointed Assistant Secretary of Defense in 1950
Photo of Anna Rosenberg

Photo of Anna Rosenberg being sworn in as Secretary of Defense

Lucille Petry
First woman to be appointed Assistant Surgeon General of the United States in 1949

Bernita Shelton Matthews
Appointed Judge, U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia in 1949

Edith Sampson
Appointed member of the United States delegation of he United Nations in 1950

Eleanor Roosevelt
Appointed the U.S. Representative, United Nations General Assembly for several sessions and U.S. representative, United Nations Human Rights Commission, Economic and Social Council for several sessions
Photo of former President Truman and Eleanor Roosevelt

View the website devoted to correspondence between President Truman and Eleanor Roosevelt

The Harry S. Truman Library and Museum is one of thirteen 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.