John P. McEnery Oral History Interviews

Notice
These are transcripts of tape-recorded interviews conducted for the Harry S. Truman Library. A draft of each transcript was edited by the interviewee but only minor emendations were made; therefore, the reader should remember that these are essentially transcripts of the spoken, rather than the written word.

Numbers appearing in square brackets (ex. [45]) within the transcript indicate the pagination in the original, hardcopy version of the oral history interview.

The John P. McEnery Papers are in the Library's archival collection.

These oral history transcripts may be read, quoted from, cited, and reproduced for purposes of research. They may not be published in full except by permission of the Harry S. Truman Library.

• 183
  Alameda County, California, 114, 115, 116
  Alcatraz Prison, 176
  Amaral, Edward, 224
  Americans for Democratic Action, 195
  Anderson, Jack L., 11
  Arvey, Jacob, 156-158

  Barcley, Thomas, 194, 195
  Barkley, Alben W., 28-36, 121, 144, 166, 167, 234, 235
  Biffle, Leslie, 167
  Boddy, Manchester, 211, 215-217
  Brannan, Charles F., 51-53
  Bridges, Harry, 9
  Brown, Edmund G. (Pat), 21, 22, 24, 25, 40, 48, 89, 153, 238, 239
  Brown, George E., 49
  Buttonwillow, California, 67, 68
  Byrnes, James F., 220-223

  California:

  anti-Truman Democratic Party policy statement, 1947,
  • 57-66, 69, 71, 72
    cross-file voting in, 26-28, 49, 125, 126
    Democratic National Convention of 1944, delegation to, 220, 222-224
    Democratic National Convention of 1948, delegation to, 68, 69, 98-100, 103, 152-155
    Democratic National Convention delegates, selection of California, 84-86
    Democratic Party, divisions in concerning President Truman, 85-87, 92, 95-100, 103, 121, 126, 127,
    • 150-152, 162-165, 173
    Democratic Presidential Primary of 1960, 243-252
    Democratic State Convention of 1946, 10-12
    gubernatorial election of 1938, 6, 7
    gubernatorial election of 1942, 7, 8
    gubernatorial election of 1946, 4, 5, 18-26, 28-44, 48
    gubernatorial election of 1950, 209-214
    patronage, Democratic party, 204-207
    Presidential election of 1944, 220-224, 227, 228
    Presidential election of 1948, 92-100, 103, 114, 115, 121, 126, 127, 129-145, 146-159, 162-167,
    • 181-185, 188-193, 194-202
    Senatorial election of 1950, 214-218
    Western trip by President Truman, June, 1948, 115-118, 181-183, 188-193
  Carter, Oliver, 59, 115, 129, 130, 134, 142, 179, 180, 184, 190, 197, 198
  Chapman, Oscar L., 159-161, 163, 165, 166, 203
  Chinatown, San Francisco, 234-237
  Chow, Albert, 237
  Chow, Jack, 237
  Corps of Engineers, Army, 204
  Cranston, Alan, 91
  Crum, Bartley, 193, 194

  Davis, George, 208, 209
  Democratic National Convention of 1944, 220-224
  Democratic National Convention of 1948, 98-100, 103, 146-149,152-155
  Democratic National Convention of 1956, 245-247
  Douglas, Helen Gahagan, 21, 208, 214-218
  Douglas, William O., 94, 95, 220-223
  Downey, Sheridan, 47, 109, 167-170, 172-179, 204, 205, 214-216, 218, 219, 257-260

  Edwards, Donald, 49
  Eisenhower, Dwight D., 92-94, 158
  Engle, Clair, 23, 88, 89, 108, 109, 263
  Erskine, Herbert, 45, 206, 207

  Fairmont Hotel, San Francisco, California, 136, 137
  Farley, James A., 14, 15, 16, 205
  Farmers Union Hardware, 2
  Foley, Edward H., 264, 268, 269
  Food production, 53-55
  Frayne, Pat, 22

  Gillin, George, 262
  Golden Gate Park, 181, 182
  Greek Turkish aid, 61, 65, 71
  Green, Theodore F., 124

  Hannegan, Robert E., 224, 227, 228
  Havenner, Frank, 9, 261
  Heller, Ed, 45, 47, 222
  Heller, Mrs. E., 78, 79, 82, 83, 95
  Henning, John F., 205
  Hill, Lister, 147, 148
  Hise, Harley, 45, 242
  Humphrey, Hubert H., 184, 185, 252

  Independent Progressive Party of California, 141, 142
  Interior Department, U.S., 203, 204

  Jefferson-Jackson Day Dinners, 41-49, 126, 127
  Johnson, Lyndon B., 160, 241

  Kennedy, John F., 160, 161, 205, 240, 243-252, 255
  Kenny, Robert W., 4-6, 8, 18-20, 26, 150, 151
  Kezar Stadium, 181, 182
  Killion, George L., 45, 46, 47, 164, 173
  Knowland, William F., 169
  Krug, Julius A., 41-44

  Los Angeles News, 211
  Lucas, Scott W., 253
  Luckey, George, 59, 131, 210, 211, 213

  MacArthur, Douglas, 102
  McCarran, Pat, 179, 206, 207
  McDonough, Pat, 96, 222, 227
  McGrath, Harold, 184, 185
  McGrath, J. Howard, 73-75, 77, 81, 84, 87, 99, 100, 124, 126, 173, 176, 206, 246
  McKinney, Frank, 253, 256, 257
  Malone, William, 7, 12, 45, 47, 177, 180, 188, 202, 209, 222, 226
  Masonic Temple, San Francisco, 138, 139
  Miller, George, 62, 63, 261, 263
  Mint, U.S., Denver, 266, 268, 269-271
  Mint, U.S., San Francisco, 257-271
  Mitchell, Stephen A., 253, 255, 256
  Moffett, Stanley, 110-113
  Mosk, Stanley, 19, 20, 110-112
  Murphy, E., 180
  Murphy, George, 90

  Nacy, Richard R., 80
  Nixon, Richard M., 128, 208, 214, 217, 218

  Oakland, California, 199, 200
  Oakland Tribune, 200
  O'Connor, Jefty, 81, 82
  O'Donnell, Kenneth, 249, 250, 252
  Olson, Culbert, 6, 7, 87, 112, 220, 223
  Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, 34, 35
  Omaha, Nebraska, 183, 187
  Outland, George, 57, 58, 60, 65, 72, 195

  Patronage, 204-207
  Pauley, Edwin W., 78, 79, 82, 83, 104, 105, 155, 164, 165, 173
  Peabody, Pat, 157, 158, 167, 213
  Pepper, Claude H., 95
  Perchio, John, 247, 248
  Phair, Wally, 168, 169
  Presidential election, 1928, 3
  Presidential election, 1944, 220-224, 227-228
  Presidential election, 1948, 92-100, 103, 114, 115, 121, 126, 127, 129-145, 146-159, 162-167, 181-185,

  • 188-202
  Presidential election, 1952, 253-256
  Presidential election, 1960, 160, 161, 240-245, 247-252
  Presidential nomination (1960), 240-245, 247-252
  Presidential primary-California (1960), 243-252
  Progressive Citizens of America, 150

  Rayburn, Sam, 149
  Reagan, Ronald, 130, 185-187
  Redwine, Clyde, 3
  Riley, George, 7, 116
  Rogers, Will, Jr., 21, 24, 25, 40, 48, 64, 68, 72, 96, 101
  Roosevelt, Eleanor, 80, 104, 105, 254
  Roosevelt, Franklin D., 127
  Roosevelt, James, 12-14, 25, 28, 30, 69, 71, 73-80, 82, 83, 86, 87, 92, 126, 127, 131, 134, 155, 156, 164,

  • 165, 172, 173, 209-214, 225
  Rowe, James H., 159, 160, 165, 166

  Sacramento Bee, 114-116, 133, 199
  Sacramento, California, 198, 199
  St. Clair Hotel, San Jose, California, 2
  Salinas Valley, California, 54, 55
  Salinger, Pierre, 89, 90
  San Francisco, California, 7, 9, 10, 16-18, 20, 29, 36, 37, 43, 90, 136-139, 203, 207, 208, 214, 215, 224,

  • 234-238, 257, 265
  San Joaquin Valley, California, 114, 116, 120, 133, 134, 243-245, 248, 249, 252
  San Jose,California, 1, 2, 29, 56, 117, 118
  San Mateo County, California, 11
  San Pedro, California, 107
  Santa Clara County, California, 2-4, 10, 11, 14, 51, 55, 56
  Santa Clara University, 1, 51, 52
  Second Front, agitation for in World War II, 8, 9
  Shelley, Jack, 21, 24, 25, 40, 48, 95, 96, 103, 104, 108, 130, 146, 148, 153, 180, 191, 193, 261, 263
  Sheppard, Harry R., 135
  Skinner, Carlton, 44
  Smith, Al, 3
  Snyder, John W. , 104
  Special Session of Congress (1948), 143, 144
  Stevenson, Adlai E., 253-256
  Sullivan, Gael, 74, 81, 84, 87, 122-124, 206
  Sullivan, Ray, 202, 203
  Symington, Stuart, 241, 242

  Thomas, Vincent, 107
  Tramutolo, Chauncey, 96
  Truman, Bess Wallace, 232, 233
  Truman Committee, 170-172
  Truman Doctrine, 61, 65, 71, 110, 112
  Truman, Harry S.:

  • California election of 1948, role in Democratic victory, 132, 134, 136-141, 144, 145, 188-202
    Chinese restaurants, visits to in California, 234-237
    Democratic National Convention of 1948, at, 98, 99
    Democratic Presidential nomination of 1960, and, 240-241
    Downey, Sheridan, relationship with, 167, 168, 170, 172, 177, 178
    Eisenhower, Dwight D., threat to in 1948 election, 156, 158
    evaluation of as President, 101, 102
    Golden Gate Park speech in San Francisco, 181, 182
    human qualities of, 189-193
    Jefferson-Jackson Day Dinner in Los Angeles (1948) snubbed at, 126, 127
    McEnery, John, early acquaintance with, 229-233
    McEnery, John, relationship with, 238, 239
    McEnery, John, visits hotel room of, San Francisco, 139-141
    Masonic Temple in San Francisco, visits, 138, 139
    Oakland, California, 1948 campaign speech in, 199, 200
    Presidential election of 1948, speech at Klamath Falls, California, 115
    Sacramento, California, 1948 campaign speech in, 198, 199
    San Jose, California speech, 1948 western trip, 117, 118
    Special Session of Congress in 1948, calls, 143, 144
    Western trip, June, 1948, 115-120
  Truman, Margaret, 118, 139, 140, 230
  Truman, Martha Ellen, 59, 60
  Tunney, John V., 90, 91, 92

  Union League Club, San Francisco, California, 136, 137
  Unruh, Jesse M., 107
  United Nations, 65, 129, 236

  Vice Presidential nomination-Democratic, 1944, 220-224
  Vietnam War, 128

  Wallace, Henry A., 28-31, 33-38, 110, 113, 121, 122, 142, 150, 223, 224
  Warren, Earl, 4, 5, 6, 7, 22, 26, 28, 210, 213
  Western States Democratic Conference (1949), 203, 207, 208
  Western Union, 17
  Woodburn, William, 243, 249