Harry & Bess Truman

Harry
& Bess

(This seems unreal.)
        
Harry Truman was a different kind of President. He probably made
as many or more important decisions regarding our nation's
history as any of the other 42 Presidents preceding him.
However, a measure of his greatness may rest on what he did
after he left the White House.

The only asset he had when he died was the house he lived in, which was in Independence Missouri. His wife had inherited the house
from her mother and father and other than their years in the
White House, they lived their entire lives there.

When he retired from office in 1952 his income
was a U.S. Army pension reported to have been $13,507.72 a
year. Congress, noting that he was paying for his stamps and
personally licking them, granted him an 'allowance' and,
later, a retroactive pension of $25,000 per year.

After President Eisenhower was inaugurated, Harry and Bess drove home to Missouri by themselves.

There was no Secret Service following them.

When offered corporate positions at large salaries, he declined,
stating, "You don't want me.  You want the office of the
President, and that doesn't belong to me. It belongs to the
American people and it's not for sale."

Even later, on May 6, 1971, when Congress was preparing to award him the Medal of Honor on his 87th birthday, he refused to accept
it, writing, "I don't consider that I have done anything
which should be the reason for any award, Congressional or
otherwise."

As president he paid for all of his own travel expenses and food.
Modern politicians have found a new level of success in cashing in on the
Presidency, resulting in untold wealth. Today, many in
Congress also have found a way to become quite wealthy while
enjoying the fruits of their offices. Political offices are
now for sale (cf. Illinois).

Good old Harry Truman was correct when he observed, "My choices in life
were either to be  a piano player in a whore house or a
politician. And to tell  the truth, there's hardly any
difference!