Harry Truman -- Citizen First, Public Servant Second

Yes, Harry Truman did say that "He didn't give the Republicans hall; he just told the truth and they thought it was hell." This, according to Phillip Richmond, who spoke at the preelection Worth County Democratic Rally. Richmond is a former guide at the Harry Truman Home in Independence. It was also related that at the end of his presidency, he was the most unpopular president ever, a little-remembered fact today when both political parties claim his mantle in the area of foreign policy. Harry was unique. He considered himself a citizen first and public servant second. He actively opposed the placing of his name on what is now Truman Road in Independence. He would not approve of the names given to "Truman Dam" or "Truman State." He championed education but did not graduate from college. He loved young people and encouraged them to participate in public affairs. To him, politics was an honorable profession.