Jimmy Carter Oral History Interview

President Jimmy Carter with Bess Truman's nurses and aides, 1980. President Carter was visiting Mrs. Truman at the time at the Truman Home. Photo taken in the Truman Home living room.

NPS

ORAL HISTORY INTERVIEW
WITH
JIMMY AND ROSALYNN CARTER

OCTOBER 1991
PLAINS, GEORGIA

INTERVIEW ARRANGED BY JIM WILLIAMS
ORAL HISTORY #1991-29
This transcript corresponds to audiotape DAV-AR #4407

HARRY S TRUMAN NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

EDITORIAL NOTICE

This is a transcript of a tape-recorded interview conducted for Harry S Truman
National Historic Site. After a draft of this transcript was made, the park provided a copy to
the interviewee and requested that he or she return the transcript with any corrections or
modifications that he or she wished to be included in the final transcript. The interviewer, or
in some cases another qualified staff member, also reviewed the draft and compared it to the
tape recordings. The corrections and other changes suggested by the interviewee and
interviewer have been incorporated into this final transcript. The transcript follows as
closely as possible the recorded interview, including the usual starts, stops, and other rough
spots in typical conversation. The reader should remember that this is essentially a transcript
of the spoken, rather than the written, word. Stylistic matters, such as punctuation and
capitalization, follow the Chicago Manual of Style, 14th edition. The transcript includes
bracketed notices at the end of one tape and the beginning of the next so that, if desired, the
reader can find a section of tape more easily by using this transcript.
Jim Williams reviewed the draft of this transcript. His corrections were incorporated
into this final transcript by Perky Beisel in summer 2000. A grant from Eastern National
Park and Monument Association funded the transcription and final editing of this interview.

RESTRICTION

Researchers may read, quote from, cite, and photocopy this transcript without
permission for purposes of research only. Publication is prohibited, however, without
permission from the Superintendent, Harry S Truman National Historic Site.

ABSTRACT

Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter answered a series of written questions about their relationship
with Harry S and Bess W. Truman. The questions include their personal feelings about the
Trumans’ performance in the White House and their visits in Independence to the Truman
home and library.

Persons mentioned: Harry S Truman, Margaret Truman Daniel, Amy Carter, Bess W.
Truman, Eleanor Roosevelt, Julian Bond, George Gallup, Jr., Ralph Nader, Ralph Truman,
Nancy Reagan, and Betty Ford.

ORAL HISTORY INTERVIEW WITH
JIMMY AND ROSALYNN CARTER

HSTR INTERVIEW #1991-29
NOTE: The Carters responded on tape to questions submitted in writing.
[WRITTEN QUESTION 1: Did you ever meet Harry S Truman? If so, where and when
was your first meeting? (Explain the circumstances of the
occasion and other memories.) Where and when were
subsequent meetings with Mr. Truman? (Explain the
circumstances and any memories of these meetings.)]
JIMMY CARTER: . . . park service concerning Harry Truman. The first question,
“Did you ever meet Harry Truman?” No, I never did meet him.
In fact, I’ve never met any Democratic president.
[WQ 2: How well did you know President Truman?]
J. CARTER: The second question: “How well did you know President Truman?” I didn’t
ever meet him.
[WQ 3: What are your thoughts of Mr. Truman as a person or as Mr. Citizen, as he
sometimes called himself? As a fellow President of the United States? How
much did you think about him while you were in the White House? Is there
anything you can think of to explain why you both have returned to a
relatively simple lifestyle in your old hometowns?]
J. CARTER: The third question: as far as Harry Truman was concerned, I thought he was
the greatest president of this century. He was always the one that I
mentioned when I was asked that question, never anyone else. I thought
about him often when I was in the White House. He was involved deeply in
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many of the issues that I had to address, and I’ll mention that later on in this
response, but I felt that he was down-to-earth. He was honest. He told the
truth even when it was painful. He didn’t try to shift blame for
disappointments or failures to other people. He was courageous, and he
never ducked an important issue because it might cost him a few points in the
public opinion poll. Also, I felt kind of a kinship with him. We both came
from a kind of community that was similar in some ways, and we went back
home after the election and the service in the White House.
[WQ 4: Have you met Margaret Truman Daniel? If so, where and when? How well
do you know her? (If able to) Comment on how Mrs. Daniel handled being
the daughter of the president. Both you and the Trumans had a young
daughter living with you in the White House. Did you ever feel a special link
to the Trumans because of this? Did you ever discuss this aspect of the
presidency with the Trumans?]
J. CARTER: The fourth question: I’ve just met Margaret two or three times at major
social events. I remember once I think it was at the Metropolitan Opera
performance in New York, or some similar affair. I don’t know her well at
all. I think she handled being the daughter of the president very well. Of
course, the main publicity that was accrued to her was when President
Truman defended her singing ability. I thought about Margaret very often
when Amy had some confrontations with the press, although Amy was much
younger when I was in the White House than Margaret was when President
Truman was there.
[WQ 5: When did you first meet Bess Truman? (If this was during his 1980 visit to
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Independence, more detailed questions are below. Otherwise, explain the
circumstances and memories of the meeting.) How well did you know Mrs.
Truman? What is your impression of her as a first lady?]
J. CARTER: I first met, and the only time I met Bess Truman, was when I went to
Independence in 1980. I didn’t know her well, just that one brief but very
friendly visit. As first lady, I thought she performed as she wanted to, which
was best. She wasn’t as outspoken and evocative and mobile as Eleanor
Roosevelt, or even Rosalyn, but I think she performed her duties with dignity
and with effectiveness.
[WQ 6: In December 1974, you were in Kansas City for the Democratic Party Mini-
Convention. News reports say that this is when your intention to run for the
presidency became public, several days before you had planned to make an
official announcement in Atlanta. What do you remember about the miniconvention?]
[See appendix, item 1.]
J. CARTER: Item number six: I had already let it be known to several people that I was
going to run for president. The one thing I remember was that very few
people knew who I was. We handed out a very elaborate and costly
brochure. It was my first public effort along that line. I remember Gallup
had a public opinion poll that was issued during that period of the miniconvention.
It had thirty-six prospective Democratic candidates on the list—
mine was not one of them—although the list did include Julian Bond and
George Gallup, Jr., and others that were relatively unknown. Ralph Nader
was one of them I remember.
[WQ 7: During the mini-convention, the Truman Library hosted a gala party for the
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Democratic party leaders. What do you recall about your visit to the Truman
Library then? Did you have any contact with Mrs. Truman during this visit
to Independence?]
J. CARTER: The seventh question: I just remember going to the Truman Library—I was
fascinated with it. I had no contact with Mrs. Truman, but I spent some extra
time, more than other delegates did, looking at the exhibits, and also I was
impressed by the burial place there, which seemed to equate his local service
on his gravestone evenly with the White House service. That showed that he
hadn’t lost touch with his home roots.
[WQ 8: A news report in 1980 said that you had tried to arrange a meeting with Mrs.
Truman during your 1976 presidential campaign. Is this true? What
happened?] [See appendix, item 2.]
J. CARTER: I don’t recall—the eighth question—ever trying to arrange a meeting with
Mrs. Truman and being unable to do so.
[WQ 9: Another report said that you tried to call Mrs. Truman on her ninety-third
birthday in February 1978, but she was out at the hairdressers so you called
back later. What do you remember about this conversation and other
conversations you had with Mrs. Truman on the telephone? Did you call her
every year?]
J. CARTER: I didn’t call her every year—the ninth question—but Rosalyn talked to Bess
on a few occasions, I think. She’ll be answering questions later on, on this
tape.
[WQ 10: Why did you visit Mrs. Truman when you came to Independence in
September 1980 on a campaign stop? Did you specifically request this visit,
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or was it something your staff suggested as protocol? Did you call Mrs.
Truman yourself to ask for the visit?] [See appendix, items 3-6.]
J. CARTER: Well, the tenth question: I was kind of sad in retrospect that I hadn’t gone out
of my way to go to Independence to meet retired President Truman after I
was elected governor. His second cousin, General Lou Truman, who was
former commander of the Third Army, was the director of my industry and
trade department. He was one of the senior men in the Truman family and
would go over to birthday parties and so forth. I thought a couple of times
about going over with him just to meet and shake hands with President
Truman at least, but I never did do so.
I think the staff members, at my request, arranged for me to make
the September 1980 stop to visit with Mrs. Truman. I was delighted to do so,
and it was a very nice occasion.
[WQ 11: What were your impressions of the Truman home? WQ 12: Many visitors
to the home now remark about how surprisingly common the house and the
furnishings are. Did you have the same feeling? WQ 13: Where did you
visit with Mrs. Truman? Was it in the living room (the front room with the
portrait of Mr. Truman above the mantel)? How long was your visit? Who
else was present during your conversation? Were you shown around the
rooms on the first floor, perhaps to see Mrs. Truman’s first lady portrait or
the portrait of Margaret Truman?]
J. CARTER: On the eleventh question: My impressions of the Truman home was it was
modest but adequate. It was very friendly and homey. We had a very nice
and relaxed chat. Mrs. Truman seemed to be in good spirits. She seemed to
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be strong enough to move around and talk. We had just exchanged
pleasantries about how it was to live in the White House, how it was to come
back home afterwards. She seemed to be perfectly relaxed. I think it was in
the front living room where I met with Mrs. Truman, and I think I stayed
there about a half hour or so. I don’t remember who else was present. I
visited very briefly some of the other rooms on the first floor. I don’t recall
the portraits of Mrs. Truman or Margaret.
[WQ 14: Did Mrs. Truman seem well? Was her voice clear and strong? Did anyone
on her staff have to explain what Mrs. Truman was trying to say? WQ 15:
What did you talk about with Mrs. Truman? Did you talk about Mr.
Truman? What do you remember most about the visit?]
J. CARTER: As I said earlier—fourteenth question—Mrs. Truman did seem well. Her
voice was clear and strong. She was obviously very alert and I could
understand what she said without assistance from her staff. I obviously
expressed my admiration for her husband, and I’ve already said what we
discussed, just routine things about living in the White House and life after
the White House, and my admiration for the way they had performed their
responsibilities in Washington, both President Truman and Mrs. Truman.
[WQ 16: (Show him the photographs of him and the staff.) (See appendix, item 7.)
What do you recall about this photograph and the people in it? The press
reported that after you left the home that you commented that Mrs. Truman’s
staff noted some similarities between you and Mr. Truman. What did you
mean by this remark?]
J. CARTER: On the sixteenth question: I don’t know where the photograph is, but I doubt
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that I would recognize individual people. I was very eager to meet not only
the staff but also any servants that were in the house, and I know I shook
hands with everybody, exchanged pleasantries with them. I have the
photograph.
[WQ 17: How would you describe your reception in Independence that day? About
your visit to the Truman Library and to Mr. Truman’s grave? Do you recall
anything in particular about that day?]
J. CARTER: The seventeenth: Well, the reception in Independence that day was very
good. I was receiving the Truman Award, and I made, I think, a very nice
speech about President Truman and what he meant to me. I think it might be
good for you to get a copy of it and include that [see appendix, item 8]. In
fact, I’ll include a copy along with this tape. I remember the excitement and
the pleasure. This was the first speech that I ever made after I left the White
House, so I was very glad to have the honor of being recognized. Just
[being] equated in any way with President Truman was obviously something
that I relished.
# # #
[WQ 1: How well did you know Mrs. Truman? Did you ever meet her? Speak to
her on the phone? Describe these visits.]
R. CARTER: This is Rosalyn Carter. I did not know Mrs. Truman; I never did meet her. I
spoke to her a couple of times on the telephone when she was sick, just to let
her know that I was thinking about her and concerned about her.
[WQ 2: How would you describe Bess Truman as a first lady? Was there anything
about her that you tried to imitate when you were first lady?]
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R. CARTER: I thought she was a model of a first lady. She was totally supportive of her
husband. I know that she had a very strong influence on him and kept her
differences with him private. I tried to do that when Jimmy was president. I
always told him things that were my feelings or opinions about issues, but I
thought it was best to do it in private like Mrs. Truman did.
[WQ 3: Why did you decide to attend her funeral in 1982? What do you remember
about that day in October? How much did you visit with the other first ladies
in attendance? (Mrs. Reagan and Mrs. Ford?)] [See appendix, item 9.]
R. CARTER: I did go to her funeral in 1982. I remember sitting with the other first ladies
waiting for the ceremony to begin. We sat along by the side of President
Truman’s grave at the library, and didn’t speak very much. I think we were
all caught up in a somber mood that day. And once the funeral was over, I
spoke to Mrs. Reagan and Mrs. Ford and went through the receiving line and
spoke to Margaret Truman, but left almost immediately.
[WQ 4: Did you ever meet President Truman? If so, describe these meetings. WQ 5:
What is your impression of Mr. Truman as a person? As a President of the
United States?]
R. CARTER: I never did meet President Truman, but Jimmy has always thought he was
one of our best presidents ever. In fact, I think he’s the president that Jimmy
admires most. I remember when we supported him when he was running for
president when nobody else around us did. That was when we were in New
London, Connecticut, and Jimmy was in the submarine service.
I think Mrs. Truman always seemed like a very strong person who
was interested in her family and keeping her family together, which is one of
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the most important things in the White House, I think, because there’s stress
from all sides with so many things going on. The children are always
watched by the press when they go out of the White House, and then, of
course, the other issues and different world events that happen every day, and
I think it very, very important for a first lady to be close to the family.
END OF INTERVIEW

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