Dear Bess: September 11, 1948
Transcript
Welcome to the Dear Bess, Dear Harry podcast for September 11, 2023, brought to you by Harry S Truman National Historic Site, a unit of the National Park Service.
We at Truman join the rest of America today in pausing to remember all of those who died on September 11, 2001…22 years ago, in the terrorist attack on New York, Washington, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania. We hold their memories, and their families, in our hearts today.
Today’s Dear Bess letter was written on this date in 1948. President Harry S Truman was in the midst of a tough reelection fight against Governor Thomas E. Dewey of New York. Few were giving President Truman a chance of winning the election. In fact, about the time this letter was written, many of the major polling organizations in the country suspended their operations, thinking that Governor Dewey’s victory was certain.
Truman had some special weapons in his reelection arsenal…his family. The electorate, as always, loved seeing the family of the President of the United States, and Truman’s was no exception. Margaret Truman, 24 at the time, was gregarious like her father, to an extent. But Mrs. Truman? Not so much. But she was a good sport, and did what she could to help her husband. One of Harry Truman’s nicknames for his daughter was “Miss Skinny,” thus why you hear that reference in this letter. At the end of the letter you will hear that Truman optimism at work.
Thanks for listening. Here’s the letter.
U.S.S. Williamsburg, AGC-369 Sept. 11, 1948 Dear Bess:
I accompanied Margie to the train yesterday at noon. We arrived at the station just about two minutes ahead of leaving time for the train. They drove us into the east entrance but we walked from the fence to the train. Margie thought that was showing discrimination.
We made it to the car and she plastered my left cheek with lipstick as she went aboard and very carefully wiped it off with her glove! Had a wire from her about 5 P.M. signed "Skinny." I'd been stewing around about not hearing from her and Capt. Dennison started to call Mrs. Stewart and they told him at the White House that this telegram signed "Skinny" was there. He very timidly asked me if that by any chance could be Margie. Went back to the White House and saw a lot of customers and finally arrived aboard here at 1:30 when I was due at 12:30. It rained and rained but I won a bet that the sun would shine all day today and it has and is. I'm out on the "back porch" of [inserted: my] deck in a swimming suit taking more burning. We've had a very satisfactory conference on the western speeches.
Farm speech at Des Moines on Sept. 18, conservation at Denver on the 20th, reclamation at Salt Lake City on the 21th -- in the great Mormon Tabernacle, believe it or not -- only Presidents of U.S. and high Mormons can do that. Then San Francisco, L.A., San Diego, Arizona, Texas, Oklahoma, Ky. West Va and Washington D.C. Seems like a nice little trip - what.
Charlie Ross is flying up to D.C. to attend the wedding of his neice Virginia's daughter. I'm sending letter up on the plane that brings him back. We are anchored at the mouth of the Potomac at Blakiston Island where Lord Baltimore landed in 1734.
There is a monument on it which says that's so. I went and looked at it--that's how I can tell you. This is a most restful day --and how I needed it. Six speeches on Monday was rather strenuous. I told the press boys on Thursday that Labor Day was only a sample of what they'd get on the western trip.
We had pictures on Wednesday and Thursday night. Had Irv, Annette, and Mrs. Davis Wednesday & Jane, Drucie and Irv and Annette on Thursday.
My finance meeting Thursday was a grand success. Margie "stole the show." We're off to win I think.
Lots of love
Harry.
A President writes to his First Lady in the midst of a difficult reelection campaign...but that President is quite optimistic. (Even if the pollsters and media aren't)
https://catalog.archives.gov/id/155500946