Missouri gifts Harry S. Truman statue to U.S. Capitol Building
The iconic busk and pedestal together stand 11 feet tall. Located on the right side of the pedestal is the seal for the state of Missouri. The left side features a memorable quote from the 33rd President that reads: “America was built on courage, on imagination, and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand.”
(7:10 – 7:56)
“I say this with excitement because it’s personally exciting to me to celebrate the legacy of our 33rd President Harry Truman. We had the unveiling of the statue with his family, honoring his commitment to democracy. All of us who spoke, Democrats and Republicans, talked about President Truman’s commitment to democracy. The statue is there because Missouri has sent the statue to represent them. And again, a moral visionary leader. I say personally because he came to Baltimore to campaign for my father who served in Congress when the President was Vice President and President. I’ve conveyed to them my personal story of meeting Harry Truman. It was so exciting. I’m sure many people in the room probably had met Harry Truman, but not many members of Congress.”
–Nancy Pelosi
Speaker of the House
(9:30 – 11:45)
“My grandfather was a modest man and frankly, slightly embarrassed by statues. His Presidential Library is an educational institution rather than a monument to him. But were he with us today, he would be honored and humbled. He loved the United States of America, he loved the work of government, he loved this very building. He took the job seriously but never himself. He was open and approachable. As Tom Corbin’s excellent statue depicts, he has been called an uncommon common man. Of all his accomplishments, the Marshall Plan, NATO, the Truman Doctrine, the desegregation of the armed services — I think the most significant was reminding us that a farmer, a Citizen Soldier, a small businessman can rise to the highest office in this land and do a better job of it than almost anybody else. That is the promise of this nation. The promise that that same ability lives within each one of us. He did what he did for the greater good, not the greater glory. He always said that it was amazing how much you could get done if you didn’t care who got the credit. His favorite epitaph in Tombstone Arizona reads, ‘Here lies Jack Williams. He’d done his damnedest, he was an honest hard-working empathetic and sensible human being.’ – I leave you today with my family’s deep gratitude and a quote that illustrates those qualities in my grandfather, Do your duty and history will do you justice. Thank you.”
-Clifton Truman Daniel
Honorary Chairman of the Truman Library Institute & Board Secretary for the Truman Scholarship Fund
