The Long Road to the Short History

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The Long Road to the Short History of the Truman
Center at UMKC
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This collection of events and upcoming plans
along the long road to the short history of the
Truman Center was prepared for our friends and
supporters for those who believe in the power
of civic education and civic engagement, as Harry
Truman did.We hope you enjoy our story. We
would welcome an opportunity to discuss programs
or plans that are of specific interest to you.
Dr. Dale Neuman Program Director phone
816-235-2787 e-mail neumand_at_umkc.edu
Gayla Curtis Program Associate and Assistant to
the Director phone [phone] e-mail
curtisgd_at_umkc.edu
Or visit us online at www.cas.umkc.edu/trumancente
r
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The Establishment of the Truman Center at UMKC
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In the Beginning

• In 1969, President Harry S. Truman, in a letter
  to UMKC Chancellor James Olson, authorized the
  establishment of the Harry S. Truman Center for
  Governmental Affairs. Over the course of the
  next 25 years, committees meet, studies are done
  and recommendations come forth to no avail. The
  Center lies dormant.

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A New Start

• Beginning in 2007, following a mandate from a
  new chancellor, a transition advisory committee
  that included persons from public life and the
  university was created to develop a mission
  statement and identify initiatives for the Truman
  Center.

Harry S. Truman, 33rd President of the United
States
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Truman Center Mission Initiatives

• Truman Center Mission
• To honor Harry S. Trumans legacy of public
  service, leadership, and the importance of the
  contribution of the ordinary citizen to the
  well-being of the political community through
  public affairs and educational programs.
• Truman Center Initiatives
• It was agreed that each initiative must address
  something that was important to Harry Truman and,
  when taken together, could serve to honor his
  legacy.
• Those initiatives came to be Civic Education,
• Civic Engagement and Local Governance.

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Cooperating Partners

• In June 2007, Dean Karen Vorst of UMKCs College
  of Arts and Sciences, and Dr. Michael Devine,
  Director of the Truman Presidential Library, sign
  a Memorandum of Understanding whereby the two
  Truman-named entities would become cooperating
  partners in programming to honor Truman.

Dr. Dale Neuman and Dean Karen Vorst of UMKC, and
Dr. Michael Devine and Dr. Ray Geselbracht of the
Truman Presidential Library gather to sign the
Memorandum of Understanding
Subsequently, the Truman Forum of the Kansas City
Public Library began to partner with the Truman
Center by providing a venue for our programs.
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Programming Events2007-Present
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Inaugural Event

• In November 2007, Frank K. Kelly a UKC alumnus,
  Class of 1938, inaugurated our public affairs
  series when he returned to Kansas City and UMKC
  to discuss writing speeches and working for
  Truman in 1948.

Frank K. Kelly, former Truman speechwriter, at
UMKC
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2007-Present

• In February, 2008, Ken Hechler, who worked in the
  Truman White House from 1949-1952, came to UMKC
  to discuss issues of staffing the White House
  Office and the difference between the way Truman
  and presidents of recent years chose and used
  advisors.

Ken Hechler, assistant to Truman from 1949-1952
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2007-Present

• In April 2008, David Moore, former Gallup vice
  president and senior editor of the Gallup Poll
  came to Kansas City and revisited the
  difficulties with opinion polls in the Truman
  election of 1948. Moore also discussed issues
  relevant in the conduct of recent polls.

David Moore discusses Polling in America From
Truman to Bush
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2007-Present

• In May 2008, two undergraduate students, are
  named the first two Harry Truman Bootstrap
  Scholarship Interns. In June, they are sent all
  expenses paid to Washington to intern in Congress
  for both Senator McCaskill and Representative
  Cleaver.
• The scholarship included tuition and fees so
  interns could earn academic credit by combining
  an academic program with real-world experiences.

United States Capitol
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2007-Present

• In October 2008, UMKC celebrated its 75th
  anniversary. As part of the celebration, William
  Worley, adjunct history professor, provided an
  impersonation of Truman, recreating memories and
  events, including Trumans acceptance of an
  honorary degree on the steps of Scofield Hall at
  the University of Kansas City.

Truman accepts honorary Doctorate of Law degree
at UKC in 1945.
William Worley as Truman in 2008.
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Trumans honorary diploma from UKC, 1945
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2007-Present

• Later that month, the Truman Center partnered
  with the Kansas City United Nations Day Committee
  to host a program on global warming.
• Dr. John M.R. Stone, provided a presentation
  titled Challenges and Opportunities of Climate
  Change, in which he discussed his work on the
  Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which
  shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with former
  Vice President Al Gore.

Dr. John M.R. Stone
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2007-Present

• In February 2009, the Truman Center hosted Dr.
  D. Robert Worley, noted expert in national
  security, for a discussion of the presidents use
  of the National Security Council, beginning with
  its initial organization under Truman.

Dr. D. Robert Worley
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2007-Present

• In the summer of 2009, the Truman Center
  presented Harry Truman the Road Builder A Look
  Forward from 1920 to 2040. Archivist Dr. Sam
  Rushay discussed Trumans fascination with roads
  and automobiles, along with his impact on
  transportation issues of the day in Jackson
  County. Tom Gerend of the Mid-America Regional
  Council provided a futuristic look at the
  pressing transportation issues of today, going
  forward.

Truman and his Stafford car at a picnic
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1922 Jackson County, Missouri, campaign flyer
Button supporting Trumans bond issue concerning
roads
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2007-Present

• In September 2009, the Truman Center presented
  Democracys Challenge Reclaiming the Publics
  Role, the first of two Harrys Front Porch
  Forums, focusing on Americans turning away from
  public life and becoming spectators, rather than
  participants. This was a small-group discussion
  format, led by a moderator.

Former President Harry S. Truman shakes hands
with an unidentified man at the Truman Library
ca. 1964
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2007-Present

• On October 5, 2009, the Truman Center hosted Dr.
  David Atkinson, UMKCs Curators Distinguished
  Teaching Professor of Political Science and Law.
  Dr. Atkinson presented Appointing the Supreme
  Court From Truman to Obama, in which he
  discussed the controversial appointments of
  Supreme Court Justices.

Dr. David Atkinson
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2007-Present

• In October 2009, the Truman Center participated
  in the second of Harrys Front Porch Forums,
  titled Preparing Todays Kids for Tomorrows
  Jobs What Should Our Community Do? This
  small-group discussion focused on the preparation
  of todays youth in a rapidly changing economy
  and world.

President Truman greeting a group of children
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2007-Present

• On October 20, 2009, authors Allis and Ronald
  Radosh visit Kansas City as guests of the Truman
  Center and the Jewish Community Relations Bureau.
  They discuss their new, highly acclaimed book, A
  Safe Haven Harry S. Truman and the Founding of
  Israel.

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2007-Present

• On October 29, 2009, the Truman Center hosted
  United Nations Under-Secretary General, Dr.
  Radhika Coomaraswamy, to discuss the topic of
  children and armed conflict.

Dr. Radhika Coomaraswamy
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2007-Present

• On June 22, 2010, Dr. Meena Bose, Director of
  the Kalikow Center for the Study of the American
  Presidency at Hofstra University, presented a
  lecture on The Role of the UN in U.S. Foreign
  Policy From Truman to Obama.

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2007-Present

• On September 27, 2010, Dr. George C. Edwards
  III, George and Julia Blucher Jordan Chair in
  Presidential Studies and Distinguished Professor
  of Political Science at Texas AM University,
  spoke on Presidential Leadership and Health Care
  Reform From Truman to Obama. Edwards examined
  the challenges our presidents face in setting
  healthcare policy.

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2007-Present

• On October 18, 2010, the Truman Center hosted
  UN Under-Secretary General B. Lynn Pascoe, head
  of the U.N.s Department of Political Affairs.
  Pascoe addressed his departments chief
  responsibilities in preventative diplomacy.
  

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2007-Present

• October, 2010, the Truman Center co-partnered
  with the Truman Forum at the Kansas City Public
  LibraryPlaza Branch on the topic of Americas
  Role in the World What Does National Security
  Mean in the 21st Century?

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2007-Present

• In November, 2010, the Truman Center and the
  Kansas City League of Women Voters, in
  collaboration with a delegation from Azerbaijan,
  presented a discussion Learning Democracy
  Election Processes in the U.S. and Azerbaijan.

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2007-Present

• In May, 2011, Ambassador James McLay, New
  Zealands permanent representative to the United
  Nations, addressed a Truman Center audience on
  the occasion of the memorial to those UN
  Peacekeepers who lost their lives on peacekeeping
  missions in 2010.

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2007-Present

• The Truman Center, along with UMKCs Political
  Science Honor Society (Pi Sigma Alpha) and
  GCKUNA, hosted Deputy Secretary-General of the
  UN, Dr. Asha-Rose Migiro of Tanzania. Dr. Migiro
  spoke on the need for everyone to get involved in
  the global issues that affect the UN, because
  ultimately, they affect not just one country or
  region, but us all.

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2007-Present

• On Presidents Day, February 20, 2012, Historian
  of the U.S. Senate, Don Ritchie, presented A
  Conflicted Legacy Presidents and Congress from
  Truman to Obama.

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2007-Present

• Dr. Susan Levine came to Kansas City in March of
  2012 to present School Lunch Politics From
  Truman to Reagan in honor of Trumans signing of
  the first school lunch bill.

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2007-Present

• In celebration of Mayors UN Day, 2012, Lynn
  Stratford, Senior Vice-President of Program
  Strategic Partnerships for UNICEF, spoke at a
  pre-dinner session on global efforts on behalf of
  childrens health.

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2007-Present

• In observance of 2013s UN Peacekeepers Day,
  Kieran Dwyer, Chief Spokesman, U.N. Department of
  Peacekeeping Operations, addressed the challenges
  in current peacekeeping operations. Peacekeepers
  Day is a time to honor the women and men from
  many nations who don Blue Helmets to defend the
  helpless and keep the peace.

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2007-Present

• On October 23, 2013, in celebration of Mayors UN
  Day, Kristin Hetle, Director of Strategic
  Partnerships-UN Women, along with other KC
  organizations focused on womens issues.
  Discussions included the achievements and
  challenges in promoting gender equality and
  empowering women in the U.S. and abroad.

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2007-Present

• Jordie Hannum, Director of the Better World
  Campaign of the UN Foundation, on June 6, 2014,
  discussed the history, role, effectiveness and
  costs of the UN Peacekeeping Operations as they
  deal with preventing and reducing violence around
  the world.

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2007-Present

• On June 3, 2014, Dr. Melvin Goodman presented
  Presidents the CIA From Truman to Obama at
  the National Archives, where he discussed the
  intelligence and operational successes and
  failures of the CIA from the perspective of the
  relationship between the Presidency and the CIA.

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2007-Present

• On September 24, 2014, Dr. Stephen Sestanovich
  discussed Maximalist America in the World From
  Truman to Obama. Beginning with President Truman,
  he examined the winding road of American foreign
  policy, illustrating where the U.S. often must
  make detours amid great controversy.

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2007-Present

• In observance once again of the Mayors United
  Nations Day 2014, recently retired Ambassador
  Rosemary DiCarlo spoke at a pre-dinner session
  for high school and college students on Oct.
  27th. She addressed the current U.S.-U.N.
  relationship and also participated in a QA
  session with the students, describing in detail
  life in the foreign service.

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Looking AheadProgramming Ideas Plans
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Programming Ideas Plans

• Truman Legacy Public Affairs Series
• The President as Manager of the Economy from
  Truman to Obama (Truman was the first president
  required to manage the economy by the Employment
  Act of 1946)
• The President and Nuclear Arms from Truman to
  Obama
• The President and NATO from Truman to Obama
  (Truman signed and the U.S. Senate approved the
  NATO treaty in 1949)

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Programming Ideas Plans

• Civic Engagement
• Broaden Undergraduate Bootstrap Internship
  Program to include full semesters in D.C. and/or
  in local Congressional and other placement sites.
• Identify and fund graduate student internships in
  local governments (also addresses County
  Governance initiative.)
• Encourage service learning opportunities in
  public and governmental agency environments.

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We hope you have enjoyed the sights found along
the long road to the start of the UMKC Truman
Center. We welcome your questions and would enjoy
an opportunity to visit with you regarding topics
of interest or suggestions you have regarding the
Center.
Dr. Dale Neuman Program Director phone
816-235-2787 e-mail neumand_at_umkc.edu
Gayla Curtis Program Associate and Assistant to
the Director phone [phone] e-mail
curtisgd_at_umkc.edu
If you are interested in donating to the Truman
Center, please visit us online at
www.cas.umkc.edu/trumancenter
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Truman Center Logo

• Commissioned by the Truman Center, and developed
  in
• collaboration by UMKC Graphic Design students
• Natosha Snidow, Riley Davis, and Samantha Kuns