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Plistoricetl 3R,evie^w The State Historical Society of Missouri COLUMBIA, MISSOURI COVER DESCRIPTION: The front cover illus tration depicts the birthplace of Harry S. Truman, located in Lamar, Missouri. The future 33rd president of the United States was born here, May 8, 1884, and lived here about a year. Located two miles east of U.S. 71 and one block off Highway 160 in the Barton County seat, the six-room frame home is a state his toric site, administered by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Open to the public, the site may be visited Monday-Saturday, 10 A.M.-4 P.M.; and Sun day, noon to 5 P.M. Photo by Kathy Dains MISSOURI HISTORICAL REVIEW Published Quarterly by THE STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MISSOURI COLUMBIA, MISSOURI RICHARD S. BROWNLEE EDITOR MARY R. DAINS ASSOCIATE EDITOR JAMES W. GOODRICH ASSOCIATE EDITOR Copyright © 1984 by the State Historical Society of Missouri 1020 Lowry Street, Columbia, Missouri 65201 The MISSOURI HISTORICAL REVIEW (ISSN 0026-6582) is owned by the State Historical Society of Missouri and is published quarterly at 201 South Eighth, Columbia, Missouri 65201. Send communications, business and editorial correspondence and change of address to the State Historical Society of Missouri, 1020 Lowry Street, Columbia, MO. 65201. Second class postage is paid at Columbia, Missouri. VOLUME LXXVIII Current REVIEWS are sent to all members of The State Historical Society of Missouri during their term of member NUMBER 5 ship. The Society assumes no responsibility for statements made by contributors to the magazine. APRIL, 1984 THE STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MISSOURI The State Historical Society of Missouri, heretofore organized under the laws of the State, shall be the trustee of this State—Laws of Missouri, 1899, R. S. of Mo., 1969, chapter 183, as revised 1978. OFFICERS 1983-1986 FRANCIS M. BARNES III, Kirkwood, President MRS. AVIS TUCKER, Warrensburg, First Vice President REVEREND JOHN F. BANNON, St. Louis, Second Vice President SHERIDAN A. LOGAN, St. Joseph, Third Vice President MRS. VIRGINIA YOUNG, Columbia, Fourth Vice President NOBLE E. CUNNINGHAM, Columbia, Fifth Vice President R. KENNETH ELLIOTT, Kansas City, Sixth Vice President ALBERT M. PRICE, Columbia, Treasurer RICHARD S. BROWNLEE, Columbia, Director, Secretary and Librarian TRUSTEES Permanent Trustees, Former Presidents of the Society LEWIS E. ATHERTON, Columbia ELMER ELLIS, Columbia WILLIAM AULL III, Lexington RUSH H. LIMBAUGH, Cape Girardeau WILLIAM R. DENSLOW, Trenton GEORGE A. ROZIER, Jefferson City LEO J. ROZIER, Perryville Term Expires at Annual Meeting, 1984 ROBERT S. DALE, Carthage W. WALLACE SMITH, Independence GEORGE MCCUE, St. Louis RONALD L. SOMERVILLE, Chillicothe ROBERT C. SMITH, Columbia JOSEPH WEBBER, St. Louis ROBERT M. WHITE, Mexico Term Expires at Annual Meeting, 1985 JAMES W. BROWN, Harrisonville J. J. GRAF, Hermann RICHARD J. CHAMIER, Moberly JOHN K. HULSTON, Springfield ILUS W. DAVIS, Kansas City MRS. MARY BANKS PARRY, Columbia ALFRED O. FUERBRINGER, St. Louis ARVARH E. STRICKLAND, Columbia Term Expires at Annual Meeting, 1986 MRS. SAMUEL A. BURK, Kirksville W. ROGERS HEWITT, Shelbyville R. I. COLBORN, Paris DOYLE PATTERSON, Kansas City VICTOR A. GIERKE, Louisiana STUART SYMINGTON, JR., St. Louis MRS. JEAN TYREE HAMILTON, Marshall ROBERT WOLPERS, Poplar Bluff EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE The twenty-nine Trustees, the President and the Secretary of the Society, the Governor, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, President of the University of Missouri and Chancellor of the University of Missouri-Columbia constitute the Executive Committee. FINANCE COMMITTEE Five members of the Executive Committee appointed by the President, who by virtue of his office constitutes the sixth member, compose the Finance Committee. WILLIAM AULL III, Lexington, Chairman LEWIS E. ATHERTON, Columbia ELMER ELLIS, Columbia FRANCIS M. BARNES III, Kirkwood GEORGE A. ROZIER, Jefferson City* WILLIAM R. DENSLOW, Trenton LEO J. ROZIER, Perryville * Honorary INTRODUCTORY NOTE This year marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Harry S. Truman. Born in Lamar, Missouri, on May 8, 1884, Truman became the thirty-third president of the United States. As a result of this achieve ment, he also became Missouri's most famous twentieth-century citizen. Since his years as president (1945-1953), Mr. Truman has been accorded "near great" status in terms of presidential performance by various polls and studies. He usually ranks behind Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson and Andrew Jackson. While future rankings may change, Mr. Truman should retain at least his "near great" status. In honor of Mr. Truman's 100th birthday anniversary, the State His torical Society is pleased to present contributions pertaining to his presi dential years in this issue of the MISSOURI HISTORICAL REVIEW. The reader will find an article about India Edwards, the executive director of the Women's Division of the Democratic National Committee; an edited and annotated account by Vic Housholder describing his visit with the president; and a photo-essay about Truman and Winston Church ill's visit to Fulton, Missouri, when the former British prime minister made his famous "iron curtain" speech. The editorial staff of the MISSOURI HISTORICAL REVIEW trusts that the readers will find the contributions interesting and informative—as well as a befitting tribute to Harry S. Truman. RICHARD S. BROWNLEE Editor ui CONTENTS FULTON'S DISTINGUISHED VISITORS: TRUMAN AND CHURCHILL, 1946. By Mary K. Dains 277 INDIA EDWARDS: DISTAFF POLITICIAN OF THE TRUMAN ERA. By Georgia Cook Morgan 293 A VISIT TO THE WHITE HOUSE, 1947: THE DIARY OF VIC H. HOUSHOLDER. Edited by Robert H. Ferrell 311 HISTORICAL NOTES AND COMMENTS News in Brief 337 Local Historical Societies 338 Gifts 352 MISSOURI HISTORY IN NEWSPAPERS 357 Missouri History in Magazines 363 In Memoriam 370 BOOK REVIEW 371 BOOK NOTES 373 GLENN HOUSE IN HISTORIC CAPE GIRARDEAU INSIDE BACK COVER iv Massie Photo President Harry S. Truman and former Prime Minister Winston Churchill visited Fulton on March 5, 1946. Accom panying them and seated below, left to right, were West minster College President Franc L. McCluer and Missouri Governor Phil M. Donnelly. Fulton's Distinguished Visitors: Truman and Churchill, 1946 BY MARY K. DAINS* INTRODUCTION In 1936, Mrs. John Findley Green established at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri, a memorial honoring her husband to be known as the John Findley Green Foundation Lecture Series. The purpose was to bring to the college campus each year a man of international reputation to discuss economic, social or political problems of international concern. During the World War II years, the college had omitted the lecture, but in 1945 with the founding of the new United Nations, the world appeared to be striving for peace and prosperity. College president Dr. Franc L. McCluer began in the summer to think of a lecturer to resume the series next winter. He suddenly thought of Sir Winston Churchill, the famous British Prime Minister who *Mary K. Dains is an associate editor of the MISSOURI HISTORICAL REVIEW. 277 278 Missouri Historical Review had rallied England and the free world during the dark days of the war. Churchill had been defeated for reelection in a star tling election upset. McCluer consulted school officials and then approached Major General Harry H. Vaughan, Westminster College alumnus, who was President Harry S. Truman's military aid. Vaughan, con ferred with McCluer, liked the idea of a Churchill visit and wished to consult the president. With a typed invitation in hand, dated October 3, 1945, McCluer interviewed Truman in Washington, D. C. Truman heartily endorsed the proposal and wrote a postscript at the bottom of the invitation: "This is a wonderful school in my home state. Hope you can do it. I'll introduce you." On December 10, President Truman wrote McCluer that Churchill would be in Florida for complete rest for a month or more in February. He had accepted the invitation to lecture at Fulton. Soon the date was set for March 5, 1946. A pictorial essay of that historic event follows. Many of the photographs depicted on these pages are part of a large collection given to the State Historical Society by Gerald Massie, a profes sional photographer formerly with the Missouri Department of Resources and Development, Jefferson City. Other photographs were loaned for this article by Warren M. Hollrah, Museum Man ager and College Archivist Winston Churchill Memorial and Library (W. C. Mem. Lib.), Fulton, Missouri. W. C. Mem. Lib. Dr. Franc L. McCluer (left), president of Westminster College, had many details to work out before the Churchill-Truman visit— handling invitations, ticket sales and publicity, arrangements for press coverage, what to do with the influx of people, security for the distin guished guests, the parade route and agenda for the occasion. Joe B. Humphreys (center) served as special assistant to McCluer, and Neal S. Wood (right), chairman of the college board of trustees, helped with arrangements. W. C. Mem. Lib. W. C. Mem. Lib. The president and prime minister traveled by train from Washington, D. C, through St. Louis, to Jefferson City. A motorcade formed at the Jefferson City depot. The press and spectators waited in the capitol city for the distinguished guests. They arrived at 11:20 A.M., March 5, aboard the President's Special served by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. Major General Harry Vaughan (behind the president) joined Truman and Church ill on the platform of the rear car. Mis souri Governor Phil M. Donnelly, College President McCluer and other dignitaries met the train and joined the motor cade to Fulton. The governor presented Churchill with a box of his favorite Ha vana cigars, and Truman received a hick ory-smoked country ham. W. C. Mem. Lib. On the lawn of the Callaway County courthouse, the Kem per Military Band from Boonville entertained the crowd at Ful ton, waiting the arrival of the noted guests.