Harry, History and School

In Harry's day, it was not unusual for children to receive their first years of education at home from their parents or grandparents. Such was the case with Harry. Since he'd been reading since age four, his mother continued to encourage Harry's reading habits. He often read Mama's big Bible, and the biographies of great men in history.

When he was eight years old, he entered public school for the first time at Noland School on Liberty Street. His first grade teacher, Miss Myra Ewing, "made a profound impression on me," Harry wrote later. However, in second grade he contracted diphtheria, which paralyzed his arms, legs, and throat. There were no antitoxins in those days, so Mama gave him ipecac and whiskey. Forever after, Harry hated the smell of both.

Paralysis from the diphtheria forced him to spend the next six months at home, letting his mother wheel him around in a baby buggy. This gave Harry a golden opportunity to enjoy his favorite pastime: reading about history. He read books such as Legends of King Arthur, and Charles Dickens' Child’s History of England, Plutarch's Lives of the Great Romans, and Abbott's Makers of History. Click here to see the works of Plutarch.

Harry was able to catch up with his classmates in summer school. In fact, he'd read so much while he was sick, that he skipped the third grade, and ended up in Bess Wallace’s class until they all graduated from Independence High School in 1901.

By then his family had moved to a house on Waldo Avenue. After high school, Harry wanted more than anything to go to West Point and become a general. He studied for the entrance exams, but his eyesight was so poor he couldn't pass the eye examination.

Ironically, Harry eventually had an opportunity to serve in the military. His National Guard unit was called up for action during World War I and Harry became a very successful leader and captain. His knowledge from reading many military books paid off on the battlefield.

Truman once said, "There is nothing new except the history you do not know." By being an avid reader of history, Truman was able to understand many of the world's events that he faced during his presidency. He could make decisions from both a current and a historical perspective.

Visit resource page to read articles and the actual letters President Truman wrote about his favorite books and the historical figures he admired and imitated;
or continue with Harry's Heroes of the Civil War.