MAKE YOUR MARK: LESSONS IN CHARACTER FROM SEVEN PRESIDENTS

The award-wining author of Second Acts and The Last Republicans draws on interviews and conversations with seven presidents to identify the essence of character, leadership and legacy that has defined each of them and the modern American presidency.

Throughout his career as an author, journalist, television commentator, and head of a presidential library and foundation, Mark Updegrove has had the privilege of getting to know seven U.S. Presidents, from Gerald Ford to Barack Obama. In Make Your Mark, he offers incisive, compelling sketches of these modern presidents and the character trait that made each suited to his moment in the Oval Office and underlies his most significant accomplishments.

• Gerald Ford’s instinct to do the right thing in the wake of Watergate;
• Jimmy Carter’s mission to do good in the areas of peace and human rights during his presidency and throughout his post-presidency;
• Ronald Reagan’s optimism, restoring the nation’s confidence and pride after a sustained period of demoralizing national setbacks;
• George H.W. Bush’s humility, helping to ensure a peaceful end to the Cold War that had seethed between the superpowers for over forty years;
• Bill Clinton’s resilience and determination to keep working for the good of the American people in the face of political and personal obstacles;
• George W. Bush’s charge to give back as the deadly AIDS epidemic spread unchecked throughout much of the developing world;
• and Barack Obama’s grace as the first African American to hold the country’s highest office. 

With Make Your Mark, Mark Updegrove reveals that there is no one-size-fits-all model for leadership. We all have our own set of strengths and weaknesses. But drawing on these presidential examples, we can ask ourselves how our character reflects our leadership, and be inspired to find the very best in who we are to make own unique marks as leaders.

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Seventy-five years ago, on June 25, the state action we know as The Korean War began. More than 1.8 million Americans served in the conflict that was characterized by shifting front lines and brutal combat. With more than 4 million military and civilian casualties, it remains one of the deadliest conflicts in modern history.

The story of America’s “Forgotten War” is often told with a focus on its dramatic battles and Cold War geopolitics.

Now, Mark Adams, director of the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library & Museum, draws on the Library’s rich archival collection to share a different kind of story—about a different kind of war:

• It was the first major conflict to feature jet aircraft in combat, including dogfights between U.S. F-86 Sabres and Soviet-made MiG-15s. It also saw expanded use of helicopters for medical evacuation and troop transport, and the growing role of radar and electronic warfare.
• Thanks to Truman’s signing of the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act on June 12, 1948, women served in vital capacities, particularly as nurses, doctors, and support staff, often close to the front lines. The Korean War reinforced the importance of women in military medicine and logistics and helped pave the way for expanded roles in later conflicts.
• It was the first U.S. war fought with a racially integrated military, following President Truman’s 1948 executive order to desegregate the armed forces. African American and other minority troops served in frontline units, a significant shift from prior wars, though discrimination and unequal treatment still persisted.
• The war saw major advancements in battlefield medicine, including the widespread use of MASH units (Mobile Army Surgical Hospitals) and helicopter medevac, which dramatically improved survival rates for wounded soldiers. These innovations laid the groundwork for modern combat medicine.

Don’t miss this extraordinary opportunity to delve into the vault for a rarely seen collection of Korean War-related artifacts and the dramatic human stories they have to tell. No matter where your summer takes you, register now for this fascinating online-only “Out of the Archives” experience with Mark Adams.

This online KOREA75 event is offered free of charge.

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A riveting, immersive account of the agonizing decision to use nuclear weapons against Japan—a crucial turning point in World War II and geopolitical history—with you-are-there immediacy by the New York Times bestselling author of Ike’s Bluff and Sea of Thunder.

At 9:20 a.m. on the morning of May 30, General Groves receives a message to report to the office of the secretary of war “at once.” Stimson is waiting for him. He wants to know: has Groves selected the targets yet?

So begins this suspenseful, impeccably researched history that draws on new access to diaries to tell the story of three men who were intimately involved with America’s decision to drop the atomic bomb—and Japan’s decision to surrender. They are Henry Stimson, the American Secretary of War, who oversaw J. Robert Oppenheimer under the Manhattan Project; Gen. Carl “Tooey” Spaatz, head of strategic bombing in the Pacific, who supervised the planes that dropped the bombs; and Japanese Foreign Minister Shigenori Togo, the only one in Emperor Hirohito’s Supreme War Council who believed even before the bombs were dropped that Japan should surrender.

Henry Stimson had served in the administrations of five presidents, but as Oppenheimer’s work progressed, he found himself tasked with the unimaginable decision of determining whether to deploy the bomb. The new president, Harry S. Truman, thus far a peripheral figure in the momentous decision, accepted Stimson’s recommendation to drop the bomb. Army Air Force Commander Gen. Spaatz ordered the planes to take off. Like Stimson, Spaatz agonized over the command even as he recognized it would end the war. After the bombs were dropped, Foreign Minister Togo was finally able to convince the emperor to surrender.

To bring these critical events to vivid life, bestselling author Evan Thomas draws on the diaries of Stimson, Togo and Spaatz, contemplating the immense weight of their historic decision. In Road to Surrender, an immersive, surprising, moving account, Thomas lays out the behind-the-scenes thoughts, feelings, motivations, and decision-making of three people who changed history.

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Celebrate Flag Day at the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library & Museum!

Before exploring the museum galleries and gift shop, step back in time with a “Truck Stops Here” Model T car show, presented with KC Chuggers.

Although Henry Ford did not invent the automobile, he is credited with taking it from a rich man’s luxury to the average person’s necessity. The Ford Model T opened the world at a time when the thought of speeding down a road at 35 mph was akin to our taking a space flight. Although every Model T is an antique, KC Chuggers invites people of all ages to get up close and personal with these vintage automobiles that are living and breathing examples of moveable art.

This community event is offered free of charge.
PLAN YOUR VISIT

TRU Story? There is an often-shared anecdote that Harry Truman was involved in a car race against a Ford Model T in 1914. According to lore, 30-year-old Harry was at the wheel of a Stafford when he took on a Model T. Because Staffords were considered the superior automobile, the Model T was granted a half-mile head start. Harry managed to close the gap but had to stop when a light jarred loose. He claimed that the Ford driver would “never get done blowing about beating my Stafford with his little old Ford.” While the tale is widely shared, it hasn’t been definitively verified.

“Cogent, lucid, and concise…indispensable guide to the creation of the cabinet. With her groundbreaking study, we can now have a much greater appreciation of…one of the major legacies of George Washington’s enlightened statecraft.”
―Ron Chernow, author of Washington: A Life

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The U.S. Constitution never established a presidential cabinet―the delegates to the Constitutional Convention explicitly rejected the idea. So how did George Washington create one of the most powerful bodies in the federal government?

On November 26, 1791, George Washington convened his department secretaries―Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, Henry Knox, and Edmund Randolph―for the first cabinet meeting. Why did he wait two and a half years into his presidency to call his cabinet? Because the U.S. Constitution did not create or provide for such a body. Washington was on his own.

Faced with diplomatic crises, domestic insurrections, and constitutional challenges―and finding congressional help lacking―Washington decided he needed a group of advisors he could turn to. He modeled his new cabinet on the councils of war he had led as commander of the Continental Army. In the early days, the cabinet served at the president’s pleasure. Washington tinkered with its structure throughout his administration, at times calling regular meetings, at other times preferring written advice and individual discussions.

Lindsay M. Chervinsky reveals the far-reaching consequences of Washington’s choice. The tensions in the cabinet between Hamilton and Jefferson heightened partisanship and contributed to the development of the first party system. And as Washington faced an increasingly recalcitrant Congress, he came to treat the cabinet as a private advisory body to summon as needed, greatly expanding the role of the president and the executive branch. The Cabinet is winner of the DAR Excellence in American History Book Award and the Thomas J. Wilson Memorial Prize.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Lindsay M. Chervinsky is a presidential historian, writer, speaker and executive director of the George Washington Presidential Library. She regularly writes for The Washington Post, USA Today, Ms. Magazine, The Bulwark, The Wall Street Journal, TIME, The Hill, and CNN. She often contributes to national radio and television.

In her spare time, she loves hiking with her American Foxhound, John Quincy Dog Adams (Quincy for short).

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Jazz KC Portraits showcases stunning photographs by Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Dan White of iconic jazz musicians who have shaped the rich cultural tapestry of Kansas City. Through these images, visitors will embark on a visual and aural journey, exploring the rhythm, soul, and passion that define the essence of Kansas City jazz.

The exhibition will feature a curated collection of 50 beautifully framed photographic portraits made during two decades (1987-2006), as well as new photographs of up-and-coming artists, created specifically for this exhibition. Additionally, there are nine banners (24×36 inches) presenting anecdotes taken from interviews of several of the artists. Each image will offer a glimpse into the lives and artistry of the musicians who have made, and are making, significant contributions to the genre. LEARN MORE

THE PROMISE OF AMERICA

Applications are open for a regional teacher workshop at the Truman Library, hosted in partnership with Ford’s Theater. Local teachers are encouraged to apply for this free oratory-based professional workshop for K-12 teachers. Join colleagues and museum educators to explore how two iconic leaders—Harry Truman and Abraham Lincoln—navigated unprecedented national crises and left lasting legacies. This three-day workshop offers educators the opportunity to engage with primary sources, scholarly insights, public speaking and theater arts-integrated strategies that will enrich classroom discourse and teaching on presidential

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EXPLORING THE PRESIDENCY FROM THE 18TH TO 20TH CENTURIES

Applications open January 6, 2025, for the Truman Library’s annual Summer Teacher Conference.

Join us for a collaborative, immersive five-day professional development workshop designed to help teachers create a deeper understanding of the president’s role within a democracy, strengthen classroom best practices, and connect historical relevance to student learning. This week-long workshop is open to K-12 teachers nationwide. The Truman Library’s nationally recognized educators will be joined by scholars from other presidential sites, including Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage, and the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library.

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Book one of our dynamic speakers to create a captivating and informative program for your next meeting! Engage audiences with Truman-era presentations designed to spark conversations, inspire insights, and entertain. Presentations are intended for adult groups of 20 or more, and speakers are limited to a one-hour radius from Kansas City.

Now booking 2025 events!

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