WILD ABOUT HARRY!
27TH ANNUAL BENEFIT TO ADVANCE PRESIDENT TRUMAN'S LIBRARY & LEGACY
THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2026
HONORARY CHAIRS
MARNY AND JOHN SHERMAN
Event Chairs
KAREN AND STEVEN PACK
AMY AND ZACHARY PACK
HONOREE & KEYNOTE SPEAKER
DAVID RUBENSTEIN
We’re not just celebrating history. We’re making it.
Two hundred fifty years ago, a new nation declared its independence and pledged itself to ideals that reshaped the world. Wild About Harry is more than a gala. It’s a call to action. A recognition that democracy is not inherited, it’s upheld. Through civics education, community programs, and the preservation of Truman’s legacy, we equip the next generation to carry our founding principles forward.
The 27th annual benefit offers the extraordinary opportunity to hear from David Rubenstein. The bestselling and Pulitzer Prize-winning author will share fresh insights on our shared story, from the founding era to the modern day. This is a can’t-miss celebration of America’s semiquincentennial—our nation’s triumphs and trials, its progress and promise, and the enduring ideals that continue to guide us forward.
Join us as a founder of the next 250 years!
Proceeds from Wild About Harry are vital to the future of the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library & Museum—our region’s essential classroom for democracy. Your support fuels special traveling exhibitions and public programs, and enables our education team to partner with elementary and high school teachers across Missouri and Kansas.
Together, we ensure students don’t just learn about participatory democracy—they experience it.
Your generosity opens the doors for tens of thousands of students and educators each year. They are counting on the Truman Library’s civics education programs, just as our nation is counting on their leadership and service in the years ahead.
To learn more or discuss custom benefit packages, please contact:
Kim Rausch
Director of Development
816.400.1214
Kim.Rausch@TrumanLibraryInstitute.org
Keynote Speaker & Honoree
The Truman Library Institute is excited to announce that David Rubenstein will receive the 2026 Harry S. Truman Legacy of Leadership Award, recognizing his remarkable impact on public service, civic leadership, and the stewardship of American history.
Rubenstein is a leading philanthropist dedicated to strengthening American democracy. As chairman emeritus of the Smithsonian and a major supporter of national landmarks, he champions “patriotic philanthropy,” working to preserve the places and stories that define our national identity. He is widely regarded as an insightful interpreter of America’s past and a persuasive voice for the responsibilities of citizenship today.
LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR 2026 HONOREE
WILD ABOUT HARRY
Since its inception, Wild About Harry—the premiere event celebrating and advancing President Truman’s legacy and library—has raised more than $10 million in support of nationally acclaimed education and outreach programs that foster civic learning and engagement.
In 2010, the Truman Library Institute inaugurated the Harry S. Truman Legacy of Leadership Award, now an annual WILD event highlight. Together, the dinner and award ceremony provide invaluable support to the mission that mattered most to President Truman after leaving the White House—establishing his presidential library as a “Classroom for Democracy” where young people, especially, would be inspired and prepared to lead lives of purpose and service. Thank you for helping advance this vital cause. We’re the founders of America’s next 250 years.