Presidential Biographies | Truman Administrations - Career

Career

The Truman family was ruined in 1902 when Harry's father lost out in grain futures speculation. The family moved to Kansas City, Missouri, and 18-year-old Harry, recently out of high school, got work as a clerk in the National Bank of Commerce. He proved effective but unambitious. Moving to another bank, Union National, he lived at a nearby boardinghouse. By an odd coincidence his roommate there, Arthur Eisenhower, was the older brother of the man who would later succeed him in the White House.

Between 1906 and 1917 Truman worked on the family's farm near Grandview, Missouri, due to another reversal in his hapless father's business fortunes. The farm, owned by his grandparents, required long hours of work every day. Truman took an interest in scientific agriculture and modern farm management methods, kept careful records of his work, and gradually increased crop yields. Ambitious and energetic, he also took on the job...