Harry S. Truman Presidential Library & Museum

See also Eben A. Ayers Papers and Oral History.

Size: Less than one linear foot (approximately 1,200 pages).
Access: Open
Copyright: Harry S. Truman donated his copyright interest in writings in these files to the United States government. Documents created by U.S. Government officials in the course of their official duties are likewise in the public domain. Copyright interest in any other writings in these files is assumed to remain with the authors of the documents, or their heirs. Processed by: Erwin J. Mueller (1965); Jeremy Spencer and David Clark (2003).

The creation of this online resource was made possible in part by funding from the William T. Kemper Foundation - Commerce Bank, Trustee.

The Eben A. Ayers Files, part of the Staff Member and Office Files of the Harry S. Truman Papers, document some of his service as Assistant Press Secretary to President Truman and as Special Assistant in the White House Office. Ayers left the material in these files at the conclusion of his government service and when the administration ended in 1953, his files were shipped to Kansas City as part of Mr. Truman's presidential papers, which Truman subsequently donated to the United States government. The collection consists of one series, a Subject File.

The Subject File consists of documents pertaining to President Truman's farewell address, nominations and appointments, press releases and signed bills. The documents pertaining to the last message of President Truman consist of a January 15, 1953 press release with handwritten notes by Eben A. Ayers. The nomination and appointment documents include press releases, statements by President Truman, executive orders, and biographical sketches pertaining to nominations sent to the Senate for approval and appointments approved by President Truman. The nominations and appointments relate to postmasters, boards and commissions, agency directors, territorial governors, military promotions, ambassadors, justices, Cabinet members and assistants, U.S. Marshals and U.S. Attorneys.

The press release materials include press releases, correspondence, memorandums, meeting minutes, biographical sketches, and executive orders pertaining to labor disputes, trade, General Pershing's funeral, flooding, legislation, committees, schedules for visiting foreign dignitaries, legislative sessions, meetings including teas, luncheons and dinners, appointments to positions, remarks by President Truman and resignations of Cabinet members at the end of the Truman administration. The signed bills documents consist of lists of Congressional bills and resolutions approved by President Truman.

Notable items in this collection include extemporaneous speeches by President Truman which are not included in the Public Papers of Harry S. Truman.

Related holdings at the Truman Library include the Eben A. Ayers Papers, the Eben A. Ayers oral history interview, and the White House Central Files: President's Personal File 5165.

Box 1

SUBJECT FILE, 1947-1953

• Message of President Truman, January 15, 1953
• Nominations and Appointments, 1948-1949
  [1 of 3]
  [2 of 3]
  [3 of 3]
• Nominations and Appointments, 1950-1951
  [1 of 2]
  [2 of 2]
• Press Releases, 1947-1948 (Unmimeographed)
  [1 of 3]
  [2 of 3]
  [3 of 3]

Box 2

• Press Releases, 1950 (Unmimeographed)
• Press Releases, January, 1953 (Ramspeck Letter)
• Signed Bills, 1950-1951
  [1 of 2]
  [2 of 2]

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