Harry S. Truman Presidential Library & Museum

See also Kenneth Hechler Papers finding aid.

Size: 6.8 linear feet (approximately 13,600 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: Philip D. Lagerquist (1956); Jeremy Spencer and David Clark (2004).

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

The Ken Hechler Files mostly relate to his service as Special Assistant to the President from 1950 to 1953. The Hechler Files are a part of the Staff Member and Office Files of the Harry S. Truman Papers. This material was shipped to Kansas City as part of Mr. Truman's presidential papers. Truman subsequently donated his papers to the United States government. The collection is approximately 6.8 linear feet in volume and is comprised of four series.

The Subject File consists of correspondence, legislation, handwritten notes, memoranda, newspaper clippings, printed materials, reports and speeches primarily relating to the 1950 and 1952 elections. The documents pertain to agriculture, electrical power, school lunches, airports, campaign trips, flooding, foreign policy, housing, social security, education, health, veterans, natural resources, reorganization of the federal government, science, the Point Four Program, the United Nations, Korea, and the Soviet Union.

The Regional File consists of background materials for President Truman’s speeches given in the Missouri River Basin, New England, the Pacific Northwest, the South and the Southwest. The background materials consist of correspondence, handwritten notes, memoranda, newspaper clippings, printed materials, reports and speeches. The documents pertain to flood control, industry, textiles, the economy, unemployment, labor, utilities, agriculture, foreign policy, health, housing, land, water and mining.

The State File contains background information pertaining to major issues in the different states in addition to telegrams, correspondence, handwritten notes, memoranda, newspaper clippings, press releases, printed materials, reports, and maps used in preparation of President Truman’s speeches. The documents include specific information about counties, cities, the economy, history, and key people. Other materials relate to power, water, flood control, industry, labor, agriculture, foreign policy, shipping, roads, hospitals, mining, the economy, defense, foreign trade, education, housing, civil rights, income, health, and education.

The Trip File consists of telegrams, correspondence, handwritten notes, itineraries, schedules, memoranda, newspaper clippings, press releases, printed materials, speeches and maps pertaining to speeches given by President Truman during five campaign trips in 1952. Much of the material in this series was sent to Ken Hechler by Steven Mitchell, the Democratic National Committee Chairman, and Charles Franklin, the Acting Director of the Research Division of the Democratic National Committee. The Trip File contains background information specific to the cities where the speeches were given including materials relating to the history of the cities, current economic conditions, federal projects, Congressional representatives, election statistics, rent control, principal local industries, housing, health, universities and public roads.

Additional information about Ken Hechler and his service in the Truman administration may be found at the Truman Library in an oral history interview with Hechler, the Ken Hechler Papers and the Truman Post-Presidential Papers.

SUBJECT FILE, 1945-1952

Box 1

• Agriculture
• Air Force [empty]
• Airports
• Electric Power
• Files Taken on the 1950 Northwest Campaign Trip
  [1 of 2]
  [2 of 2]
• Floods
• Foreign Policy
  [1 of 2]
  [2 of 2]

Box 2

• Foreign Policy on Italian Colonies
• Housing
• Human Resources
• Natural Resources
• Newspaper Clippings
  [1 of 6, Barkley]
  [2 of 6, Dewey]
  [3 of 6, Miscellaneous]
  [4 of 6, Truman]
  [5 of 6, Wallace]
  [6 of 6, Warren]

Box 3

• 1950 Election Information
• 1952 Campaign- General
• Pamphlets
• Point Four Program
• Point Four Program (Newspaper Clippings)
• Presidential Statements on the U.N. (June, 1950-June, 1952)
  [1 of 2]
  [2 of 2]

Box 4

• “Props” (For Use in Campaign Speeches)
• Racial Groups
• Reorganization
  [1 of 2]
  [2 of 2]
• Roads
• Science
• Speech Drafts by Kenneth Hechler, 1950 Campaign
• Speech Drafts by Kenneth Hechler, 1950-52, Miscellaneous
• Textile Industry

REGIONAL FILE, 1950-1952.

Box 5

• Missouri Basin
• New England
• Pacific Northwest
• South
• Southwest

STATE FILE, 1950-1952.

• California
  [1 of 2]
  [2 of 2]
• Colorado
  [1 of 2]

Box 6

[2 of 2]
• Connecticut
• Connecticut (Norwich)
• Idaho
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Iowa

Box 7

• Kansas
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
  [1 of 2]
  [2 of 2]
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Missouri

Box 8

• Montana
  [1 of 2]
  [2 of 2]
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New York
• North Dakota
• Ohio (Cincinnati)

Box 9

• Ohio
  [1 of 2]
  [2 of 2]
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• Utah
• Washington
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming

TRIP FILE, 1948-1952

Box 10

• 1952 Campaign Trip 1
  
• 1952 Campaign Trip 2
  
  [1 of 116, Parkersburg, WV]
  [2 of 116, Clarksburg, WV]
  [3 of 116, Grafton, WV]
  [4 of 116, Keyser, WV]
  [5 of 116, Breckinridge, MN]
  [6 of 116, Fargo, ND]
  [7 of 116, Grand Forks, ND]
  [8 of 116, Larimore, ND]
  [9 of 116, Lakota, ND]
  [10 of 116, Devil’s Lake, ND]
  [11 of 116, Minot, ND]
  [12 of 116, Berthold, ND]
  [13 of 116, Stanley, ND]
  [14 of 116, Tioga, ND]
  [15 of 116, Williston, ND]
  [16 of 116, Wolf Point, MT]
  [17 of 116, Glasgow, MT]
  [18 of 116, Malta, MT]
  [19 of 116, Chinook, MT]
  [20 of 116, Havre, MT]
  [21 of 116, Chester, MT]
  [22 of 116, Belton, MT]
  [23 of 116, Cut Bank, MT]
  [24 of 116, Shelby, MT]

Box 11

[25 of 116, Kalispell, MT]
[26 of 116, Columbia Falls, MT]
[27 of 116, Thompson Falls, MT]
[28 of 116, Hungry Horse, MT]
[29 of 116, White Fish, MT]
[30 of 116, Rexford, MT]
[31 of 116, Eureka, MT]
[32 of 116, Libby, MT]
[33 of 116, Troy, MT]
[34 of 116, Bonner’s Fairy, ID]
[35 of 116, Sand Point, ID]
[36 of 116, Spokane, WA]
[37 of 116, Ephrata, WA]
[38 of 116, Wenatchee, WA]
[39 of 116, Monroe, WA]
[40 of 116, Skykomish, WA]
[41 of 116, Tacoma, WA]
[42 of 116, Wilson Creek, WA]
[43 of 116, Everett, WA]

Box 12

[44 of 116, Snohomish, WA]
[45 of 116, Seattle, WA]
[46 of 116, Kent, WA]
[47 of 116, Crescent Lake, OR]
[48 of 116, Eugene, OR]
[49 of 116, Portland, OR]
[50 of 116, Klamath Falls, OR]
[51 of 116, Dunsmuir, CA]
[52 of 116, Central Valley, CA]
[53 of 116, Red Bluff, CA]
[54 of 116, Redding, CA]
[55 of 116, Gerber, CA]
[56 of 116, Davis, CA]
[57 of 116, Oakland, CA]
[58 of 116, Niles, CA]
[59 of 116, Stockton, CA]
[60 of 116, Sacramento, CA]
[61 of 116, San Francisco, CA]
[62 of 116, Marysville, CA]
[63 of 116, Oroville, CA]
[64 of 116, Keddie, CA]
[65 of 116, Portola, CA]
[66 of 116, Reno Junction, CA]
[67 of 116, Winnemucca, NV]
[68 of 116, Elko, NV]
[69 of 116, Provo, UT]
[70 of 116, Helper, UT]

Box 13

[71 of 116, Salt Lake City, UT]
[72 of 116, Rifle, CO]
[73 of 116, Denver, CO]
[74 of 116, Grand Junction, CO]
[75 of 116, Malta, CO]
[76 of 116, Tennessee Pass, CO]
[77 of 116, Glenwood Springs, CO]
[78 of 116, Salida, CO]
[79 of 116, Colorado Springs, CO]
[80 of 116, Pueblo, CO]
[81 of 116, Canon City, CO]
[82 of 116, Limon, CO]
[83 of 116, Akron, CO]
[84 of 116, Phillipsburg, KS]
[85 of 116, Lincoln, NE]
[86 of 116, Omaha, NE]
[87 of 116, Hamburg, IA]
[88 of 116, Payne, IA]
[89 of 116, Pacific Junction, IA]
[90 of 116, Shenandoah, IA]
[91 of 116, St. Joseph, MO]
[92 of 116, Kansas City, MO]
[93 of 116, Jefferson City, MO]
[94 of 116, Sedalia, MO]
[95 of 116, St. Louis, MO]

Box 14

[96 of 116, Indianapolis, IN]
[97 of 116, Muncie, IN]
[98 of 116, Anderson, IN]
[99 of 116, Bellefontaine, OH]
[100 of 116, Marion, OH]
[101 of 116, Galion, OH]
[102 of 116, Cleveland, OH]
[103 of 116, Erie, PA]
[104 of 116, Rochester, NY]
[105 of 116, Buffalo, NY]
[106 of 116, Batavia, NY]
[107 of 116, Syracuse, NY]
[108 of 116, Oneida, NY]
[109 of 116, Rome, NY]
[110 of 116, Utica, NY]
[111 of 116, Fonda, NY]
[112 of 116, Schenectady, NY]
[113 of 116, Hudson, NY]
[114 of 116, Albany, NY]
[115 of 116, Yonkers, NY]
[116 of 116, New York City, NY]
• 1952 Election Campaign Trip 3
• 1952 Campaign Trip 3
  [1 of 31, Middletown, CT]
  [2 of 31, Hartford, CT]
  [3 of 31, Meriden, CT]
  [4 of 31, Wallingford, CT]
  [5 of 31, New Britain, CT]
  [6 of 31, Waterbury, CT]
  [7 of 31, Windsor Locks, CT]
  [8 of 31, Thompsonville, CT]

Box 15

[9 of 31, Springfield, MA]
[10 of 31, Clinton, MA]
[11 of 31, Lawrence, MA]
[12 of 31, Lowell, MA]
[13 of 31, Nashua, MA]
[14 of 31, Manchester, NH]
[15 of 31, Portsmouth, NH]
[16 of 31, Somersworth, NH]
[17 of 31, Dover, NH]
[18 of 31, Exeter, NH]
[19 of 31, Rockingham, NH]
[20 of 31, Plaistow, NH]
[21 of 31, Haverhill, MA]
[22 of 31, West Medford, MA]
[23 of 31, Malden, MA]
[24 of 31, Taunton, MA]
[25 of 31, Fall River, MA]
[26 of 31, Westerly, RI]
[27 of 31, New London, CT]
[28 of 31, Old Saybrook, CT]
[29 of 31, New Haven, CT]
[30 of 31, New Rochelle, NY]
[31 of 31, Brooklyn, NY]
• 1952 Election Campaign Trip 4 (Miscellaneous)
• 1952 Campaign Trip 4
  [1 of 20, Philadelphia, PA]
  [2 of 20, Bridgeport, CT]
  [3 of 20, Norwalk, CT]
  [4 of 20, Stamford, CT]
  [5 of 20, Kingston, PA]
  [6 of 20, North Umberland, PA]
  [7 of 20, Bloomsburg, PA]
  [8 of 20, Williamsport, PA]
  [9 of 20, Johnstown, PA]

Box 16

[10 of 20, Pittsburgh, PA]
[11 of 20, Lock Haven, PA]
[12 of 20, Altoona, PA]
[13 of 20, McKeesport, PA]
[14 of 20, Braddock, PA]
[15 of 20, Connellsville, PA]
[16 of 20, Rockwood, PA]
[17 of 20, Meyersdale, PA]
[18 of 20, Cumberland, MD]
[19 of 20, Wheeling, WV]
[20 of 20, Harpers Ferry, WV]
• 1952 Election Campaign Trip 5
• 1952 Campaign Trip 5
  [1 of 48, Willard, OH]
  [2 of 48, Deshler, OH]
  [3 of 48, Garrett, IN]
  [4 of 48, Gary, IN]
  [5 of 48, Winona, MN]
  [6 of 48, Red Wing, MN]
  [7 of 48, Hastings, MN]
  [8 of 48, Minneapolis, MN]
  [9 of 48, Davenport, IA]
  [10 of 48, West Liberty, IA]
  [11 of 48, Cedar Rapids, IA]
  [12 of 48, Waterloo, IA]
  [13 of 48, Manly, IA]
  [14 of 48, Superior, WI]
  [15 of 48, Hibbing, MN]
  [16 of 48, Duluth, MN]
  [17 of 48, St. Paul, MN]
  [18 of 48, Rock Island, IL]
  [19 of 48, Moline, IL]

Box 17

[20 of 48, Chicago, IL]
[21 of 48, Muskegon, MI]
[22 of 48, Grand Rapids, MI]
[23 of 48, Lansing, MI]
[24 of 48, Trowbridge, MI]
[25 of 48, Flint, MI]
[26 of 48, Pontiac, MI]
[27 of 48, Highland Park, MI]
[28 of 48, Hamtramck, MI]
[29 of 48, Detroit, MI area]
[30 of 48, Toledo, OH]
[31 of 48, Ottawa, OH]
[32 of 48, Sidney, OH]
[33 of 48, Troy, OH]
[34 of 48, Dayton, OH]
[35 of 48, Cincinnati, OH]
[36 of 48, Hamilton, OH]
[37 of 48, Defiance, OH]
[38 of 48, Vincennes, IN]
[39 of 48, Terre Haute, IN]
[40 of 48, Sidney, IL]
[41 of 48, Danville, IL]
[42 of 48, Decatur, IL]
[43 of 48, Edwardsville, IL]
[44 of 48, Litchfield, IL]
[45 of 48, Taylorville, IL]
[46 of 48, Granite City, IL]
[47 of 48, East St. Louis, IL]
[48 of 48, St. Louis, MO]

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