When President Harry S. Truman moved his family into the White House in 1945, he was annoyed by the draftiness, creaking floors and mysterious sounds which seemed to permeate the old building. When Earvin Ruddicks family took him on the White House tour on his 90th birthday two years ago, he became one of the millions who troop through the mansion to marvel at the sumptuous Federal interiors with their marble mantels and hand-tooled paneling. The Truman Balcony soon after the Residence reconstruction in 1952, looking northwest. The Harry S. Truman Presidential Library & Museum was established to preserve the papers, books, and other historical materials relating to former President Harry S. Truman and to make them available to the people in a place suitable for exhibit and research. The Truman Balcony soon after completion in 1948, looking west (Truman Library) The Truman Balcony under construction in 1948 (Life) 1947 architectural model of the White House with the Truman Balcony, shades down (Truman Library) How Long? During his few weeks as Vice President, Harry Truman scarcely saw President Franklin Roosevelt, and received no briefing on the development of the atomic bomb or the unfolding difficulties with Soviet Russia.
Suddenly these and a host of other wartime problems became Truman's to solve when, on April 12, 1945, he became America's 33rd President. The White House Decision Center program isn’t your typical high-ropes course but a high-stakes team-building experience like no other. By: Robert Klara Magazine editor and writer. Set in a recreated West Wing, participants step into the roles of President Truman and his advisors to tackle some of the greatest challenges faced by any world leader. 5 minutes. The Hidden White House: The Truman Renovation, 1948-1952.


The White House Reconstruction, also known as the Truman Reconstruction, was a comprehensive dismantling and rebuilding of the interior of the White House between 1949-1952. Howell Crim, the White House chief usher, had assured Mrs. Truman that she and the President would have the “last word” on the interior decorating on the second and third floors, and he made sure that they saw and approved all samples and sketches for the state rooms.