It Seems to “B.”

Presidential Firsts

The only Missourian to be elected president, Harry Truman left office with no expansion of his wealth. In fact, he had very little money. He returned home to Independence with his wife, Bess, and no entourage. His birthday anniversary is May 8th, 142 years ago.

Later, Congress established a pension for former presidents, providing Truman with $25,000 annually to live on. My grandfather, Frank Park Briggs, replaced Truman in the U.S. Senate when Truman was elevated to vice president. He had lots of stories to tell. Truman’s first words to my grandfather, when he arrived in D.C. to be sworn in, were, “Don’t worry, Frank, you can do it.”