Description:

Harry Truman Thanks Former World War I Comrade for Report on Pacific and Asian Areas

Former President Harry S. Truman thanks a former member of his World War I battery for reports from his recent trip to several Pacific islands and Asian nations and discusses a recent Meet the Press interview with Senator Stuart Symington.

HARRY S. TRUMAN, Typed Letter Signed, to Fred J. Bowman, January 19, 1960, Independence, Missouri. With handwritten postscript. 1 p. + envelope with printed franking signature on envelope, 7.25ʺ x 10.5ʺ, on "Harry S Truman / Independence, Missouri" stationery. Very good.

Excerpt
"You do not know how very much I appreciated your letter of January 16 with the summary reports which you made on the Hawaiian Islands, Wake Island, Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Pakistan and the Philippines. This is the most interesting and important document I have received in many a day. It gives me an idea of things exactly as they are. I hope the next time you take a trip you will let me know about it and I will give you some more letters of introduction because you have really done a service for me that is invaluable."

[Handwritten postscript:] "My best to Mrs. B. in which Mrs. T joins. Glad you liked Stu on Meet the Press. So did I!"

Historical Background
On Sunday, January 10, 1960, Democratic U.S. Senator from Missouri Stuart Symington (1901-1988) appeared on Meet the Press, a weekly American television news/interview program on NBC. It is the longest running program on American television, having begun in November 1947. Symington at the time was chairman of the Special Agriculture Investigating Subcommittee, a proponent of reorganizing the Defense Department, and a frequently mentioned possible Democratic nominee for President. He served as the first Secretary of the Air Force, during Truman’s administration. Although backed by Truman, Symington lost the 1960 Democratic presidential nomination to John F. Kennedy.

Harry S. Truman (1884-1972) was born in Missouri and joined the Missouri National Guard in 1905. He served in World War I as a lieutenant and then captain in the 129th Field Artillery in France. Truman first won elective office in 1922, winning a judge's seat on the Jackson County Court. After serving several terms, Truman was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1934, and in 1940 gained national attention for his chairmanship of the Senate Special Committee to Investigate the National Defense Program, which was eventually nicknamed "The Truman Committee." Truman continued his political rise in 1944, when he was elected Vice-President as Franklin D. Roosevelt's running mate. After only 82 days as Vice President, Truman was thrust into the Presidency when Roosevelt died unexpectedly. His inheritance was a world at war. Germany had surrendered, but Japan refused to give up the war. Truman, in a desperate move to avoid having to invade the Japanese mainland, ordered the deployment of two atomic bombs. They were dropped on August 6 and August 9, 1945. Japan surrendered on August 14, 1945. As President, Truman waged an undeclared war on the Soviet Union, drafting the "Truman Doctrine," which proclaimed the United States' willingness to provide aid to countries resisting communism. The Marshall Plan sought to strengthen the European economy in the hopes that this program, too, would prevent the spread of Soviet influence. Elected President for a full term in 1948, he also brought United States troops into the Korean War (1950-1953). In addition to his cold war activities, Truman's administration expanded the New Deal and promoted Civil Rights initiatives.

Frederick J. Bowman (1895-1982) was born in Kansas City, Missouri, and served in the National Guard. When World War I began, he was called up as part of Battery D in the 129th Field Artillery Regiment, commanded by Captain Harry S. Truman. When he returned from Europe, Bowman went to work for the Lowe and Campbell Athletic Goods Company in Kansas City. In 1930, the company merged with the Wilson Sporting Goods Company of Chicago and another company. After a few more years, he moved to Chicago as vice president of auditing and accounting and then vice president of manufacturing. In 1950, he was appointed president of Wilson Sporting Goods, a position he held until his retirement in 1960.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

We do our own in-house worldwide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses who proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with signature required, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice, unless you inform us otherwise, immediately upon your receipt of invoice***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third Party Shipping Option: If a third party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third party Please copy and paste this following link into your browser: http://universityarchives.com/UserFiles/ShippingInfo.pdf. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third party shippers.


After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.


Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

September 29, 2021 10:30 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of up to 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000