Photograph of President Harry S. Truman, 1949 Inauguration
Photograph: 10 x 8 in. (25.4 x 20.3 cm)
Harry S. Truman (1884-1972) served as the 33rd President of the United States from 1945 to 1953. Truman had been a U.S. Senator from Missouri before being elected as Vice President in 1944, serving with President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Months after taking office as Vice President, Roosevelt died in office, where Truman assumed the presidency in the midst of World War II. Truman guided the nation through the end of the war and helped implement post-war policies in Europe to assist with economic recovery. His policy of fighting "authoritarian threats" later became known as the Truman Doctrine, and was integral in American decision making during the early Cold War period.