CLA Center for Statesmanship, Law, & Liberty Lecture Sereis

CENTER FOR STATESMANSHIP, LAW, & LIBERTY LECTURE SERIESpresentsDr. Elizabeth SpaldingDirector, Washington ProgramClaremont McKenna College Thursday, April 20thEastman HallRoom 01-200011:00 a.m. "Statesmanship and Harry S. Truman”As nobody’s first choice to be vice president to the living legend, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman is sometimes called an accidental president. During his presidency, he was both admired and reviled for his acts of statesmanship, and he left office during the Korean War as one of our most unpopular presidents. Today, however, Truman is highly regarded by both scholars and the general public. What factors can explain this change in opinion? A careful examination of Truman’s thought and action—especially during World War II and the Cold War—reveals that Truman possessed the character, qualities, and judgment that make for a prudent statesman.Elizabeth Edwards Spalding is Associate Professor of Government at Claremont McKenna College, where she teaches U.S. foreign policy and American government and directs CMC’s Washington, D.C. program. The author of The First Cold Warrior: Harry Truman, Containment, and the Remaking of Liberal Internationalism and the co-author of A Brief History of the Cold War, she has also contributed to several volumes on the presidency, American foreign policy, and grand strategy. She earned her PhD and MA in Government and Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia and her BA in political science from Hillsdale College.Interpreters provided upon request subject to availability.Please make your request today by going to Access.rit.edu.