The Truman commemoration push continues in the nation’s capital.
Sens. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., and Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., and other members of the Missouri congressional delegation are pushing to bring a new statue of the late President Harry S. Truman to Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol.
Truman, a Missourian and the 33rd president, served in the Senate in the Capitol, and also as vice president. Statuary Hall is a semi-circular hall in the Capitol that commemorates historical figures, two donated from every state. Missouri is represented by Francis Preston Blair and Thomas Hart Benton.
According to McCaskill and Blunt, Truman would replace Blair when a new statue is completed.
Blair was a newspaper editor, member of Congress and Civil War officer, a “free-soiler” who was instrumental in preventing Missouri from joining the Confederacy. His statue was donated by Missouri to the Capitol in 1899. He and Benton, one of Missouri’s first two senators, were friends.
Benton served for 30 years in the Senate, and gained notoriety as being one of the top orators of an age that included Daniel Webster, and others. Benton was defeated for reelection in 1850 because of his anti-slavery views, but later served in the House. His statue would stay under the plans being pushed by the Missouri delegation and the Truman institute.
The efforts are being pushed by the Truman Library Institute and the Truman Statue Campaign, which is raising money.
Blunt and McCaskill have also re-introduced legislation to rename Washington’s Union Station the “Harry S Truman Station.” Efforts to do that in previous congresses have failed.
Truman became president just over 72 years ago after the death of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Truman was reelected in 1948.