Six facts about the new statue of President Harry Truman now on display at the U.S. Capitol.
One in Ten: There have been forty-six presidents of the nation, but just ten of those men are represented by a statue in the Capitol Rotunda. President Harry Truman’s statue was installed in late September, with George Washington on one side and Ulysses S. Grant on the other.
One of Ten: There have been forty-six presidents of the nation, but just ten of those men are represented by a statue in the Capitol Rotunda. President Harry Truman’s statue was installed in late September, with George Washington on one side and Ulysses S. Grant on the other.
Hamilton Humbled: To make room for the Truman statue in the Rotunda, the statue of Alexander Hamilton was relocated to another part of the Capitol. It’s an interesting choice given Hamilton’s recent surge in notoriety, but it’s easy to argue the Founding Father has been in the room where it happened for long enough.
Half Ton: The statue stands a larger-than-life seven feet tall (Truman was five-foot-nine) and weighs a thousand pounds. The granite pedestal it stands on adds three feet and thirteen hundred pounds.
Back of the Buck: Among the inscriptions on the pedestal is one of Truman’s favorite phrases, “The Buck Stops Here,” which appeared on a sign in the Oval Office. Truman wanted others to know he wouldn’t pass along blame or tough decisions. The sign was sent to the White House by a friend who saw one like it while touring a federal prison in Oklahoma and asked the warden to have one made for Truman. Less known is the back of the sign, which reads “I’m from Missouri.”
Sorkinesque: Anyone who’s watched the West Wing is familiar with the “walk and talk.” Creator Aaron Sorkin could have had Truman in mind—he took unguarded daily walks around D.C. He’s depicted in mid-motion by sculptor Tom Corbin.
Made… Near Missouri: Fittingly, sculptor Tom Corbin is a KC local—his studio is on Southwest Boulevard, just over a mile from the Missouri state line. You can see his bronzes at the Country Club Plaza, Kauffman Foundation, the Northland’s Children’s Fountain and the UMKC campus.
