Results tagged “Harry S. Truman” from York Town Square


U.S. Senator Arlen Specter visited the York Daily Record/Sunday News office this week and gave an indication that he needs to bone up on the statesmen in his new party. Background posts: How well do you know our U.S. presidents? and Washington Township, Jefferson Borough, Madison Avenue. How about an Obama Street in York County? and This working list details presidential visits to York and Adams counties


Arlen Specter has visited the newspaper office many times over the years, boasting Republican positions.

But this time he came as a Democrat, quoting Democrats.

At one point, he asked journalists assembled if they knew how Democratic presidential candidate Adlai Stevenson defined a statesman.

When no immediate answer came, he answered his own question: "A dead politician."

Well, Stevenson might have adopted that line, but a decade before Stevenson was on the national presidential campaign scene, Harry S. Truman was using it.

And at least one time, he gave it in York... .

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This photograph showing Sen. Harry S. Truman during his 1944 visit to York County, Pa., came from longtime York Daily Record columnist Jim Hubley's "Off the Record." Truman was in York for a political speech. As for street-level memories of this respected president, he left none behind. But many other presidents have, as recounted below. Background posts: Richard Nixon's visit to his namesake park sparks memories and York-area woodcarver made life-size JFK statue. But where is it now? and This working list details presidential visits to York and Adams counties.

York Sunday News columnist Gordon Freireich (1/23/08) has issued a challenge for York countians.

We have places named after many of the 44 U.S. presidents.

Maybe York County should be the first county in the nation name a street after President Barack Obama.

He brought back research from a 1996 column that showed streets and places with presidential names taken from our nation's chief executives.

It will reinforce with viewers here how much this county draws on its past:

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Nancy Smith, to the left of the president, delivered red roses on behalf of the Girl Scouts to Harry S. Truman during a York, Pa., campaign stop in 1948. Truman made sure that the 11-year-old girl stood near him so she would appear in photographs. This photo is among many that are part of the York County Heritage Trust's collection documenting presidential stops in York. (See additional photo below.) Background posts: Harry S. Truman's first York visit: 'A statesman is only a dead politician' and Crowd to Truman on second York visit: 'Give 'em h---, Harry' and Harry Truman to York countians: 'And you got exactly what you deserved' and Other presidential visits listed.

The York County Heritage Trust, 250 E. Market St., is presenting a case exhibit displaying artifacts linked to presidential visits to York County.

The exhibit, to be unveiled on Saturday, is tied to next week's inauguration of U.S. President Barack Obama.

The library at the trust has a large collection of presidential-related artifacts, including newspaper clippings, photographs and campaign posters... .

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The Gazette and Daily, a supporter of one of Harry S. Truman's opponents in the 1948 presidential election, played the story of the president's visit at the bottom of its front page. Background posts: Harry S. Truman's first York visit: 'A statesman is only a dead politician' and Crowd to Truman on second York visit: 'Give 'em h---, Harry' and Other presidential visits listed.

Harry S. Truman's June 1948 appearance was the first by a president in York since Franklin Delano Roosevelt's train passed through in 1934 and 1938.

Truman's train stopped at the West Market Street crossing, and he spoke from its platform to a crowd estimated at 5,000.

"Only about a third of you turned out to vote for this Congress," Truman, candidate for election to the chief executive's seat he had assumed upon Roosevelt's death, said.

"And you got exactly what you deserved." ...

Crowd to Truman on second York visit: 'Give 'em h---, Harry'

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Ron Busser, commander of Korean War Veterans Post 178, unveils York, Pa.'s, Korean War Memorial in 2005. The war wore on President Harry S. Truman and his ratings, and he opted not to seek a second full term in 1952. That election, York County shifted its allegiance to a Republican presidential candidate, Dwight D. Eisenhower, after backing the Dems during Roosevelt's terms and Truman's first full term. York College researchers G.A. Mellander and Carl E. Hatch believed the federal intervention of the New Deal had run its course with York County voters, who were looking for less government under Eisenhower. Background posts: Why did JFK lose to Nixon in York County?, York County's historical war deaths topped 1,000 and Harry S. Truman's first York visit: 'A statesman is only a dead politician'.

Spring Garden Township's C. Earl Witmer remembers a sitting president's visit not listed in a sampling of stops in my recent York Sunday News column: Many visits by U.S. presidents.

Here's how Earl recounted it: ... .

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York County's David Hibbs, aboard the destroyer escort USS Bunch in World War II, still has the ship's logbooks, including a few exciting entries about suicide aircraft and boats during his time in the Pacific. This entry was posted a few days before Harry S. Truman was sworn in as U.S. president after the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt. A year earlier, Truman had visited York. Background posts: Neglect, racism undid all-black 24th in Korean War, Former York County CCC camp now on map and Criticism of Geno's leads to 'commie' claim.


Senator Harry S. Truman came to York in early 1944, criticizing defense industry "chiselers" who were using the war to their advantage.

His indictment of defense industry abuse was his main claim to fame in those days.

He commended the York County for its support of the war... .


Grazr



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