***(Editor’s Note: In conjunction with the Inauguration of America’s 44th President, “The Thirsty Quill” is publishing a series entitled “Ranking The Presidents.” There is no ‘exact science’ to these rankings other than personal opinion based on such factors as policy, performance, popularity, perseverance, integrity, and legacy. Aside from those Presidents ranked in the top 25% and the bottom 25%, there is a great deal of ‘wiggle room’ for discretionary placement and movement. These rankings are strictly the personal opinion of the Editor of ‘The Quill,’ and should not be regarded as an academic survey of any type. Debate of these rankings is highly encouraged and appreciated.)***

Disclaimer: This is where things became very, very difficult for me in setting the Presidential Rankings. From #43 up through #14, the process was fairly easy to navigate, and #’s 4-1 were “locked” into their positions from the early stages. Yet, #’s 13-5 were perhaps the most difficult to draw distinctions between, as each man contributed so many things to the success of America. As Presidents # 13-5 are divided into their respective rankings and groups, please know that their positioning was the most difficult for me to assign.

#11: Harry S. Truman (1945-1953)

How daunting a task it must have been to try to follow a President who was elected to that esteemed office four times. Yet, after Franklin D. Roosevelt’s run of 12 years in the White House (until a brain hemorrhage took his life), Harry S. Truman was called upon to assume the Presidency during one of the most important periods in American history.

The tide was turning in World War II, and the Allies were gaining ground on all fronts. Still, victory was not completely within our grasp when the news broke of FDR’s passing. After taking the Oath of Office, it is said that Truman first offered his condolences to Eleanor Roosevelt. “Is there anything I can do for you?,” he asked. Reportedly, Eleanor responded with “No thank you. Is there anything I can do for you? You are the one who needs the most [support] now.”

Before going any further, let me interject one thing right here. It was Truman’s legacy that helped convince me that George W. Bush might be viewed in a very positive light in future years. Truman, like the younger Bush, held some of the highest and some of the lowest approval rating ever recorded while in office. In fact, at the time, Truman’s approval rating was the lowest on record when he left office in 1953. Still, after a great deal of scrutiny and appraisal, most historians and experts consistently rank Truman among the all-time best Presidents, many putting him solidly inside their Top-10. It’s strange how time changes perceptions and attitudes.

Truman was from Missouri, and had served his country as an Artillery Officer during World War I. As a U.S. Senator, Truman gained a great deal of notoriety and was well-liked due to his simple and earnest demeanor. He didn’t put up anything that he couldn’t back up. He was as genuine as they come…well, at least in Washington, DC.

Truman was selected to step in as Roosevelt’s running mate in the 1944 Presidential Election, so the role of Vice-President was fairly new to him when Roosevelt died in ’45. However, the role of “leader” was something that Truman had lived for many years prior.

As President, one of Truman’s most memorable moments came in 1948 during his reelection campaign, when he shocked his critics by defeating heavily-favored Thomas E. Dewey. The photograph of Truman holding the morning headline of “Dewey Defeats Truman,” has gone down as one of the most famous in our history.

Truman tried to follow up Roosevelt’s “New Deal” programs with an agenda dubbed as “The Fair Deal,” which highlighted efforts to improve the economy, embolden the daily lives of the citizens, and institute certain Civil Rights initiatives. The latter turned out to be a dividing line within the Democratic Party, and one that ultimately caused the party to split along sectional lines. Still, some feel that he did not do enough to promote the Civil Rights agenda following World War II. Regardless, Truman is highly-regarded due to his desegregation of our Armed Forces. His veto of the Taft-Hartley Act and his dismissal of General Douglas MacArthur were two of his more “unpopular” moves.

After overseeing the Allied victory in the final days of the war, Truman participated in the post-war plans to rebuild Europe and punish the Axis. Yet, the biggest decision of all was the one he made in regard to using the Atomic Bomb on Japan, ultimately bringing the Empire to surrender and ending World War II for good.

There would be the Marshall Plan (which detailed a rebuilding program for war-torn Europe), the establishment of the United Nations and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), along with the Truman Doctrine which was aimed at containing the spread of Communism in the early stages of the Cold War. Truman also sent troops to Korea in hopes of stopping the Communist insurgency in the region. This set a major precedent for America’s role in the world, specifically in parts of Asia.

On the quirky side of things, Truman was one of only a few Presidents who allowed their mother-in-law to live with them inside the White House. Truman’s life was a literal nightmare by trying to live with Bess’s mother. She had never approved of Harry as a “suitable” husband for her daughter, even after he became President. She often told him (quite bluntly) how she felt about his “shortcomings,” and even went so far as to support his political opponents, discussing her support for them within earshot of the President. 

Notable Quotations: “Boys, if you ever pray, pray for me now. I don’t know if you fellas ever had a load of hay fall on you, but when they told me what happened yesterday, I felt like the moon, the stars, and all the planets had fallen on me,” (upon assuming the Presidency after F.D.R. passed away).

“A President either is constantly on top of events, or if he hesitates, events will soon be on top of him.”

“If you don’t have a sense of humor, you’re in a hell of a fix when you are President of the United States.”

“The President hears a hundred voices telling him that he is the greatest man in the world. He must listen carefully indeed to hear the one voice that tells him he is not.”

“I’m going to fight hard. I’m going to give them hell.” (the source for his nickname “Give ‘em Hell Harry”)

“Men make history, and not the other way around. In periods where there is no leadership, society stands still. Progress occurs when courageous, skillful leaders seize the opportunity to change things for the better.” 

Famous Slogans/Phrases: “If you can’t stand the heat, then you had better get out of the kitchen.”

“The buck stops here.”

#11: Harry S. Truman

#11: Harry S. Truman (1945-1953)

#12: John F. Kennedy (1961-1963)

#13: Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921)

#14: James K. Polk (1845-1849)

#15: Lyndon B. Johnson (1963-1969)

#16: George W. Bush (2001-2009)

#17: John Adams (1797-1801)

#18: William McKinley (1897-1901)

#19: William Taft (1909-1913)

#21/20: Grover Cleveland (1885-89/1893-97)

#22: George H.W. Bush (1989-1993)

#23: Herbert Hoover (1929-1933)

#24: Martin Van Buren (1837-1841)

#25: John Quincy Adams (1825-1829)

#26: Rutherford B. Hayes (1877-1881)

#27: Gerald Ford (1974-1977)

#28: Calvin Coolidge (1923-1929)

#29: Zachary Taylor (March 1849-July 1850)

#30: Benjamin Harrison (1889-1893)

#31: Chester Arthur (1881-1885)

#32: Jimmy Carter (1977-1981)

#33: John Tyler (1841-1845)

#34: Ulysses S. Grant (1869-1877)

#35: Millard Fillmore (1850-1853)

#36: Franklin Pierce (1853-1857)

#37: James Buchanan (1857-1861)

#38: Richard Nixon (1969-1974)

#39: Bill Clinton (1993-2001)

#40: Warren Harding (March 1921-August 1923)

#41: Andrew Johnson (1865-1869)

#42*: James Garfield (March 1881-September 1881)

#43*: William Henry Harrison (March 1841-April 1841)