Harry S Truman (1884-1972)

Harry S. Truman was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. As the 34th vice president in 1945, he assumed the presidency upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt that year. Subsequently, Truman implemented the Marshall Plan in the aftermath of World War II to rebuild the economy of Western Europe, and established both the Truman Doctrine and NATO to contain the expansion of Soviet communism. A member of the Democratic Party, he proposed numerous New Deal coalition liberal domestic reforms, but few were enacted by the conservative coalition that dominated the United States Congress.

Quotes

Carry the battle to them. Don't let them bring it to you.
We believe that all men are created equal because they are created in the image of God.
A pessimist is one who makes difficulties of his opportunities and an optimist is one who makes opportunities of his difficulties.
Whenever the press quits abusing me I know I'm in the wrong pew. I don't mind it because when they throw bricks at me-I'm a pretty good shot myself and I usually throw 'em back at 'em.
I learned that a great leader is a man who has the ability to get other people to do what they don't want to do and like it.
If you cannot convince them, confuse them.
I have found the best way to give advice to your children is to find out what they want and then advise them to do it.

Advice, Children
Once a government is committed to the principle of silencing the voice of opposition, it has only one way to go, and that is down the path of increasingly repressive measures, until it becomes a source of terror to all its citizens and creates a country where everyone lives in fear.
I always remember an epitaph which is in the cemetery at Tombstone, Arizona. It says: 'Here lies Jack Williams. He done his damnedest.' I think that is the greatest epitaph a man can have - When he gives everything that is in him to do the job he has before him. That is all you can ask of him and that is what I have tried to do.
Take a two-mile walk every morning before breakfast.

Morning
I never did give anybody hell. I just told the truth, and they thought it was hell.
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.
We can never tell what is in store for us.
It's a recession when your neighbor loses his job; it's a depression when you lose yours.
When you have an efficient government, you have a dictatorship.
I never did give anybody hell. I just told the truth and they thought it was hell.
All my life, whenever it comes time to make a decision, I make it and forget about it.
If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.
If there is one basic element in our Constitution, it is civilian control of the military.
Nixon is a shifty-eyed goddamn liar....He's one of the few in the history of this country to run for high office talking out of both sides of his mouth at the same time and lying out of both sides.