After ending World War II with two nuclear bombs, President Harry Truman was tasked with putting the world back together. Truman and his administration worked to ensure lasting peace by overseeing the creation of NATO, the state of Israel, and global institutions designed to connect economies and security interests. Today, the future of NATO, Israel, and the post-war global order hangs in the balance. Kurt Graham will discuss Truman’s legacy and how it affects choices that we are making in the world today.
Kurt Graham is a public historian and director of the Truman Presidential Library and Museum. Previously, he directed the Church History Museum in Salt Lake City, Utah as well as the McCracken Research Library at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming. He was formerly a member of the history faculty at California State University, San Bernardino. He received a Ph.D. in American History from Brown University and holds a B.A. and an M.A. from BYU in English and American Studies, respectively.