Margaret Truman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Margaret Truman
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Truman in 1951
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| Born | Mary Margaret Truman February 17, 1924 Independence, Missouri, U.S. |
| Died | January 29, 2008 (aged 83) Chicago, Illinois U.S. |
| Resting place | Truman Library, Independence, Missouri, U.S. |
| Occupation | Singer Writer Historian |
| Alma mater | George Washington University (BA) |
| Genre | Mystery fiction Biography Autobiography |
| Years active | 1947–2008 |
| Spouse |
Clifton Daniel
(m. 1956; died 2000) |
| Children | 4, including Clifton |
| Parent(s) | |
Margaret Truman Daniel (born February 17, 1924, died January 29, 2008) was an American singer, actress, journalist, and writer. She was also a well-known person in New York society. She was the only child of President Harry S. Truman and First Lady Bess Truman.
While her father was president from 1945 to 1953, Margaret often traveled with him. She joined him on campaign trips, like the 1948 "whistle-stop" tour across the country. She also attended important events at the White House. The media liked her very much during these years.
After finishing college in 1946, she started a career as a singer. Her first concert was with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in 1947. She sang with orchestras and gave concerts all over the United States until 1956. She also made recordings and appeared on TV shows.
In 1957, Margaret stopped singing to become a journalist and radio host. She co-hosted a show called Weekday with Mike Wallace. She also wrote articles for different magazines in the 1960s and 1970s. Later, she became a very successful author. She wrote many murder mystery books. She also wrote books about U.S. First Ladies and First Families. Her biographies of her father, President Harry S. Truman, and mother, Bess Truman, were very popular.
She was married to journalist Clifton Daniel, who was an editor at The New York Times. They had four children. Margaret and Clifton were important people in New York society. They often hosted events for other well-known New Yorkers.
Contents
Growing Up in Independence
Mary Margaret was born in Independence, Missouri, on February 17, 1924. She was named Mary Margaret Truman. But everyone called her Margaret from a young age. She went to school in Independence.
In 1934, her father was elected to the United States Senate. After that, she split her schooling between Washington, D.C., and Independence.
In 1942, she started attending George Washington University. She was part of the Pi Beta Phi group there. She earned a degree in history in 1946. In 1944, she helped launch the battleship USS Missouri. She spoke again in 1986 when the ship was put back into service. She also studied singing in New York City. Her teacher was Estelle Liebling, who also taught famous singer Beverly Sills.
Her Exciting Career
Singing on Stage
After training her voice, Margaret Truman began her singing career. Her first radio concert was in March 1947. Soon after, she had her first professional concert with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. She sang professionally for the next ten years. She performed with major American orchestras. She also went on several concert tours across the country.
She sang with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl. She also performed with the National Symphony Orchestra and the NBC Symphony Orchestra. Other orchestras included the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Saint Louis Symphony. She never performed in full operas on stage. However, she did sing opera songs in her concerts. Her performances mostly included classical songs and German lieder.
In the early 1950s, RCA Victor released two albums by Margaret. One had classical songs, and the other had American art songs. She also recorded German lieder for NBC. In 1951, Time Magazine featured her on its cover. She continued to perform on stage, radio, and television until 1956.
At first, critics wrote good things about her singing. Some people later thought that critics were being extra polite. This was because her father was the President. But in 1950, a music critic named Paul Hume wrote a less positive review. He said Margaret was "extremely attractive on the stage" but "cannot sing very well." This made President Truman very upset. He wrote a strong letter to Hume. This letter became a big news story around the world. After that, other critics felt more free to give honest reviews.
Acting and Journalism
Margaret Truman also tried acting. Her first professional acting role was on April 26, 1951. She acted with James Stewart in a radio show called Screen Directors Playhouse. In 1952, she was a guest singer on The Railroad Hour.
She also appeared on the NBC Radio show The Big Show. There, she met writer Goodman Ace. He gave her advice and became a lifelong friend. In 1955, she joined the team of NBC Radio's Weekday show. She worked with Mike Wallace. They presented news and interviews for women listeners.
Margaret also appeared on the game show What's My Line? several times. She was a panelist and a mystery guest. She also guest-starred on The Martha Raye Show. In 1957, she sang and played piano on The Gisele MacKenzie Show.
Becoming an Author
Margaret Truman wrote a full book about her father. It was published just before he died in 1972. This book was highly praised by critics. She also wrote a personal book about her mother. She wrote histories about the White House and the people who lived there. This included first ladies and presidential pets. Margaret continued to publish books into her eighties.
Mystery Novels
From 1980 to 2011, 25 mystery books were published under Margaret Truman's name. These books were part of the Capital Crimes series. Most of them were set in and around Washington, D.C.
A professional writer named Donald Bain later said that he wrote many of these novels. He mentioned that he was a close helper to Margaret Truman.
Important Roles
Margaret Truman served on the board of directors for the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum. She was also on the Board of Governors of the Roosevelt Institute. She served as a Trustee for her college, George Washington University.
Family Life
On April 21, 1956, Margaret Truman married Clifton Daniel. He was a reporter for The New York Times. They were married at Trinity Episcopal Church in Independence. Clifton Daniel passed away in 2000.
They had four sons:
- Clifton Truman Daniel (born June 5, 1957). He is the Director of Public Relations for Harry S Truman College.
- William Wallace Daniel (May 19, 1959 – September 4, 2000). He worked as a social worker and researcher.
- Harrison Gates Daniel (born 1963).
- Thomas Washington Daniel (born 1966).
Later Years
In her later life, Margaret Truman lived in her home in New York City. She passed away on January 29, 2008, in Chicago. She was moving to Chicago to be closer to her son Clifton. Her ashes and her husband's ashes were buried in Independence. They are in her parents' burial plot at the Truman Library.
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