President Truman Appoints Firestone to USO Board of

President Truman Appoints Firestone to USO Board of Directors

President Harry S. Truman appoints Firestone Tire and Rubber Company President Harvey S. Firestone Jr. to the board of directors of the USO to support the morale of the American armed forces.

HARRY S. TRUMAN, Typed Letter Signed, to Harvey S. Firestone Jr., February 18, 1949, Washington, D.C. 1 p., 8ʺ x 10.5ʺ, on "The White House / Washington" stationery. Very good.

Excerpt
"I can assure you that I am most appreciative of your willingness to participate in this public enterprise. The effective operation of the United Services Organizations is, in my opinion, of the utmost importance to the physical, moral, and spiritual welfare of the young men and women of the Armed Services."

Historical Background
The United Services Organization Inc. (USO) was founded in 1941 as a nonprofit charitable corporation that provided live entertainment to members of the United States Armed Forces. It originally brought together six civilian organizations to support U.S. troops: Salvation Army, YMCA, YWCA, National Catholic Community Service, National Travelers Aid Association, and National Jewish Welfare Board.

After serving members of the armed forces during World War II, the USO disbanded in 1947 but President Harry S. Truman revived it in 1949 for the peacetime military and it soon served the military personnel fighting in the Korean War. From the beginning, Hollywood was eager to show its patriotism, and it supplied many celebrities as USO entertainers.

At their first meeting for the reactivated agency, the new directors elected Firestone as president and Lindsley F. Kimball (1894-1992), vice president of the Rockefeller Foundation, as chairman of the executive committee. Firestone continued to serve on the USO board until his death, reappointed to the board successively by Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon.

Harry S. Truman (1884-1972) was born in Missouri and joined the Missouri National Guard in 1905. He served in World War I as a lieutenant and then captain in the 129th Field Artillery in France. Truman first won elective office in 1922, winning a judge’s seat on the Jackson County Court. After serving several terms, Truman was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1934, and in 1940 gained national attention for his chairmanship of the Senate Special Committee to Investigate the National Defense Program, which was eventually nicknamed "The Truman Committee." Truman continued his political rise in 1944, when he was elected Vice-President as Franklin D. Roosevelt's running mate. After only 82 days as Vice President, Truman was thrust into the Presidency when Roosevelt died unexpectedly. His inheritance was a world at war. Germany had surrendered, but Japan refused to give up the war. Truman, in a desperate move to avoid having to invade the Japanese mainland, ordered the deployment of two atomic bombs. They were dropped on August 6 and August 9, 1945. Japan surrendered on August 14, 1945. As President, Truman waged an undeclared war on the Soviet Union, drafting the "Truman Doctrine," which proclaimed the United States' willingness to provide aid to countries resisting communism. The Marshall Plan sought to strengthen the European economy in the hopes that this program, too, would prevent the spread of Soviet influence. Elected President for a full term in 1948, he also brought United States troops into the Korean War (1950-1953). In addition to his cold war activities, Truman’s administration expanded the New Deal and promoted Civil Rights initiatives.

Harvey S. Firestone Jr. (1898-1973) was born in Ohio to Harvey S. Firestone (1868-1938), the founder and owner of the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company. The younger Firestone served as a naval aviator during World War I. He graduated from Princeton University in 1920, and his father placed him in charge of his company's steel products division. In 1921, he married Elizabeth Parke (1897-1990), and they had four children. In 1941, he took over leadership of the company and guided its operations during World War II. He continued as chairman of the board of directors until 1966. In 1950, the Firestone Company, along with General Motors and Standard Oil, were charged and convicted of criminal conspiracy for purchasing streetcar systems throughout the United States, dismantling them, and replacing them with buses. In 1951, the Firestone Company received the defense contract for the MGM-5 Corporal missile.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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