The Harry S. Truman Scholarship is a highly competitive federal scholarship granted to U.S. college juniors for demonstrated leadership potential and a commitment to public service.
The scholarship, in the amount of $30,000, is to go towards a graduate education. Congress created the scholarship in 1975 as a living memorial to the 33rd president of the United States. Instead of a statue, the Truman Scholarship is the official federal memorial to its namesake president. According to the Washington Post, the Truman Scholarship's "sole aim is to pick out people with potential to become leaders—then provide support to help them realize their aspirations."
Each year, 55–60 candidates are named Truman Scholars following a rigorous application process involving essays, recommendations and interviews.
On May 30, 1974, Senator Stuart Symington of Missouri sponsored S.3548, formally titled "A bill to establish the Harry S Truman Memorial Scholarships." Symington held the same Class 1 Senate seat that Truman had held from 1935–1945 before becoming Vice President. The Senate passed the bill on August 2, and the House followed suit on December 17. Two similar House bills, H.R.15138 sponsored by William J. Randall of Missouri and H.R.17481 sponsored by James G. O'Hara of Michigan, were set aside in favor of Symington's bill.
The bill was signed by President Gerald Ford and enacted as Public Law 93-642 on January 4, 1975 and entered the United States Statutes at Large as 88 Stat. 2276–2280, and the United States Code as 20 U.S.C. 2001–2013. It now operates as Program 85.001, governed by 45 CFR 1801 as published in the Code of Federal Regulations in the Federal Register.
The Truman Scholarship is administered by the Harry S Truman Scholarship Foundation, an independent federal executive branch agency. It is governed by a 13-member Board of Trustees headed by President Madeleine Albright, who says the foundation "serves as a gateway for America's public service leaders" and "does a remarkable job of identifying future change agents." The Foundation's operations are overseen by full-time Executive Secretary Dr. Andrew Rich. Its endowment, which takes the form of a federal trust fund held in the U.S. Department of the Treasury, is $55 million. Current Board members include Senator Roy Blunt, Senator Claire McCaskill, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, Congressman Charlie Dent, and Congressman Ted Deutsch.
The scholarship is awarded to approximately 55-65 U.S. college juniors each year on the basis of four criteria: service on campus and in the community, commitment to a career in public service (government, uniformed services, research, education, or public interest/advocacy organizations), communication ability and aptitude to be a "change agent," and academic talent that would assure acceptance to a first-rate graduate school. More broadly, Truman Scholars possess intellect, leadership skills, and passion that would make them a likely force for the public good in any field.
In order to apply for the scholarship, students must first win the nomination of their undergraduate university. Each undergraduate institution in the United States is allowed to nominate up to four students who have attended since freshman year, along with three transfer students. After nomination, annually the Foundation receives 600 applications, of whom between 55-60 will be selected each year. Each nominated application is then examined by a regional review panel, which selects finalists to interview. The interviews are conducted by panels of former Truman scholars, trustees of the board, and notable national public servants. These panelists then make final selections of scholarship winners, generally attempting to choose one from each of the 50 states. No particular career, service interest, or policy field is preferred during the process. Each year, the Truman Scholarship is awarded to one or two students from institutions that have never had a Truman Scholar.
Scholars currently receive an award of $30,000 going toward up to three years of graduate education leading to a career in the public service. Winners also benefit from a network of other scholars through the Truman Scholars Association and lasting friendship, which is encouraged by the Truman Scholars Leadership Week at William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri, and the Truman Library in Independence, Missouri, during which new scholars collaborate on policy projects. Scholars accept a 10-week Summer Institute internship in Washington, D.C., which features additional professional development training. Of this group, a small number continue federal agency jobs for a full year as part of the Truman Albright Fellows program.
Certain graduate and professional schools give some degree of priority and funding to applicants who are Truman Scholars. Truman Scholars are exempt from taking the written section of the U.S. Foreign Service Exam. Scholars also automatically become part of the Truman Scholars Association, the independent alumni association that works to foster additional opportunities and networking for Scholars.
Ernest Calderón (1977), Member of the Arizona Board of Regents Janet Napolitano (1977), Governor of Arizona, 2003–2009, Secretary of Homeland Security under President Barack Obama (2009–2013), President of the University of California (2013–present)Frederick G. Slabach (1977), Texas Wesleyan University President, Dean Emeritus and Professor of Law, Former Executive Secretary of the Truman Scholarship FoundationDwight Dively (1978), Director of Finance for the City of Seattle Awilda R. Marquez (1978), Director of the Department of Excise and Licenses, Denver, ColoradoKeith B. Richburg (1978), Author and correspondent for the Washington Post Robert J. Van Der Velde (1979), Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, Palm Beach State CollegeJeffrey Toobin (1980), senior legal analyst for CNN and staff writer at The New YorkerDavid Adkins (1981), Vice-Chancellor of the University of Kansas Medical Center; Executive Director of the Council of State GovernmentsAndré Bouchard (1981), Chancellor of the Delaware Court of ChanceryBill de Blasio (1981), New York City MayorBill Halter (1981), former Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas and U.S. Senate candidateGeorge Stephanopoulos (1981), former political adviser to Bill Clinton, current Chief Anchor for ABC NewsDavid Cooley (1982), Deputy Governor of TennesseeMatt Crowl (1982), Deputy Chief of Staff to the Mayor of ChicagoLeslie Koch (1982), President of the Governors Island Preservation and Education Corporation Laurel McFarland (1982), Executive Director, National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration Andra Samoa (1982), CEO of American Samoa Power Authority Thomas Sugrue (1982), professor of history and sociology at New York UniversityG. Murray Snow (1982), federal judge for the United States District Court for the District of Arizona.Chris Coons (1983), U.S. Senator for DelawareRuss Dallen (1983), Editor-in-chief of the Latin American Herald Tribune, and previously the Daily JournalDan Gelber, Florida State Senator and Florida Attorney General Candidate.Todd F. Gaziano (1983), Director of the Center for Legal & Judicial Studies at the Heritage Foundation Luis Ubiñas (1983), former President of the Ford FoundationMark Cannon (1984), Chief of Staff, APCO InternationalWilliam W. Mercer (1984), United States Attorney for MontanaDaniel H. Pink (1984), author of A Whole New Mind; former chief speech writer for Vice President GoreSusan E. Rice (1984), U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations; former Assistant Secretary of StateWilliam E. Thro (1984), Solicitor General for the Commonwealth of Virginia, Professor and University Counsel for Christopher Newport University Bob Morgan (1984), President and CEO of the Charlotte Chamber of CommerceWilliam "Brother" Rogers (1985), Assistant Director of Programs Stennis Center for Public Service LeadershipWayne W. Williams (1985), Colorado Secretary of StateNigel Purvis (1985), CEO of Climate Advisers; former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans, Environment & ScienceTed Deutch (1986), Current member of U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 19th congressional district, former Democratic member of the Florida State SenateAutumn Fiester (1986), Senior Fellow at the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania Margot Rogers (1986), Chief of Staff to United States Secretary of Education Arne DuncanMichael W. Welch (1986), Director, National Association of Air Traffic Specialists, Mayor Pro Tempore, North Pole, Alaska, State Deputy of Alaska for the Knights of Columbus Mark Lemley (1986), Professor of Law, Stanford Law SchoolMichelle Alexander (1987), Associate Professor of Law, Ohio State University, civil rights advocate and writerMaryam Banikarim (1987), Chief Marketing Officer at Univision Neil Gorsuch (1987), Circuit Judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth CircuitBrad Lander (1989), Member of the New York City Council, representing the 39th Council District in BrooklynCatherine Sheehan (1989), Deputy Assistant Inspector General at the Department of Justice George Herbert Walker IV (1989), CEO of Neuberger BermanJason Saul (1989), CEO of Mission Measurement, Lecturer of Social Enterprise at Kellogg School of ManagementNoah Feldman (1990), Professor of Law, Harvard Law SchoolAmy Hungerford (1992), Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies of English at Yale UniversityRich Constable (1993), former assistant U.S. attorney, Commissioner of the N.J. Department of Community AffairsMaj. John Carr (1993), former United States Air Force prosecutor at the Guantanamo Bay detainment camp Rodney Martin (1993), Former National Chairman of Reform Party USA and former member of the Arizona Commission of Indian Affairs, Justice, Appeals Court Judge – YAN CourtRachel Paulose (1993), United States Attorney for MinnesotaStacey Abrams (1994), Georgia House Minority Leader, 84th DistrictWilliam J. Dobson (1994), Journalist and Author of The Dictator's Learning Curve.Naomi M. Barry-Perez (1995), Director of the Civil Rights Center, U.S. Department of LaborGlenn O. Brown (1995), former Executive Director of Creative CommonsJohn Cranley (1995), Cincinnati City CouncilmemberDaniel S. 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Founder & President of Islay Consulting LLC.Anton Orlich (1997), Portfolio Manager at CalPERSJedediah Purdy (1996), Author and Professor, Duke University School of LawJustin Phillips (1997), Assistant Professor of Political Science at Columbia UniversityNoam Scheiber (1997), Senior Editor of The New RepublicLeonardo Martinez-Diaz (1998), Deputy Assistant Secretary at United States Department of Treasury, former Fellow and Deputy Director at Brookings InstitutionPeter E. Leckman (1998), Partner, Langer Grogan & Diver, P.C.Leo J. Wise (1998), Chief Counsel, Office of Congressional Ethics, U.S. House of RepresentativesDavid Haskell (2000), Deputy Editor of New York Magazine; Co-founder of Kings County DistilleryMac Schneider (2001), Senator, District 42, North Dakota State SenateJon Favreau (2002), President Barack Obama's Director of SpeechwritingCyrus Habib (2002), 16th Lieutenant Governor of WashingtonHeidi Williams (2002), MacArthur Fellow and Professor in Economics, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyRyan Quarles (2005), State Representative, District 62, Kentucky House of Representatives, 2011–Present. Agriculture Commissioner-Elect, Commonwealth of Kentucky, 2015.Matt Delligatti (2007), Mayor of Fairmont, West VirginiaKesha Ram (2007), Member Vermont House of RepresentativesWarwick Sabin (2007), Member Arkansas House of RepresentativesEmily Calandrelli (2008), Host and producer for Xploration StationMichael Dakduk (2010), Former CEO of Student Veterans of America (SVA)Michael Tubbs (2011), Mayor, Stockton, CaliforniaMichael Long (2013), CEO of SailFutureFrankie Dakin (2013), Alderman of Millington, TN. Youngest elected official in TN.Zach Brown (2012), Member Montana House of RepresentativesTeddy Sims (2016), Second Lieutenant in US Army, Boy Scouts of America Florida Sea Base Island Mate
