May 1, 2017
In association with the Leviathan Society of the Northwestern Oklahoma State University Department of Social Sciences and Institute for Citizenship Studies, Dr. Aaron Mason, professor of political science, and Dr. Eric Schmaltz, professor of history, accompanied two students one day during the recent spring break to the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum in Independence, Missouri.
Students included Jacque Ruhl, Alva sophomore, and Aly Gerloff, Freedom sophomore.
“Harry Truman served as our country’s 33rd president from 1945 to 1953,” Mason said. “Replacing Franklin D. Roosevelt, who died after 12 years in office, Truman led the country during a difficult political transition in the last months of the Second World War and the rising Cold War against Communist Russia.”
Besides a tour through the museum, they had the opportunity to meet with Dr. Sam Rushay, the Supervisory Archivist at this site. Rushay also has been a longstanding advisory board member of the NWOSU Institute.
Before departing Independence, the group paid a brief visit to the Truman family home located near the museum.
In early fall 2009, Mason and Schmaltz established the Leviathan Society at Northwestern. This informal group in the Department of Social Sciences encourages students interested in topics on government, politics and history to participate in campus-sponsored activities, events and trips. It mostly consists of students majoring in political science and history, though membership is open to students of all majors.
For more information about the Leviathan Society or the Institute, contact Mason at mason@nwosu.edu or Schmaltz at ejschmaltz@nwosu.edu.
-NW-
Contact for Release
Ali Gavitt, University Relations Specialist
580-327-8480, apgavitt@nwosu.edu
Northwestern students and professors toured the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum in Independence, Missouri, over Spring Break. Pictured are (from left) Aly Gerloff, Jacque Ruhl, Dr. Aaron Mason and Dr. Eric Schmaltz.