Truman Anniversary Concert, Inc. Records

The records of the Truman Anniversary Concert, Inc. consist of printed materials, reports, financial statements, minutes of meetings, and other documents regarding the operation and production of the Truman Anniversary Concert.

Size: Less than 1 linear foot (about 800 pages).
Access: Open.
Copyright: No donation of copyright was received with this collection.
Processed by: Lucia Flaim (2008) as part of the Truman Library Internship Program.
Supervising Archivists: Randy Sowell and David Clark.

The Truman Anniversary Concert, Inc. was created in 1984 to honor the centennial of Harry Truman’s birth by staging an annual concert in Independence, Missouri, each May, on or around Truman’s birthday. In view of Truman’s life-long love of music, this was deemed an appropriate way to honor his memory. The corporation consisted of a Board of Directors and an Advisory Board. Within the Board of Directors there were standing committees to deal with the different facets of planning the Truman Anniversary Concert. The Truman Anniversary Concert, Inc. worked in conjunction with the Kansas City Symphony in putting on the concert each May, with all proceeds remaining in the corporation to fund future concerts. Guest performers at the concert included Victor Borge, Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, and (as a narrator) Walter Cronkite. The Truman Anniversary Concert, Inc. was disbanded after the 1996-1997 season

The records of the Truman Anniversary Concert, Inc. consist of printed materials (such as programs, advertising templates, and seating charts), reports, financial statements, minutes of meetings, correspondence, and newspaper clippings regarding the operation and production of the annual Truman Anniversary Concert (TAC).

Several of the files contain templates used for advertising and concert promotion. Templates for various awards, invitations, letterhead and envelopes, location maps, posters, seating arrangements, and ticket order forms are available in the collection.

The collection includes the bylaws for the Truman Anniversary Concert, Inc. These bylaws outline the structure and organization, and also designate the membership, rank, and tasks of the TAC, Inc.

Newspaper clippings are limited to two advertisements promoting the TAC, along with one article showing pictures of patrons attending the reception after one of the concerts.

Correspondence in the collection includes letters of congratulation, letters describing or announcing meetings, and letters concerning the financial operations of the TAC, Inc. Also included in the correspondence file is a list of answers to frequently asked questions about the TAC and the TAC, Inc.

Included among the records are financial statements of the TAC, Inc. The financial statements include statements of assets and liabilities, statements of revenue and expenses, and statements of changes in fund balances and changes in financial position.

The collection includes minutes from meetings of the Board of Directors along with meeting agendas and memos. These minutes record the activities of the Board and the decisions made concerning the TAC.

The collection includes the programs from the Truman Anniversary Concerts from 1984 to 1997. These programs highlight the Kansas City Symphony and the soloists brought in by the TAC, Inc. for the annual concerts. The programs also include recognition for the many supporters and underwriters of the event.

In addition to the meeting minutes and financial statements are several of the annual reports of the organization. These reports include information about officers, planning, budgeting and finance, marketing, ticket sales and production.

Related collections at the Truman Library include the Harry S. Truman Centennial Collection.