ORDINANCE NO. 250888
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Sponsor: Councilmember Nathan Willett
Naming the recently completed terminal at Kansas City International Airport the “Harry S. Truman Terminal” in honor of former President Harry S. Truman, a native of Missouri, in recognition of his global and local significance.
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WHEREAS, the City of Kansas City desires to honor the legacy of President Harry Truman, the 33rd President of the United States, and seeks to greater reflect the President’s global and local significance at the Kansas City International Airport (MCI); and
WHEREAS, after his much-lauded service as a Captain in World War I, Harry S. Truman returned to Kansas City and opened a haberdashery with life-long friend Eddie Jacobson, on the northwest corner of 12th and Baltimore, which survived for only a few years before Truman decided to enter the world of politics; and
WHEREAS, Harry S. Truman served as Jackson County Judge before successfully running for the U.S. Senate, which would take him to the Vice Presidency and Presidency of the United States, and helped build much of the current infrastructure and iconic institutions that Kansas City depends on today, including Jackson County’s road and water systems, the U.S. General Post Office, the Jackson County Courthouse, where he served as the County Magistrate, Kansas City’s City Hall and Police Headquarters, Municipal Auditorium, and the Liberty Memorial; and
WHEREAS, President Harry S. Truman maintained strong relationships with many of Kansas City’s iconic institutions including the Federal Reserve, where he held an office, the U.S. Courthouse, Commerce Bank, Kansas City Southern, the Muehlbach Hotel, Savoy Grill, the Kansas City School of Law, the Kansas City Star, the Liberty Memorial, and Union Station; and
WHEREAS, President Harry S. Truman laid the groundwork for modern domestic and international aviation policy, establishing the Air Policy Commission, Congressional Aviation Policy Board, and signing the Bermuda Agreement with the United Kingdom, while also creating the United States Air Force as an independent branch of the military; and
WHEREAS, President Harry S. Truman is credited with ending World War II, desegregating the Armed Services and federal workforce, creating the first-of-its-kind Committee on Civil Rights, and successfully advocating for the establishment of NATO and the Marshall Plan, which helped provide for the collective security of Western Europe, promote democracy and rebuild post-World War II Europe; and
WHEREAS, the City of Kansas City recognizes President Harry S. Truman as one of the most consequential figures in the history of our City, State, and Country; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KANSAS CITY:
Section A. That the name “Harry S. Truman Terminal” be established for the recently completed terminal at Kansas City International Airport, in recognition of the lifetime of service of former President Harry S. Truman.
Section B. That related contributions toward the installation of a statue on the site be made with District One Public Improvements Advisory Committee (PIAC) Funds, up to $150,000.00.
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Approved as to form:
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Charlotte Ferns
Senior Associate City Attorney