Weary from the end of the Second World War, then President Harry S. Truman needed rest and a temperate climate to recover from a lasting cold. He settled on the former Naval Station in Key West and spent about 175 days of his presidency at what became his winter holiday getaway. Now known as the , it鈥檚 Florida鈥檚 only Presidential museum.
Over 70 years after the end of Truman鈥檚 presidency, his legacy lives on in his grandson. Clifton Truman Daniel, a retired journalist and part-time actor, will bring President Truman鈥檚 story to life by portraying his grandfather in the one-man, one-act play, Give 鈥楨m Hell, Harry! on Feb. 18 and 19.
Daniel said his work as an actor and family historian has been 鈥渢he weirdest retirement plan ever.鈥�
鈥淚 never expected to be playing my own grandfather,鈥� Daniel said. But, he admitted, he loves doing it. 鈥淚t gets me to new places, meet new people, be on stage. It also resonates today.鈥�
Daniel hears exclamations of shock from audiences when he delivers certain lines from the play.
鈥淢y grandfather always said 鈥楾here's nothing new in the world but the history you don't already know,'鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd it's true.鈥�
With what Daniel called a 鈥榝raught election鈥� coming up, he hopes that the events at the Little White House will entertain and inform Key West audiences.
The play is part of a series of President鈥檚 Day weekend events put on by The Key West Harry S. Truman Foundation and The Society of Presidential Descendants that will benefit the Little White House.
The presidential descendants' forum, set to take place the day before the first performance of Give 鈥楨m Hell, Harry!, will convene six descendants of former Presidents throughout history. The panelists include James Carter鈥檚 grandson, Ulysses S. Grant鈥檚 great-great grandson, Dwight D. Eisenhower鈥檚 granddaughter Grover Cleveland鈥檚 great-great grandson and the great-granddaughter of William Howard Taft.
They鈥檒l discuss the powerful influence of the presidential office, election tactics, how each former President might advise the current electorate and how each of their ancestors ran their campaigns.
鈥淢y grandfather鈥檚 strategy, for example, being on a train and taking several whistlestop tours of the U.S. and just speaking to people anywhere they could,鈥� Daniel said. 鈥淏ut each president that鈥檚 represented at the event this year had their own strategies.鈥�
Daniel grew up in New York but took several trips with his grandparents to the Florida Keys, spending time in the sun. He recalled one lunch at the Truman Little White House where a young Daniel turned his nose up at the chefs serving artichoke.
鈥淚 thought, this thing has spikes on it, this is not food,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檝e loved artichokes ever since but it was a weird experience.鈥�
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When Key West used to be a prominent naval base, Daniel and his family were able to tour a diesel-powered submarine, an experience that would feed any child鈥檚 wonder.
Those fond memories, coupled with his desire to fundraise for the Little White House, keep Daniel coming back.
鈥淣o offense to all the other theaters that I've done the show, but I don't think I've ever had any more fun than doing it in Key West,鈥� he said.
The delight of having chickens run across the front of the stage, waving to tourists in airplanes that fly overhead, and indulging in the sunshine and open bar are all draws for him.
鈥淭he weather's nice. It's outside. It's the Truman Little White House. I'm playing my grandfather at the place where he spent his working vacations,鈥� Daniel said. 鈥淗e wrote to my grandmother after his first visit, he said, 鈥榊ou know, I've got a mind to move the government to Key West and just stay.' Needless to say, he couldn't get away with that.鈥�
Presidents' Day Weekend Events Include:
- Presidential Descendants Forum on Saturday Feb. 17 followed by winners announcement of the Monroe County student essay competition
- Harry S. Truman bronze memorial sculpture presentation by master artist Tom Corbin on Sunday, Feb. 18
- President鈥檚 Day cookout on Monday, Feb. 19
Each event is held at the Truman Little White House. Ticket Information here:
