KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City, Missouri, City Council passed an ordinance Thursday to officially designate the terminal at Kansas City International Airport (MCI) as the "Harry S Truman Terminal."
KCMO Mayor Quinton Lucas met with representatives from the Harry S. Truman Library Institute back in July about renaming the terminal in the former president’s honor.
"President Harry S Truman represents the very best of Kansas City and Missouri. He was a leader of uncommon courage, integrity, and vision who never forgot where he came from," Lucas said Thursday. "From his early days as a Jackson County Judge building the infrastructure that made our city great, to his presidency that shaped the free world, President Truman's legacy deserves to be celebrated every time someone travels through our airport."
Truman was born in Lamar, Missouri, raised in Independence and fought in World War I as a captain.
After serving in the war, Truman returned to Kansas City and became a Jackson County judge.
He was instrumental in building key infrastructure that remains a part of the city today, including the county's road and water systems, the Jackson County Courthouse, Municipal Auditorium and City Hall.
Truman later became the 33rd president of the United States after the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1945.
Truman's presidency was highlighted by achievements such as establishing the Air Policy Commission and Congressional Aviation Policy Board, creating the United States Air Force as an independent military branch, desegregating the Armed Services and federal workforce, and ending World War II.
The city will spend $150,000 on a statue honoring Truman, identical to the statue located at the U.S. Capitol Rotunda. The statue will be installed at the terminal on an unknown date.
Watch our previous coverage in the video player below.
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