The Truman Legacy series returns to The Kansas City Public Library, featuring Sam Rushay and Tom Gerend as they examine Harry Truman the Road Builder: A Look Forward from 1920 to 2040 on Sunday, August 30, at 2 p.m. at the Plaza Branch, 4801 Main St.

As a Jackson County judge (an administrative position), Harry Truman put forward an ambitious public works agenda that served as a basis for much of the local public transportation network still in use today. This program will present Truman’s vision for Jackson County, in addition to discussing his enthusiasm for road building and his fascination with the automobile. Amid plans to revamp the metro area transportation system, Rushay and Gerend will bring together the past and future of area roadways.

Rushay is supervisory archivist for the Harry S. Truman Library & Museum in Independence. Gerend is assistant director for transportation at the Mid-America Regional Council, which is helping to plan an overhaul of the Kansas City area transportation system. 

The Truman Legacy program is a joint project with the Mid-America Regional Council, the Truman Library, and the Truman Center at UMKC.