Harry Truman’s Excellent Adventure: The True Story of a Great American Road Trip

Tuesday, April 4 | 4:30pm | Auditorium

Matthew Algeo Author & Journalist

From Missouri to New York and back again, author Matthew Algeo recounts the amazing journey of a former president and his wife and their amusing, failed attempts to keep a low profile. In the summer of 1953, just five months after leaving the White House, Harry and Bess Truman drove themselves back East to visit their daughter Margaret. Diners, bellhops, and cabbies shouted out “Hiya, Harry!” whenever they recognized the former president. Along the way there are brief detours into topics such as the postwar American auto industry, McCarthyism, the development of the nation’s highway system, and the decline of Main Street America. By the end of the 2,500-mile journey, you will have a new and heartfelt appreciation for America’s last citizen-president.

About the Speaker

Matthew Algeo writes about interesting stuff. 

​Or, as his mom liked to say, Matthew is an award-winning journalist and author. He has reported from four continents, and his stories have appeared on some of the most popular public radio programs in the United States.

​He is the author of six books, including Harry Truman’s Excellent Adventure: The True Story of a Great American Road Trip, which was named one of the best books of 2009 by the Washington Post.

In addition to reporting and writing, Matthew has held jobs as a convenience store clerk, a gas station attendant, a Halloween costume salesman, and a proofreader. He also worked in a traveling circus (as a hot dog vendor; no acrobatics involved).

​Matthew holds a degree in folklore from the University of Pennsylvania. His wife, Allyson, is a United States Foreign Service officer. They have lived in Bamako, Rome, Ulan Bator, and Maputo. They currently live in Virginia with their nine-year-old daughter Zaya.

Buy In-Person TicketsBuy Livestream Tickets

Go to Lectures