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Truman.

Then, on Monday, the day of the funeral, I was working in the executive wing while the services were going on at the other end of the White House. I was really very close to the inner circle, was part of the inner circle. Truman had his first press conference, I guess, on Tuesday. I had said to him in the afternoon, “What are you going to do by way of preparation?” He said, well, he thought he was up to date on what was going on, etc. I said, “No, I mean, wouldn't it be helpful if some of your staff people started asking you questions, of the kind they think you'll get from the press?”

This was a new idea to him.

A novel idea. He said, “Well, yes, I guess so. Would you be a part of it?” I said sure. So, a group of us sat around, asking him questions, about an hour before the press conference. In fact, I was sitting behind his desk, I think with Admiral [Ernest J.] King and John Schneider, Leonard Reinsch, and a number of Truman's close friends, either from the Hill or from the administration. We were asking him questions, the kind we thought he might get. In those days, the press conferences were held in the Oval Office.

Could you recall some of the questions you asked?

I don't recall what they were, no, but they were the obvious things. Some of them had to do with appointments, some of them had to do with policies having to do with the post-war period, etc. Because the big talk at that time was post-war planning. Matt [Matthew I.] Connelly, I think, his press secretary -- or, his personal secretary -- came in