Abraham Lincoln and Harry Truman both served as postmasters.
Abraham Lincoln and Harry S. Truman are presidents of different eras and renown, but they nevertheless share the distinction of being the only two commanders in chief to have served as a town postmaster.
For the 24-year-old Lincoln, the 1833 appointment to postmaster for New Salem, Illinois, supplied a steady pay amid uncertain times, as well as perks that included a free daily newspaper. Lincoln had already failed in a bid for a seat in the state Legislature, and the postmaster job provided an opportunity for him to develop his connections around town by way of personal delivery service, the mail usually carried in his hat.
The job also led to an event that burnished his reputation as a man of unflagging integrity. After the New Salem post office closed in 1836, Lincoln found himself in the care of some $16 to $18 in leftover funds. When a post office agent dropped by a few months later to collect the balance, Honest Abe produced the exact coin pieces from a sock, having refused to touch the money since it fell under his watch.
Unlike Lincoln, Truman never actually undertook the responsibilities of postmaster, although his connection to the role also reflected favorably on his character. Appointed to the position for Grandview, Missouri, in December 1914, Truman immediately passed along the day-to-day tasks — and the paycheck — to a widow who needed the money to support her family. Although he owned a farm and held another job with the town, the not-yet-wealthy future president certainly missed the postmaster salary of approximately $50 per month, noting in his autobiography that it “would have paid two farmhands.”
