He was the man America needed and is the kind of man we need again.

Of course, reaching the pinnacle of your profession just alone makes you successful. We have to always remember that a college degree doesn't mean that you're more intelligent than the next person. A degree is a dime a dozen, especially if you coasted through college. That said, not only did Truman make it, but he became one of our better Presidents. He was plain-spoken, but had grit, vision and determination, all aspects that you need to be successful on the job. And just because he didn't go to college doesn't mean that he wasn't well educated. It was said that Truman was very well-read; in fact, it was claimed that he had read every single book in the Kansas City library. Even at the White House, he was prodigious reader who would take the time to understand all the issues that came across his desk. He simply couldn't go to college because his family hit hard financial times. He was the only US President in the 20th Century to have never received a college diploma. However many of our 19th Century Presidents did not go to college, including Abraham Lincoln.

It might not have been considered as inpressive at the time, but to reach the office of president in the 20th Century with only a high school diploma still seems impressive to me. Of course, today, it probably wouldn't happen