Democratic Convention Ousts Henry Wallace, Party Bosses Install Truman

The Democratic National Convention in Chicago replaces Vice President Henry Wallace with Senator Harry Truman on July 21, 1944, in a backroom deal orchestrated by conservative party bosses and corporate interests despite Wallace’s overwhelming popularity with convention delegates. The manipulation ensures that when Roosevelt dies less than a year later, the presidency passes to a candidate more acceptable to business and Southern Democratic interests.

Henry Wallace, Roosevelt’s Vice President since 1941, is the most progressive figure in the administration. He champions racial equality, labor rights, and international cooperation through the United Nations. He warns against the “American fascism” of corporate monopoly power and advocates for what he calls the “Century of the Common Man.” These positions make him anathema to conservative Democrats, Southern segregationists, and corporate interests.

Democratic National Committee Chairman Robert Hannegan and oil executive Edwin Pauley lead the campaign to dump Wallace. Pauley, treasurer of the DNC and a major oil industry figure, threatens to cut off party funding if Wallace remains on the ticket. They convince the ailing Roosevelt to write an ambiguous letter stating he would be “very glad to run” with either Wallace or Truman, giving cover for the switch.

At the convention, Wallace initially holds a commanding lead. When it becomes clear he might win on the first ballot despite opposition from party bosses, Hannegan orders the convention adjourned, citing fire safety concerns. Overnight, political machines work the delegates, promising patronage and applying pressure. The next day, on a second ballot influenced by backroom dealing, Truman narrowly prevails.

Roosevelt dies on April 12, 1945. Instead of Henry Wallace, the champion of labor and civil rights, Harry Truman becomes president. Truman’s administration takes a harder line against the Soviet Union, drops atomic bombs on Japan, initiates loyalty programs targeting suspected communists, and supports the Taft-Hartley Act. The 1944 convention represents a decisive turning point where corporate and conservative Democrats successfully captured the party’s future direction.