James A. Aylward

James A. Aylward was a Kansas City lawyer and political figure whose most consequential role in the book is the part he played in Harry S. Truman’s rise to the United States Senate. Though considered a strong potential candidate himself, Aylward did not want to leave his law practice or spend less time with his family. Instead, he urged Tom Pendergast to back Truman, a candidate who had not previously appeared on the organization’s list. Aylward’s intervention helped turn a reluctant choice into the 1934 Senate campaign.

A Potential Candidate Who Declined

When Pendergast sought a Senate candidate in 1934, Aylward was the third serious possibility he considered. James Reed had been approached first, largely as a courtesy; after Reed declined, Pendergast turned to Joe Shannon, who also refused. Aylward, by contrast, was widely regarded as a formidable prospect. His name had repeatedly appeared in newspaper speculation, and those around the organization agreed he could have been a strong candidate and a first-rate senator if elected.

Aylward nevertheless had no desire for the life the office would require. He told Pendergast that he did not want to go to Washington, leave his family, or give up his law practice. His refusal closed off the organization’s most serious remaining option, but it did not remove him from the decision. In the discussion that followed, he became an advocate for another candidate rather than a candidate himself.

Truman’s Unexpected Nomination

It was Jim Pendergast who suggested Truman, whose name had not been on anyone’s list up to that point. Tom Pendergast was skeptical that Truman could win a Senate election. Aylward enthusiastically disagreed and persisted alongside Jim until Pendergast gave his approval. The exchange marked a consequential change in the organization’s calculations: Truman was not the natural first choice, but Aylward’s confidence helped make him an acceptable one.

The practical work of recruiting Truman began in early May. While Truman was on a speaking tour, he received a call from Jim Pendergast asking him to meet at the Bothwell Hotel in Sedalia. Aylward was there with Jim, and the three sat in a corner of the hotel lobby. Truman did not know what the meeting concerned until he was told that Tom Pendergast wanted him to run for the Senate. Aylward assured him that Pendergast was overwhelmingly behind him. Truman asked what the remaining reservation was, but was told that the organization’s support was real.

Truman asked for time to think. Aylward and Jim Pendergast told him that he should run for the good of the party, and Truman agreed. He also explained that he was broke. Aylward and Jim each gave him $500 to get started. The candidacy was announced on May 14, 1934. Aylward’s contribution was therefore more than a favorable opinion: he helped secure Pendergast’s assent, took part in the direct appeal to Truman, and supplied some of the initial campaign money.

Political Judgment and Continuing Contact

Aylward’s support mattered in part because Pendergast did not initially share his confidence in Truman. The account of the nomination presents Aylward as an advocate who was willing to press the case even after the organization’s leading figure questioned whether Truman was electable. The evidence does not describe Aylward’s broader political program, but in this decision he helped move the organization beyond its better-known prospective candidates and toward a man who had not been under consideration until Jim Pendergast raised his name.

Aylward’s contact with Truman continued after the campaign. During a Senate contest over whether Alben W. Barkley or Pat Harrison would become majority leader, the White House wanted Truman to support Barkley. Tom Pendergast contacted Truman about the vote, and Truman also reported that Aylward had phoned him. Truman had already promised Harrison his support and said he could not go back on his word. He described refusing Tom Pendergast as one of the hardest things he had ever done; Aylward’s call was another part of the pressure surrounding the choice. The episode places Aylward within Truman’s continuing political network, while also showing the limit of that network’s influence: Truman kept his prior commitment.

Narrative Role

Aylward’s appearances trace a shift from possible nominee to political sponsor. His own reluctance to seek office did not mean political withdrawal; instead, he used his standing in the organization to support Truman, whose prospects Pendergast initially doubted. The hotel-lobby meeting, the appeal to party duty, and the two $500 contributions make that support concrete. Later, Aylward’s call during the Barkley-Harrison contest shows their connection persisting within Senate politics, where Truman’s personal promises could outweigh pressure from political allies.