Truman signs the fair-employment executive order for federal civilian employees

Truman’s announcement of the fair-employment executive order for federal civilian employees brought civil rights into the center of the 1948 special session of Congress. Issued alongside a separate order addressing discrimination in the armed forces, it was a direct executive action at a moment when Truman was again asking Congress to advance a broader domestic program.

Background and Setting

Truman had repeatedly pressed Congress for measures it had rejected, and he did not abandon those requests when they met resistance. His approach was evident in his response to congressional rebuffs: he continued to ask rather than changing course. When the special session convened, civil rights was already part of the agenda he intended to put before the lawmakers.

The Announcement

On the opening day of the session, Truman announced without warning that he was issuing executive orders to end discrimination in the armed forces and guarantee fair employment in the civil service. The two actions addressed distinct parts of the federal government: one concerned military service, the other civilian employment. The announcement made the fair-employment order an immediate executive initiative rather than merely another item awaiting congressional action.

The Congressional Response

Truman’s reception when he appeared before Congress the following day was notably cool; some members did not rise as he entered. He presented an eight-point program that included civil rights, along with proposals on consumer credit, taxes, rent and price controls, housing, farm support, education, and the minimum wage. He also sought changes to the Displaced Persons Act, which discriminated against Catholics and Jews. These requests renewed measures he had previously sought and been denied.

Aftermath and Significance

The two-week session accomplished little. Truman had anticipated that outcome, and the larger political effect, as the book describes it, was to make the Republican Congress appear to be an obstacle to social progress and to expose a gap between Republican promises and performance. The fair-employment order thus stood alongside a stalled legislative program: Truman used executive action on federal employment while continuing to press Congress for broader change.