20 July 1944-FDR is nominated for a 4th Term

Senator Truman and President Roosevelt-1944

When the Democrats convened in Chicago for their 1944 convention, there was little doubt that President Roosevelt would be re-nominated. Since he had already shattered the 2-term tradition in 1940, and the United States was in the midst of fighting World War II, it only seemed logical to re-nominate the current occupant of the White House. The fight came down to the nomination of the Vice President. In 1944 the VP was Henry Wallace, whom Roosevelt liked, and who was also the favorite of the party’s left wing. Wallace’s problems lay with the more conservative Democrats in the South and Midwest, who were becoming alarmed at Wallace’s admiration of the Soviet Union and his unwavering embrace of labor unions. And while not publicly mentioned, there were serious doubts about Roosevelt’s health. Many delegates wondered if Roosevelt would live to finish a fourth Presidential term, so the VP selection became even more critical. By 1944 FDR’s health was in serious decline. 20 years of great physical exertion to overcome his polio handicap, coupled with smoking 2 packs of cigarettes a day, had led to hypertension, emphysema, congestive heart failure, and angina.




FDR wanted to fight for Wallace, but as more and more delegates and party bosses told him that he would lose the vote on Wallace, he reluctantly agreed to their suggestion of Missouri Senator Harry Truman to be VP. Roosevelt barely knew Truman, but the Senator had established a solid reputation as chairman of a Senate committee overseeing fraud and waste in government war contracts. Additionally, Truman was from the moderate Midwest state of Missouri, and was not part of the “lunatic” fringe wing of the Democratic Party.



Roosevelt was not present at the convention, which was common practice in the days before television. He was on his way to Hawaii for a strategy conference with Admiral Nimitz and General MacArthur. This was the last time that a major party nominee would be absent from a Presidential nominating convention.