Harry S. Truman owned a men's clothing shop that almost went bankrupt
After high school, Truman didn't stay in college for very long. Instead, he worked a number of odd jobs and assisted with the family farm before eventually enlisting in the National Guard, which he left in 1911. He returned to the battlefield in 1917 and served in France during World War I. He and a friend, Eddie Jacobson, made the decision to start a haberdashery in Kansas City after they got home. The shop only lasted three years before the partners were forced to close it in 1922 as a result of the difficult postwar economy. He co-owned a men's clothing company in Kansas City from 1919 to 1922 with Eddie Jacobson, a comrade from the war. During the postwar recession, the store failed. Truman's repayment of his debt to creditors took 15 years. He declined to file for bankruptcy to get the debt forgiven. Truman nearly escaped bankruptcy, and through perseverance and a long period of time, he was able to settle his portion of the store's debts.
Fortunately, Truman was considering a political career. He was encouraged to compete for an administrative judge seat in Jackson County, Missouri, by Democrat Thomas Pendergast, the man in charge of the city's politics and the uncle of a wartime friend. After losing his bid for reelection, he was chosen two years later to serve as presiding judge. He did so for two terms before moving on to the Senate.
