One of the seminal leaders of the 20th century was Missouri born and raised. Harry S.Truman grew up in Independence, Missouri, and during World War I fought in France as a captain in the Field Artillery. Returning home, he opened a haberdashery in Kansas City, Missouri and was later elected as a Jackson County official in 1922. Truman was elected to the United States Senate from Missouri in 1934 and gained national distinction as chairman of the Truman Committee aimed at reducing waste and inefficiency in wartime contracts.