KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Truman Library Institue will officially open its new location at Rockhurst University Thursday morning. The Institute fills a space located inside the university’s parking garage at 5151 Troost Ave., Ste. 300. A media event will take place in the space at 11 a.m., at which both Rockhurst and Truman Library Institute leaders will speak. Kansas City Mayor Sly James is also expected to speak at the event.

The move for the library is “part of a strategic move to expand the Truman footprint in the heart of Kansas City,” per a press release from the Truman Library Institute. The Institute is the nonprofit partner of the federally-operated Harry S. Truman Library and Museum, located in Independence, Missouri.

“This move comes at an exciting time in the Truman Library Institute’s history and provides an extraordinary opportunity to expand our programming in Kansas City,” said Clyde Wendel, board chair of the Truman Library Institute. “The location in the midst of our community’s two urban universities opens the door to entirely new audiences. We look forward to sharing Harry Truman’s legacy and the Institute’s mission with a wider audience.

For Rockhurst students, the opening of the library allows students to have another on-campus resource for education and professional development. “Our new location provides new internship opportunities for both student bodies,” Wendel said.

Rockhurst president, Thomas B. Curran, S.J., believes that the partnership with the Institue is a beneficial one. “The educational mission of the Truman Library Institute fits nicely with the mission of Rockhurst University, and we anticipate new areas of partnership that will enrich the learning environment for our students, faculty and staff,” Curran said. “We are honored to have the legacy of our hometown president present on our campus.”

Programming, educational opportunities and enhanced visibility will be the Insitute’s main focus on Rockhurst’s campus. “This move brings about a new era for the Truman Library Institute, with exciting opportunities to expand visibility and programming in the Kansas City area,” Wendel said. “We look forward to advancing Harry Truman’s legacy in this beautiful new space and beyond.”

More information about the Truman Library Institute can be found on its website.

Interested in joining the Sentinel staff? Reach out to our Editor-in-Chief, Ryan Crawford, at [email protected] to see how you can get involved.