Kemper 's history was intertwined with that of Harry S. Truman . Truman 's father , John Anderson Truman , traded grain commodities futures alongside Kemper until John Truman lost his fortune . John took Harry , then a teenager , to the local Democratic functions in Kansas City where Kemper was also in attendance . Kemper arranged for Truman to be a page at the 1900 Democratic National Convention in Kansas City . As a young man Harry would go to work in the National Bank of Commerce , 1903 – 1905 , where Kemper was a director . In 1934 during Truman 's first run for the United States Senate , Kemper bought the assets of the failed Continental National Bank which included the mortgage on Truman 's failed haberdashery and in turn allowed Truman to retire it for $ 1,000 ( while at the same time also contributing $ 1,000 to Truman 's campaign )
1900 Democratic National Convention
1900 Democratic National Convention
William Thornton Kemper Sr.