Former Governor Jay Nixon will receive the 2024 Harry S. Truman Public Service Award

The Independence Harry S. Truman Award Commission will present the 2024 Harry S. Truman Public Service Award to former Governor Jay Nixon during the presentation ceremony on Friday, Nov. 22 at 11 a.m. in the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum.

The Harry S. Truman Award, established in 1974 by the City of Independence, is presented annually to an outstanding American citizen who best typifies and possesses the qualities of dedication, industry, ability, honesty, and integrity that distinguished President Harry S. Truman.

"Governor Nixon's impact on Missouri is still felt years after he left office and will continue for decades to come," Mayor Rory Rowland said. "He served as a governor for all Missourians regardless of political party or city size. He was the type of bipartisan leader who could navigate difficult economic downturns, healthcare clashes, and devastating natural disasters. We are honored to add him to the long list of outstanding award winners for the Harry S. Truman Public Service Award."

Nixon is the 50^th recipient of this National Honor and will join the elite list of honorees which includes: former presidents Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford, and Bill Clinton; World War II veteran and U.S. Senator Robert J. Dole; former U.S. senators Roy Blunt, Claire McCaskill, and Patrick Leahy; veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars and former U. S. Senators Jack Danforth and John McCain; as well as patriotic women Coretta Scott King, Margaret Truman Daniel, Mother Clara Hale and Mary Jean Eisenhower, University of California President and former Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, and most recently Esther George the former president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City.

Nixon served as the 55^th governor of Missouri from 2009 to 2017. During his two terms in office, Nixon deftly handled natural disasters, healthcare, economic, and education challenges. Before serving as governor, Nixon was Missouri's 40^th Attorney General and a state senator. As Attorney General, Nixon argued two cases before the U.S. Supreme Court including the landmark Nixon v. Shrink Missouri Government PAC. Today, Nixon is a partner at the law firm of Dowd Bennett in St. Louis.

Nixon and his wife Georganne Nixon have two sons.