A farmer, a junior army officer, a failed business owner, a local politician – are these the ingredients of presidential greatness? In the case of Harry Truman, the answer was "yes."

Learn more about Truman by joining the Wareham Historical Society and Dave Prentiss, president and CEO of the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra and a member of the Greater New Bedford Civil War Roundtable, for a talk on the underdog president on February 20 at 7 p.m.

The presentation will take place at the Old Methodist Meeting House at 495 Main Street in Wareham.

Prentiss will explore the early life of Harry Truman to see how his experiences and personal qualities prepared him for the world-changing decisions he made as president. In addition, he will examine how Truman’s knowledge of the country’s founding and world history provided him the basis to meet the challenges of statesmanship at the highest level.

Prentiss has given talks on Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War at the Boston Lincoln Group, the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, the Fort Taber Military Museum, and the Zeiterion Performing Arts Center. He teaches a seminar on Presidential Leadership at UMass-Dartmouth.

A "chocolate social" will follow the presentation. Admission is free for members, non-members pay $2. For more information, call Wareham Historical Society President Carolyn McMorrow at 508-273-0069.