--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When the AEC met with President Truman to…" description: "\"“When the AEC met with President Truman to present its report, Lilienthal and his team left a space blank. While reading the papers together with the p..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf6/garrett-m-graff-7343_president-truman_when-the-aec-met-with-president-truman-t_1263811.jpg" --- # When the AEC met with President Truman to present its… ![“When the AEC met with President Truman to present its report, Lilienthal and his team left a space blank. While reading the papers together with the president, Lilienthal delivered the atomic stockpile number verbally. It was just thirteen. Truman” quote by Garrett M. Graff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf6/garrett-m-graff-7343_president-truman_when-the-aec-met-with-president-truman-t_1263811.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf6/garrett-m-graff-7343_president-truman_when-the-aec-met-with-president-truman-t_1263811.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf6/garrett-m-graff-7343_president-truman_when-the-aec-met-with-president-truman-t_1263811.jpg) > ““When the AEC met with President Truman to present its report, Lilienthal and his team left a space blank. While reading the papers together with the president, Lilienthal delivered the atomic stockpile number verbally. It was just thirteen. Truman”” [Garrett M. Graff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrett-m-graff/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. During a briefing, Lilienthal gave Truman the exact number of atomic weapons—thirteen—highlighting the stark, limited scale of the early nuclear arsenal. **In simple terms:** Truman learned there were only thirteen nuclear bombs at the time. Key Takeaway Acknowledge the gravity of early nuclear power. Themes history nuclear weapons politics power communication Mood serious thought‑provoking historical Type educational informative When to use this quote - policy discussions - historical analysis - educational curricula - public lectures Key Concepts cold war military strategy ethical decision‑making Questions to Reflect On - What responsibilities accompany knowledge of destructive power? - How should leaders communicate such critical information? A Different Perspective Focusing on numbers may overlook broader ethical implications. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [President truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president-truman/) ## Related quotes > [“September 24, 1947, when President Truman signed a memo to the Secretary of Defense James Forrestal, authorizing the creation of “Operation Majestic Twelve.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-e-salla/september-24-1947-when-president-truman-signed-a-memo-to-the/) Michael E. Salla > [President Roosevelt and President Truman and President Eisenhower had the same experience, they all made the effort to get along with the Russians. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/president-roosevelt-and-president-truman-and-president-eisenhower-had/) [John F. 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Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyndon-b-johnson/) ## More by Garrett M. Graff > [“Humphrey had even visited the CASPER facility on multiple occasions under the cover of darkness during vacations at the Greenbrier. In 1970, after his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrett-m-graff/humphrey-had-even-visited-the-casper-facility-on-multiple-occasions/) [Garrett M. Graff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrett-m-graff/) > [“In many ways, after many decades, many billions of dollars, and countless advances in technology, the federal government’s basic plan to escape a catastrophe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrett-m-graff/in-many-ways-after-many-decades-many-billions-of-dollars-and/) [Garrett M. 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Graff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrett-m-graff/) > [“things went quickly awry. Thermonuclear bombs were still not well understood and the weapon, code-named CASTLE BRAVO, turned out to be three times more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrett-m-graff/things-went-quickly-awry-thermonuclear-bombs-were-still-not-well/) [Garrett M. Graff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrett-m-graff/) > [“inside forget they were hiding in an underground bunker. Under normal circumstances, personnel approaching the PEOC would arrive at its locked vault door, located…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrett-m-graff/inside-forget-they-were-hiding-in-an-underground-bunker-under-normal/) [Garrett M. 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Graff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrett-m-graff/) > [“Court Clerk Harold Willey was dispatched by Warren to spend a fall weekend scouting Asheville for a possible relocation facility. “Because all large cities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrett-m-graff/court-clerk-harold-willey-was-dispatched-by-warren-to-spend-a-fall/) [Garrett M. Graff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrett-m-graff/) > [“The U.S. would have to “reinterpret” the Constitution to provide for preemptive searches and seizures when atomic terrorism was involved. Remarkably, over the decades…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrett-m-graff/the-u-s-would-have-to-reinterpret-the-constitution-to-provide-for/) [Garrett M. Graff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrett-m-graff/) > [“The crash program for building the “super” dwarfed even the Manhattan Project. The AEC nearly tripled in size, growing from a handful of sites…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrett-m-graff/the-crash-program-for-building-the-super-dwarfed-even-the-manhattan/) [Garrett M. Graff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrett-m-graff/) > [“In an era where detailed maps and especially aerial surveillance were scarce, the government carefully maintained redundant map sources far from the capital: The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrett-m-graff/in-an-era-where-detailed-maps-and-especially-aerial-surveillance-were/) [Garrett M. Graff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrett-m-graff/) [Explore all 92 Garrett M. Graff quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrett-m-graff/) ## More President truman quotes > [“September 24, 1947, when President Truman signed a memo to the Secretary of Defense James Forrestal, authorizing the creation of “Operation Majestic Twelve.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-e-salla/september-24-1947-when-president-truman-signed-a-memo-to-the/) Michael E. Salla > [We support President Truman's civil rights program.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugenie-anderson/we-support-president-truman-s-civil-rights-program/) Eugenie Anderson > [“Founded by President Truman at 12:01 A.M. on November 4, 1952, the NSA had been the most clandestine intelligence agency in the world for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-brown/founded-by-president-truman-at-12-01-a-m-on-november-4-1952-the-nsa/) [dan brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-brown/) > [“PROMISE TO BLESS THOSE WHO BLESS ISRAEL                   In Genesis 12:2-3 God delivers a promise to Israel that He has never repealed and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-price/promise-to-bless-those-who-bless-israel-in-genesis-12-2-3-god/) [John Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-price/) > [The biggest blunder in the history of this country was when President Truman pulled General MacArthur out of China.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiny-tim/the-biggest-blunder-in-the-history-of-this-country-was-when-president/) [Tiny Tim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiny-tim/) > [I would like to say that no man ever was given finer cooperation than that given me by President Truman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-hoffman/i-would-like-to-say-that-no-man-ever-was-given-finer-cooperation-than/) [Paul Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-hoffman/) > [“Mr, Truman was jubilant. President Truman. True man; what a strange name, come to think of it. We refer to Jesus Christ as true…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/mr-truman-was-jubilant-president-truman-true-man-what-a-strange-name/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [That was the principle of reparations to which President Truman agreed at Potsdam. And the United States will not agree to the taking from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-f-byrnes/that-was-the-principle-of-reparations-to-which-president-truman/) [James F. Byrnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-f-byrnes/) > [I would say that President Roosevelt probably was more intimately in touch with the press corps at the White House than President Truman was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clifton-daniel/i-would-say-that-president-roosevelt-probably-was-more-intimately-in/) Clifton Daniel > [“The streets are extended gutters and the gutters are full of blood and when the drains finally scab over, all the vermin will drown.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/the-streets-are-extended-gutters-and-the-gutters-are-full-of-blood/) [Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/) > [President Truman made his name by looking into contracting. And that's how integrity within the military procurement started in the United States.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashraf-ghani/president-truman-made-his-name-by-looking-into-contracting-and-that-s/) [Ashraf Ghani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashraf-ghani/) > [The most obvious and condescending tell-tale sign that manipulation is taking place is that no one takes responsibility for the actions of the administration,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-stover/the-most-obvious-and-condescending-tell-tale-sign-that-manipulation/) [Teresa Stover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-stover/) > [“By the beginning of 1946, there were plenty of indications that Stalin was not going to cooperate with the Anglo-Americans, however, and not just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-taylor/by-the-beginning-of-1946-there-were-plenty-of-indications-that-stalin/) [Frederick Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-taylor/) > [President Roosevelt and President Truman and President Eisenhower had the same experience, they all made the effort to get along with the Russians. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/president-roosevelt-and-president-truman-and-president-eisenhower-had/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [I am going to build the kind of nation that President Roosevelt hoped for, President Truman worked for, and President Kennedy died for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyndon-b-johnson/i-am-going-to-build-the-kind-of-nation-that-president-roosevelt-hoped/) [Lyndon B. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyndon-b-johnson/) [Browse all 25 President truman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president-truman/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“When the AEC met with President Truman to present its report, Lilienthal and his team left a space blank. While reading the papers together with the president, Lilienthal delivered the atomic stockpile number verbally. It was just thirteen. 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