As first lady, Bess avoided social obligations and media attention whenever possible, and she made regular excursions to her home in Independence.

She chose not to continue in the regular press conferences carried out by her predecessor Eleanor Roosevelt, believing that her responsibility as a wife was to keep her opinions private.

[2]: 449  As a child, Bess had a reputation as a tomboy due in part to her propensity for sports, including golf, tennis, horseback riding, shot put, basketball,[1]: 476–477  baseball,[3]: 251  and ice skating.

"[9] After returning from school, she resumed her role as the head of the family, and she became involved with the community through her bridge club and her charity work with the Needlework Guild.

[1]: 477  Harry was insecure about his lack of money, and he attempted to impress Bess by purchasing tickets to shows and building her a tennis court.

Bess wished to marry before Harry departed to fight in World War I in 1917, but he refused to risk making her a young widow.

As part of her social life, Bess helped found the Junior Service League of Independence and a chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Sisterhood, the H Street United Service Organization, and the Red Cross work of the group informally known as the "Senate Wives".

[1]: 480  After the Democratic ticket won the election and Harry was sworn in as vice president, Bess became Second Lady of the United States.

She found herself saddled with the associated social responsibilities, attending many events as a representative of the Roosevelts, often multiple times in one day.

After making arrangements for her mother, Bess' first act as first lady was to give her condolences to the widowed Eleanor Roosevelt shortly before attending her husband's inauguration.

[3]: 255  Bess had only limited social responsibilities during her first months as first lady, as the nation was in the midst of World War II and in mourning of President Roosevelt.

[1]: 482  She chose to host a more limited social season in response to postwar food shortages, replacing large dinners with informal luncheons.

She underwent a humiliating experience a few weeks into her tenure as first lady when she was asked to christen airplanes by striking champagne bottles against them.

[8][20][2]: 459 Bess maintained a limited association with women journalists on the advice of her husband's press secretary, but she did not provide them with information.

In addition to speeches, Bess reviewed and commented on Harry's work at the end of every day, and played an influential role in his 1948 campaign.

[10]: 208  Many of Bess' ideas became government initiatives, including the use of theatrical companies abroad to improve foreign relations and the involvement of the National Institutes of Health in an effort to combat disease.

The organization had refused to allow Hazel Scott, a black pianist, to perform at DAR Constitution Hall, and Bess' attendance was seen as an endorsement of this stance.

Scott's husband, Representative Adam Clayton Powell, was banned from the White House after calling Bess the "Last Lady of the Land".

Bess caused a similar controversy when she attended a play at George Washington University despite an ongoing protest of the ban on black audience members.

[1]: 482 As First Lady, Bess served as Honorary President of the Girl Scouts, the Woman's National Democratic Club, and the Washington Animal Rescue League.

[8] She was active in her husband's reelection campaign in 1948, traveling the country with Harry in a whistle-stop train tour in which he introduced her to crowds as his "Boss".

Four years later, when Harry was uncertain about another reelection campaign, Bess' desire to return home was a major factor in his decision not to run.

[10]: 207 After leaving the White House in 1953, the Trumans went back to Independence and the family home at 219 North Delaware Street, where the former president worked on building his library and writing his memoirs.

She agreed to be the honorary chairman of Eagleton's Senate reelection campaign in 1974, and she held a similar position for Stuart Symington in 1976.

[1]: 489  While Harry's presidency had been heavily scrutinized after leaving office, Bess lived long enough to see a historical reassessment in the 1970s that portrayed him in a more positive light.

[24] She received many visitors in Independence, sometimes upwards of a hundred in one week, and she often demonstrated a keen memory for names and details about people she had met in the past.

[1]: 488  Arthritis necessitated that she use a wheelchair in her final years, and she continued in her less active hobbies, reading mystery novels and closely following the Kansas City Royals.

[10]: 211 Bess destroyed many of her own letters after leaving the White House with the intention of making historical analysis of her life more difficult.

While Roosevelt was active in politics and an influential public figure, Bess' influence was largely felt behind the scenes at the White House.