Editing Henry A. Wallace (section)

===Election of 1944===
{{see also|1944 Democratic Party vice presidential candidate selection}}

After the abolition of the BEW, speculation began as to whether Roosevelt would drop Wallace from the ticket in the [[1944 United States presidential election|1944 election]].<ref>Culver & Hyde (2000), pp. 317–318</ref> [[Gallup (company)|Gallup]] polling published in March 1944 showed that Wallace was clearly the most popular choice for vice president among Democrats, and many journalists predicted that he would win renomination.<ref>Culver & Hyde (2000), pp. 324–325</ref> As Roosevelt was in declining health, party leaders expected that the party's vice-presidential nominee would eventually succeed Roosevelt,<ref name="greenfield1"/> and Wallace's many enemies within the Democratic Party organized to ensure his removal.<ref>Culver & Hyde (2000), pp. 340–342</ref> Much of the opposition to Wallace stemmed from his open denunciation of [[Racial segregation in the United States|racial segregation]] in the South,<ref name="greenfield1">{{cite news |last1=Greenfield |first1=Jeff |title=The Year the Veepstakes Really Mattered |url=https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/07/veepstakes-history-vice-president-fdr-roosevelt-harry-truman-henry-wallace-james-byrnes-1944-democratic-convention-214012 |access-date=January 12, 2019 |publisher=Politico |date=July 10, 2016}}</ref> but others were concerned by Wallace's unorthodox religious views and pro-Soviet statements.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Helling |first1=Dave |title=1944 Democratic Convention: Choosing not just a VP candidate but a president-in-waiting |url=https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/election/article88007192.html |access-date=January 12, 2019 |newspaper=The Kansas City Star |date=July 18, 2016}}</ref> Shortly before the [[1944 Democratic National Convention]], party leaders such as [[Robert E. Hannegan]] and [[Edwin W. Pauley]] convinced Roosevelt to sign a document expressing support for either Associate Justice [[William O. Douglas]] or Senator Harry S. Truman for the vice-presidential nomination. Nonetheless, Wallace got Roosevelt to send a public letter to the convention chairman in which he wrote, "I personally would vote for [Wallace's] renomination if I were a delegate to the convention".<ref>Culver & Hyde (2000), pp. 345–352</ref>

With Roosevelt not committed to keeping or dropping Wallace, the vice-presidential balloting turned into a battle between those who favored Wallace and those who favored Truman.<ref>Culver & Hyde (2000), pp. 352–353</ref> Wallace did not have an effective organization to support his candidacy, though allies like [[Calvin Benham Baldwin]], [[Claude Pepper]], and [[Joseph F. Guffey]] pressed for him. Truman, meanwhile, was reluctant to put forward his own candidacy, but Hannegan{{efn|Hannegan later stated that he would like his tombstone to read, "here lies the man who stopped Henry Wallace from becoming President of the United States".<ref>Culver & Hyde (2000), p. 365</ref>}} and Roosevelt persuaded him to run.<ref>Culver & Hyde (2000), pp. 357–359</ref> At the convention, Wallace galvanized supporters with a well-received speech in which he lauded Roosevelt and argued that "the future belongs to those who go down the line unswervingly for the liberal principles of both political democracy and economic democracy regardless of race, color, or religion".<ref>Culver & Hyde (2000), pp. 359–361</ref> After Roosevelt delivered his acceptance speech, the crowd began chanting for the nomination of Wallace, but [[Samuel D. Jackson]] adjourned the convention for the day before Wallace supporters could call for the beginning of vice presidential balloting.<ref>Culver & Hyde (2000), pp. 362–364</ref> Party leaders worked furiously to line up support for Truman overnight, but Wallace received 429 1/2 votes (589 were needed for nomination) on the first ballot for vice president and Truman 319 1/2, with the rest going to various [[favorite son]] candidates. On the second ballot, many delegates who had voted for favorite sons shifted into Truman's camp, giving him the nomination.<ref>Culver & Hyde (2000), pp. 364–366</ref>

On January 20, 1945, Wallace swore in Truman as his vice-presidential successor.<ref>[[Oath of office of the vice president of the United States#Background|Oath of office of the vice president of the United States]]</ref>