One of the city colleges of Chicago, Harry S. Truman College's start heralds back to 1956, when community interest in a public two-year college for the northeast section of the city lead to the opening of an evening college was opened at Amundsen High School. Demand eventually resulted in to the construction of a new campus in Uptown, named after the country's 33rd president.

In 1995, more than 4,500 students were enrolled in the college's credit program, with another 30,000 enrolled in adult and continuing education, as well as other programs.