Dwight D. Eisenhower
34th President of the United States
(January 20, 1953 to January 20, 1961)
Full Name: David Dwight Eisenhower
Nickname: "Ike"
Born: October 14, 1890, in Denison, Texas
Died: March 28, 1969, in Washington, D.C.
Father: David Jacob Eisenhower (1863-1942)
Mother: Ida Elizabeth Stover Eisenhower (1862-1946)
Married: Mary "Mamie" Geneva Doud (1896-1979), on July 1, 1916
Children: Doud Dwight Eisenhower (1917-21); John Sheldon Doud Eisenhower (1923-2013)
Religion: Presbyterian
Education: Graduated from U.S. Military Academy, West Point, N.Y. (1915)
Occupation: Soldier
Political Party: Republican
Other Government Positions:
- None
Presidential Salary: $100,000/year + $50,000 expense account
Presidential Election Results:
Year Candidate Popular Votes Electoral Votes
1952 Dwight D. Eisenhower 33,936,234 442
(map) Adlai E. Stevenson 27,314,992 89
Year Candidate Popular Votes Electoral Votes
1956 Dwight D. Eisenhower 35,590,472 457
(map) Adlai E. Stevenson 26,022,752 73
Walter B. Jones 1
Vice President: Richard M. Nixon (1953-61)
Cabinet:
- Secretary of State
- John Foster Dulles (1953-59)
Christian A. Herter (1959-61) - Secretary of the Treasury
- George M. Humphrey (1953-57)
Robert B. Anderson (1957-61) - Secretary of Defense
- Charles E. Wilson (1953-57)
Neil H. McElroy (1957-59)
Thomas S. Gates, Jr. (1960-61) - Attorney General
- Herbert Brownell, Jr. (1953-57)
William P. Rogers (1957-61) - Postmaster General
- Arthur E. Summerfield (1953-61)
- Secretary of the Interior
- Douglas J. McKay (1953-56)
Frederick A. Seaton (1956-61) - Secretary of Agriculture
- Ezra Taft Benson (1953-61)
- Secretary of Commerce
- Sinclair Weeks (1953-58)
Lewis Strauss (1958-59)
Frederick H. Mueller (1959-60) - Secretary of Labor
- Martin P. Durkin (1953)
James P. Mitchell (1953-61) - Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare
- Oveta Culp Hobby (1953-55)
Marion B. Folsom (1955-58)
Arthur S. Flemming (1958-61)
Supreme Court Justices:
Earl Warren, Chief (1953-1969)
John Marshall Harlan II (1955-1971)
William J. Brennan (1956-1990)
Charles Evans Whittaker (1957-1962)
Potter Stewart (1958-1981)
Notable Events:
- 1953
- On February 11, Eisenhower issued a press release that he will not commute the sentences of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg. After many other appeals to the president, the Rosenbergs are executed on June 19.
- The Department of Health, Education, and Welfare created on April 11.
- On April 16, Eisenhower delivered the Chance for Peace speech to warn against increases in military spending.
- On July 27, the Korean Armistice Agreement was signed ending hostilities of the Korean War.
- On December 8, Eisenhower delivered the Atoms for Peace speech to advocate for the peaceful uses for atomic energy.
- 1954
- On March 16, the Army-McCarthy hearings convened and continued until June. Senator McCarthy is eventually censured by the Senate on December 12.
- On May 17, the Supreme court ruled in Brown v. Board of Education that racial segregation in public schools is unconstitutional.
- 1955
- On July 18, Eisenhower met with the leaders of Britain, the Soviet Union, and France in Geneva with the goal of increasing global security.
- On September 24, Eisenhower suffered a serious heart attack requiring six weeks of hospitalization.
- 1956
- On June 29, Eisenhower signed the Federal Highway Act to construct an interstate highway system.
- 1957
- On September 9, Eisenhower signed the Civil Rights Act of 1957. Focused on voting rights, this was the first piece of federal civil rights legislation passed since Reconstruction.
- On September 24, Eisenhower ordered federal troops to Little Rock, Arkansas to enforce school desegregation.
- 1958
- On July 29, Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act that created NASA.
- 1960
- On May 1, the Soviet Union shot down a U.S. U-2 spy plane and captured the pilot, Francis Gary Powers.
Internet Biographies:
- Dwight D. Eisenhower -- from The Presidents of the United States of America
- Compiled by the White House.
- Dwight Eisenhower -- from The American President
- From the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia, in addition to information on the Presidents themselves, they have first lady and cabinet member biographies, listings of presidential staff and advisers, and timelines detailing significant events in the lives of each administration.
- Dwight D. Eisenhower -- from Encyclopaedia Britannica
- Facts about Eisenhower, his military career, and his presidency.
- Dwight D. Eisenhower -- from Character Above All
- From a PBS broadcast by the same name, this essay excerpt by Stephen Abrose discusses some of the issues and events that molded Eisenhower.
Videos:
1 / 4
Dwight D. Eisenhower: The 34th President of the United States | BiographyIke’s Helicopter: Presidential Luxury or National Security Necessity? - a Presidential Story Ep. 39Dwight D. Eisenhower - 34th U.S. President & Commander of Allied Forces in WW2 | Mini Bio | BIOAmerica's Presidents - Dwight EisenhowerDwight D. Eisenhower | 60-Second Presidents | PBS1 / 4
Historical Documents:
- First Inaugural Address (1953)
- Second Inaugural Address (1957)
- The Chance for Peace (1953)
- Atoms for Peace (1953)
- Federal Court Orders Must Be Upheld (1957)
- Farewell Address (1961)
- Dwight D. Eisenhower Digital Collections - from the Library of Congress
Other Internet Resources:
- The Best Biographies of Dwight Eisenhower
- In 2012, Stephen Floyd started his search for the best biography of each president. He usually has reviews of multiple biographies for each president.
- The Brilliant Prudence of Dwight Eisenhower
- An examination of Eisenhower's leadership style by Evan Thomas.
- Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial
- Scheduled to be completed in the spring of 2020, this 4-acre site in Washington, D.C. will commemmorate Eisenhower's accomplishments .
- Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home
- Information on the Abilene, Kansas library, along with biographical sketches of Eisenhower and his wife.
- Eisenhower National Historic Site
- Eisenhower's retreat and retirement home. Tourist information, history, a timeline of Eisenhower's life, and quotations from Eisenhower. Maintained by the National Park Service.
- Eisenhower Birthplace State Historic Site
- Located in Denison, TX, this home where Eisenhower was born is furnished with antiques illustrating the working class life of the Eisenhowers.
- Health and Medical History of Dwight Eisenhower
- Medical background of each president with references. Compiled by John Sotos, MD.
Points of Interest:
Dwight D, Eisenhower Memorial
Independence Ave SW & 6th St SW
Washington, D.C.
243 Eisenhower Farm Rd, Gettysburg, PA 17325
609 S Lamar Ave, Denison, TX 75021
200 Southeast 4th Street, Abilene, Kansas
Dwight D, Eisenhower Memorial
Independence Ave SW & 6th St SW
Washington, D.C.
243 Eisenhower Farm Rd, Gettysburg, PA 17325
609 S Lamar Ave, Denison, TX 75021
200 Southeast 4th Street, Abilene, Kansas
Additional Facts:
- Eisenhower's grandson David is the namesake of Camp David, the country retreat of the U.S. president.
- Eisenhower was the only president to serve in World War I and World War II.
- During Eisenhower's long and illustrious military career he never saw active combat.
- The squirrels on the White House grounds were captured and relocated so they would not ruin Eisenhower's putting green.
- Eisenhower painted more than 200 paintings.
- Eisenhower was the first president to ride in a helicopter. He started the tradition of the president taking helicopters from the White House lawn.
- During his presidency, Eisenhower spent almost two months in the hospital after a heart attack.
- In 1955, Eisenhower was the first president to give a televised news conference.
- Eisenhower is the only president to win an Emmy Award.
Quotes:“Pessimism never won any battle.”
“Neither a wise man or a brave man lies down on the tracks of history to wait for the train of the future to run over him.”
“There is nothing wrong with America that the faith, love of freedom, intelligence and energy of her citizens cannot cure.”
“The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity.”
“A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both.”
“Motivation is the art of getting people to do what you want them to do because they want to do it.”
“You don’t lead by hitting people over the head – that’s assault, not leadership.”
“Plans are nothing; planning is everything.”
“What counts is not necessarily the size of the dog in the fight – it’s the size of the fight in the dog.”
“Any man who wants to be president is either an egomaniac or crazy.”
“There are a number of things wrong with Washington. One of them is that everyone is too far from home.”
“Pessimism never won any battle.”
“Neither a wise man or a brave man lies down on the tracks of history to wait for the train of the future to run over him.”
“There is nothing wrong with America that the faith, love of freedom, intelligence and energy of her citizens cannot cure.”
“The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity.”
“A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both.”
“Motivation is the art of getting people to do what you want them to do because they want to do it.”
“You don’t lead by hitting people over the head – that’s assault, not leadership.”
“Plans are nothing; planning is everything.”
“What counts is not necessarily the size of the dog in the fight – it’s the size of the fight in the dog.”
“Any man who wants to be president is either an egomaniac or crazy.”
“There are a number of things wrong with Washington. One of them is that everyone is too far from home.”