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Presi dent Dwight D. Eisenhower

How did this individual change the world?

REPORT KEYED BY: MARIAH KELLEY AMERICAN HISTORY 9 April 15, 2008

President Dwight D. Eisenhower

Bringing to the Presidency his prestige as commanding general of the victoriousforces in Europe during World War II, Dwight D. Eisenhower obtained a truce in Koreaand worked relentlessly during his two terms to ease the tensions of the Cold War. Hepursued the moderate policies of “Modern Republicanism,” pointing out as he left office,“America is today the strongest, most influential, and most productive nation in the world.” This is just the start of what Eisenhower did to help change America.On October 14, 1890, at 5:19 p.m., at the corner of Lamar Avenue and Day Street,Denison, Texas, David Dwight Eisenhower was born to the proud parents - David andIda (Stover) Eisenhower. His family had always addressed him by his middle name(Dwight) to differentiate him from his father. Later he became known as Dwight D.Eisenhower, transposing his first and middle names.

I found this to be very interesting,because I never heard that his real name was David Dwight Eisenhower. Also that hisnickname progressed from “Little Ike” to “Ikey” a few days later, then to “Ikky”, but later changed to the spelling of “Icky”. Hence the irresistible slogan “I like Ike”.

Living during a time when a high school education was considered a luxury formost, all 6 (living to maturity) of the Eisenhower boys graduated, and, at their parents’urging, dared to dream of even a college education.

His parents seemed verysupportive and encouraging. I wonder if he had been born to different parents, would he have accomplished the same wonderful things?

He graduated from Abilene HighSchool in 1909, excelling in sports. In 1911 he obtained an appointment to the WestPoint Military Academy, graduating June 12, 1915. He was commissioned a secondlieutenant and assigned to the 19

infantry, San Antonio, Texas. It was there in October1915, that he met his future wife, Mamie Geneva Doud. They married at 12 noon on July 1, 1916 in the Doud family home. They had two sons together, Doud Dwight Eisenhower(September 24, 1917) and Sheldon Doud Eisenhower (August 3, 1922). Tragically, theirfirst son had died at the age of three from scarlet fever. His death remained an open wound, one of which the couple would never fully recover.

This is very understandable.The death of a young child would be hard for anyone to overcome. I’m surprised hecontinued on with his military career. Maybe it was part of his way to cope with theloss.

In the beginning of his Army career, he excelled in staff assignments, servingunder Generals John J. Pershing, Douglas MacArthur, and Walter Krueger. After PearlHarbor, General George C. Marshall called him to Washington for a war plansassignment. He commanded the Allied Forces landing in North Africa in November1942; on D-Day, 1944, he was Supreme Commander of the troops invading France.

Mamie had to be very supportive to move from place to place with her husband as hegot transferred, and probably didn’t get to see as much of him as she would have liked to. I wonder if she would have rather just settled down in one place and be a stay at

home mother with her son? What if they would have done that? Would America still be the same?

After the war, in 1948, he became President of Columbia University, where hetook a leave to take role as supreme command over the new NATO (North AtlanticTreaty Organization) forces being assembled in 1951. Republican emissaries to hisheadquarters near Paris persuaded him to run for President in 1952. After resigning from the Army to run, Dwight David Eisenhower was elected the34

president of the United States on November 4, 1952. Ending the war in Korea wasone of his principal campaign promises. After defeating the Democratic Challenger Adlai Stevenson, he set about fulfilling that promise. Eisenhower laid the groundwork for ending the war, before he’d even taken office.

To me, this shows that he was anhonest and not corrupt politician. He said what he would do, and it wasn’t just to winthe election. He was sincere and that’s always a good quality, especially when it comes to running a country.

Just months after his inauguration, he delivered on hiscampaign pledge, bring the Korean War to an end (July of 1953).Suddenly, on September 24

, 1955, Eisenhower suffered a heart attack in Denver,Colorado. After seven weeks he left the hospital, and in February 1956 doctors reportedhis recovery. In November he was elected for his second term by an even wider marginthan in the first. While serving his second term, he suffered a stroke (November 25

,1957), but made a quick recovery. Although criticized by some historians for a lack of leadership on racial issues,President Eisenhower supported and signed the 1957 and 1960 Civil Rights Acts, andordered federal troops to Little Rock to enforce the desegregation of Central HighSchool.

How could historians believe he had a lack of leadership on racial issues? Hesupported desegregation and promoted world peace all his life. He even created People to People (we’ll get to that later. . .) for crying out loud! In my opinion, he wasa great leader, especially when it came to racial issues and people’s thoughts that onerace was better than another. He even wrote “There must be no second class citizensin this country”, when ordering the complete desegregation of the Armed Forces.

Americans enjoyed a strong, expanding economy under Eisenhower,demonstrated by solid economic growth, little inflation, and low unemployment.Balancing the budget was one of Eisenhower’s top priorities tempered with a sincereconcern for the common good. Eisenhower expanded social security, increased theminimum wage, and established the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare(HEW). During the Eisenhower presidency, the Interstate Highway System and theNational Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) were created, and thereforespace exploration began. Near the end of his presidency, Alaska and Hawaii become the49

and 50

states of the Union, respectively.

It sounds like Eisenhower did a lot of good to our country, and helped us recover even more from the great depression a fewdecades back.