DAVID DWIGHT EISENHOWER was born on October 14, 1890 in Denison,
Texas. He was the third of the seven sons of David Jacob and Ida Elizabeth
Stover Eisenhower. Eisenhower’s parents met in a United Brethren school, Lane
University, in Lecompton, Kansas. Neither of his parents was from Kansas, his
mother’s family had moved there from Virginia and his father’s family had come
to Kansas from Pennsylvania. His parents were married in 1885 and within three
years, the young family moved to Denison, Texas, where Dwight was born. When
Dwight was less than a year old, the family moved back to Abilene, Kansas, where
his father had taken a job as a mechanic at the Belle Springs Creamery. The
Eisenhowers raised all six of their sons in Abilene, a seventh son died in
infancy.
Both Eisenhower’s parents were deeply religious, his father
stern and his mother warm and loving. They raised much of their own food in a
large garden, selling the surplus for cash. The boys worked to earn spending
money and had regular chores to do around the house. The Eisenhowers encouraged
their children to be self reliant and independent.
Young Eisenhower attended the local schools, where he was an
average student, with the exception of history, his favorite subject. However,
he did excel in sports, as an outfielder in baseball and as a tackle in
football. Sports were his obsession. After graduating from Abilene High School
in 1909, he went to work with his father in the creamery. Both Dwight and his
older brother, Edgar, wanted to attend college, but the family could not afford
the tuition. They agreed to work alternate years, with the brother who was
working paying the fees of the one attending school. In 1909, Dwight was able to
send Edgar more than $200. In 1910, Dwight sat for the examination for the U. S.
Naval Academy in order to receive a free education and for the opportunity to
continue playing sports. He studied hard for the entrance examination and
passed, but found that he was too old for the Naval Academy. He did however
accept an appointment to the Military Academy at West Point, even though he had
no particular interest in being a soldier. He was an average student at West
Point and caught the eye of sportswriters playing halfback on the Army team. A
twisted knee during the season ruined his football career. He almost resigned,
as the injury to his emotions was worse, but he finished his education,
graduating in 1915, 61st in a class of 164.
In September 1915, Eisenhower was commissioned a Second
Lieutenant of Infantry and reported to Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas.
Within two weeks, he had met Mamie Geneva Dowd and embarked on a courtship. Miss
Dowd came from a wealthy Denver family and tried to discourage young Eisenhower,
but he persisted and the couple was married on July 1, 1916. They had two sons;
Dowd Dwight (1917 – 1921) and John Sheldon Dowd (1922 – ).
Eisenhower served with the Infantry until February 1918. He then
served with the Tank Corps until January 1922. He was promoted to First
Lieutenant on July 1, 1916, Captain on May 15, 1917, Major (temporary) on June
17, 1918 and to Lieutenant Colonel (temporary) on October 14, 1918. On June 30,
1920, he was reverted to permanent rank of Captain and on July 2, 1920 was
promoted to Major.
In January 1922, Eisenhower was assigned as executive officer to
Brigadier General Fox Conner in the Panama Canal Zone. Conner was an expert on
military history and they spent hours talking about military and international
problems. Eisenhower said, “Fox Conner was the ablest man I ever knew.” Connor
arranged for Eisenhower to attend the Command and General Staff School at Fort
Leavenworth, Kansas. He graduated in 1926 as the top student in a class of
almost 250. After a brief appointment under General John J. Pershing, Eisenhower
attended the Army War College, where he once again graduated first in his class
in 1928. Eisenhower continued to excel in staff assignments and served under
Generals Douglas MacArthur and Walter Krueger. After Pearl Harbor was attacked
by Japan on December 7, 1941, General George C. Marshall called him to
Washington for an assignment as head of the War Plans Division. Eisenhower
commanded the Allied Forces landing in North Africa in November 1941 and on
D-Day, 1944 he was Supreme Commander of the troops invading France. From 1945 to
1948, he served as chief of staff of the army. In 1948, he retired as a five
star general and wrote his memoirs, Crusade in Europe.
On June 7, 1948, Eisenhower was inaugurated President of
Columbia University. He was very popular, both for his war record and for his
personality, which was open and friendly, and both parties wanted to nominate
him for the presidency in 1948. He turned them down and served his post at
Columbia until 1950, when he took leave to assume supreme command over the new
NATO forces being assembled.
In April 1952, Eisenhower announced that he would seek the
Republican nomination for President. He was nominated by a narrow margin on the
first ballot and the Dwight D. Eisenhower/Richard M. Nixon ticket won a sweeping
victory in a battle of personalities on November 4, 1952. The Republicans won
442 Electoral College votes to the Adlai E. Stevenson/Democratic 89 votes.
Eisenhower’s military background was both an asset and
limitation to his presidency. He had a talent for administrative efficiency but
was deficient in handling national problems. He was able to delegate a broad
range of responsibility and freed himself to tackle the larger issues. He
believed that many problems were better solved at the local level than through
bold, controversial programs from Washington.
Eisenhower served two terms as President, from January 20, 1953
until January 20, 1961. He saw an end of the Korean War, and dealt with crises
in Lebanon, Suez, Berlin and Hungary. He promoted Atoms for Peace, saw Alaska
and Hawaii become states and was concerned with civil rights issues. Long before
the Republican convention, Eisenhower groomed Nixon as his successor, but
although he could win elections, Eisenhower could not convert personal loyalty
into support for his parties’ candidate.
Eisenhower retired to his small farm outside Gettysburg,
Pennsylvania. He raised cattle and spent the winters in Palm Springs,
California, where he played golf. He was healthy, active and the recipient of
many honors. Both Presidents Kennedy and later Johnson treated him as an elder
statesman, soliciting his advice on international problems. In August 1965,
Eisenhower suffered a serious heart attack that ended his participation in
public affairs. He was hospitalized frequently over the next three years. He
endorsed his former Vice President, Richard M. Nixon in his 1968 bid for the
Presidency and in that same year his grandson, David Eisenhower married Nixon’s
daughter Julie. He suffered another heart attack in the summer of 1968 and he
spent his last few months in Walter Reed Army Hospital, where he died on March
28, 1969.
Presidents of the Continental
Congress
United Colonies of The United States
Peyton Randolph September 5, 1774 to October
22, 1774
and May 20 to May 24, 1775
Henry Middleton October 22, 1774 to October 26, 1774
The Vice President
Speaker of the House
President pro tempore of the Senate
Secretary of State
Secretary of the Treasury
Secretary of Defense
Attorney General
Secretary of the Interior
Secretary of Agriculture
Secretary of Commerce
Secretary of Labor
Secretary of Health and Human Services
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
Secretary of Transportation
Secretary of Energy
Secretary of Education
Secretary of Veterans Affairs
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Franklin D. Roosevelt Library and Museum - Repository of the records of
President Franklin Roosevelt and his wife Eleanor Roosevelt, managed by the
National Archives and Records Administration.
Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library - preserves and makes available
for research the papers, audiovisual materials, and memorabilia of Dwight and
Mamie D. Eisenhower
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