Dwight Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower (b. on October 14, 1890, in Denison, Texas) was the 34th president of the United States. He served from 1953 to 1961. He was a member of the Republican Party, and his vice president was Richard Nixon. Eisenhower died on March 28, 1969, at the age of 78.
During his presidency, Eisenhower continued both the New Deal and Fair Deal programs, launched the space race, and created the interstate highway program. He oversaw the start of U.S. public school desegregation. Eisenhower also ordered the complete desegregation of the U.S. Armed Forces stating, "there must be no second-class citizens in this country."[1]
Prior to serving as president, Eisenhower served in the U.S. Armed Forces as a Second Lieutenant stationed in Texas. He served under Generals John J. Pershing, Douglas MacArthur, and Walter Krueger. He served as Supreme Commander of the troops invading France on June 6, 1944, also known as D-Day. Eisenhower also served as president of Columbia University and took supreme command over the new NATO forces in 1951.[1]
Biography
Timeline of life events
Below is an abbreviated outline of Eisenhower's professional and political career:[2]
- 1890: Born in Denison, Texas
- 1911: Entered U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York
- 1916: Married Mamie Doud
- 1929-1933: Served as Assistant Secretary of War under General George V. Moseley
- 1933-1935: Served as chief military aide to General Douglas MacArthur
- 1936: Promoted to Lieutenant Colonel
- April 1942: Appointed Assistant Chief of Staff under General George Marshall
- May 1942: Named Commander in Chief; Allied Forces, North Africa
- 1944: Commanded forces of Normandy invasion
- 1945: Designated as Chief of Staff, U.S. Army
- 1948: Named president of Columbia University, New York
- 1950: Named Supreme Allied Commander of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
- 1952: Retired from active military service
- January 20, 1953: Inaugurated as 34th president of the United States
- 1969: Died in Washington, D.C.
Before the presidency
Dwight Eisenhower was born on October 14, 1890, in Denison, Texas to David and Ida (Stover) Eisenhower. He grew up in Abilene, Kansas. After graduating from Abilene High School, he worked at the Belle Springs Creamery before his appointment to the U.S. Miliary Academy at West Point in 1911.
Eisenhower graduated from West Point in 1915 and served as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army during World War I. After the start of World War II, he served under General George C. Marshall before being appointed Supreme Commander of the North African Theater of Operations. In 1943, Eisenhower was appointed Supreme Allied Commander in Europe by President Franklin Roosevelt, and in 1944 he commanded the forces landing at the beaches of Normandy on D-Day. He went on to serve as president of Columbia University and as Supreme Commander of NATO.
In 1952, Eisenhower resigned his command at NATO and declared his candidacy for U.S. President. He chose Richard Nixon to run as his vice president, and the two defeated Democratic candidate Adlai Stevenson II. At the time of his victory, Eisenhower was the first Republican president to occupy the White House in 20 years. He was also the oldest president to have never held elected office prior to the presidency.[1][2]
Presidency
Soon after Eisenhower's first term began, the Korean War ended. The following year saw the beginning of the U.S. Civil Rights Movement and the start of the Vietnam War. In 1956, Eisenhower created the interstate highway system, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was established in 1958 to challenge Russia's efforts in the space race.[3]
Eisenhower was re-elected in 1956, again defeating Democrat Adlai Stevenson II with 58 percent of the popular vote and 457 electoral votes.[4] He continued to maintain a middle course in domestic policy, extending the New Deal and Fair Deal programs. He also emphasized a balanced budget and the importance of civil rights for all U.S. citizens. Before leaving office, Eisenhower endorsed vice president Nixon in the 1960 presidential race over Democratic candidate John F. Kennedy.[1]
Post-presidency
Eisenhower retired to a small farm adjacent to the battlefield outside of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. His commission as a five star general in the U.S. Army was reactivated after he left the presidency. Eisenhower remained active in the Republican Party until a heart attack in 1965 ended his political involvement. He suffered another heart attack in 1968 and spent his remaining months at Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington, D.C., where he died on March 28, 1969.[2]
Personal
Eisenhower married Mamie Doud in July 1916. Together they had two sons: Doud Dwight "Icky" Eisenhower and John Eisenhower. Icky died of scarlet fever at the age of three.
Eisenhower loved both golf and oil painting. He was also a skilled poker player and successful athlete through his college years.[2]
Elections
1956 presidential election
In 1956, Eisenhower defeated Adlai Stevenson (D) to win his second term in office.
| U.S. presidential election, 1956 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | Electoral votes | |
| Republican |  Dwight D. Eisenhower/Richard Nixon |
57.5% | 35,579,180 | 457 | |
| Democratic | Adlai Stevenson/Estes Kefauver | 42% | 26,028,028 | 73 | |
| Independent | Unpledged Elector | 0.3% | 196,318 | 0 | |
| State's Rights | T. Coleman Andrews/Thomas Werdel | 0.2% | 108,956 | 0 | |
| Total Votes | 61,912,483 | 530 | |||
| Election results via: 1956 Presidential General Election Results | |||||
Other candidates that appeared on the ballot received less than 0.1% of the vote. Those candidates included: Eric Hass, Enoch Holtwick, Farrell Dobbs, Harry Byrd, Darlington Hoopes, Henry Krajewski, and Gerald Smith.[5]
1952 presidential election
In 1952, Eisenhower defeated Adlai Stevenson (D) to win his first term in office.
| U.S. presidential election, 1952 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | Electoral votes | |
| Republican | Dwight D. Eisenhower/Richard Nixon |
55.1% | 33,778,963 | 442 | |
| Democratic | Adlai Stevenson/John Sparkman | 44.6% | 27,314,992 | 89 | |
| Progressive | Vincent Hallinan/Charlotta Bass | 0.2% | 140,746 | 0 | |
| Prohibition | Stuart Hamblen/Enoch Holtwick | 0.1% | 76,412 | 0 | |
| Total Votes | 61,311,114 | 531 | |||
| Election results via: 1952 Presidential General Election Results | |||||
Other candidates that appeared on the ballot received less than 0.1% of the vote. Those candidates included: Eric Haas, Darlington Hoopes, Douglas MacArthur, Farrell Dobbs, and Henry Krajewski.[6]
State of the Union addresses
Every year in office, the president of the United States addresses Congress on the present state of affairs as well as the administration's goals for the coming year.[7]Following are pages with information on Eisenhower's State of the Union addresses.
- Feb. 2, 1953
- Jan. 7, 1954
- Jan. 6, 1955
- Jan. 5, 1956
- Jan. 10, 1957
- Jan. 9, 1958
- Jan. 9, 1959
- Jan. 7, 1960
See also
External links
- Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library
- Official White House biography
- C-Span video on Eisenhower presidency
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 White House, "Dwight D. Eisenhower," accessed July 12, 2018
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential LIbrary, Museum and Boyhood Home, "Chronologies," accessed July 12, 2018
- ↑ Presidential Power, "Dwight Eisenhower Timeline," accessed July 13, 2018
- ↑ 270 to Win, "1956 Presidential Election," accessed July 13, 2018
- ↑ Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections, "1956 Presidential General Election Results," accessed July 13, 2018
- ↑ Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections, "1952 Presidential General Election Results," accessed July 13, 2018
- ↑ Congressional Research Service, "The President’s State of the Union Address: Tradition, Function, and Policy Implications," January 24, 2014
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Harry Truman (D) |
President of the United States 1945-1953 |
Succeeded by John F. Kennedy (D) |
| |||||||
