Dwight D. Eisenhower

Background

Dwight David Eisenhower, also known as Ike, was an American President whose time of service was memorable. He was born in Denison, Texas, on October 14, 1890, into a large and very religious family. Although he was of Pennsylvania Dutch ancestry, Eisenhower was raised in Abilene, Kansas. He attended Abilene High School, graduating in 1909, and later furthered his education at West Point, finishing his studies in 1915.

After his graduation, Eisenhower became Second Lieutenant Eisenhower. During World War I, neither he nor his tank crew saw combat. After the war ended, he was promoted to major and then was assigned to the Army War College, graduating in 1928. In 1939, he became commanding officer of the 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment at Fort Lewis, Washington. After the Pearl Harbor attack, Eisenhower served in Washington until June 1942. In the same year, he was appointed the Supreme Commander Allied Expeditionary Force of the NATOUSA and became deeply committed to Operation Torch.

After World War II, Eisenhower served as Army Chief of Staff from 1945 to 1948. He became the first Supreme Commander of NATO from 1951 to 1952 and entered the presidential race as a Republican that very same year. Eisenhower defeated the Democratic candidate by a landslide and was sworn into office in 1953. He was re-elected in 1956, thus serving for a total of eight years, from 1953 to 1961. As president, Eisenhower authorized the establishment of NASA and signed the Civil Rights Act of 1957, a milestone in the path toward integration.

As the 34th President of the United States, Eisenhower’s personal life was private. He married Mamie Doud, and they had two sons. He died of congestive heart failure on March 28, 1969. Eisenhower’s legacy and memory are alive in the hearts of his descendants and fellow Americans.