(Brief Biography)


Dwight D. Eisenhower had a distinguished military career before being elected President. Though he never fought in combat himself, he rose through the U.S. Army ranks to the point where, as a General, he commanded the World War II Allied Forces landing in North Africa in 1942. On "D-Day" in 1944, Eisenhower was the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces (soldiers from the United States, Great Britain, Canada, and many other European countries) invading Nazi-occupied France by sea and by air. After WWII, in 1951, he was chosen to take supreme command over the new NATO forces.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, abbreviated, "NATO" was formed as a cooperative effort of U.S. allied countries, primarily in Europe, to work together to defend themselves against the U.S.S.R. (Russia). The diplomatic and military strategizing that took place between the U.S. and Russia in the years following World War II was known as "The Cold War".

Imagine chess players positioning their pieces to best be ready to attack one another. "The Cold War" was like a human chess game, that continued for decades, between the United States (and its allies) vs. Communist U.S.S.R. (Russia). "The Cold War" placed the responsibility to create American alliances on the President of the United States. The President, together with his armed forces commanders, needed to position missiles, ships, submarines, planes, and tank battalions where necessary to counter similar movements by Russian forces. The President also was required to enlist and station hundreds of thousands of soldiers in foreign countries. This included the continents of Europe, Asia, North Africa, the Caribbean Sea and the Arctic. Diplomatically, the President would make efforts to negotiate treaties with the leader of the U.S.S.R. (Russia) to avoid deadly military conflicts. The decisions the U.S. President made as the "Commander-in-Chief" of the U.S. Armed Forces, and as the "Leader of the Free World" would have life and death consequences around the globe.

Dwight D. Eisenhower was asked to run in the Republican Primary Election of 1952 against Robert A. Taft (the son of former President, William Howard Taft). Taft was an 'isolationist', who wanted to keep the U.S. out of all foreign entanglements with other countries around the world. In contrast to Taft, Eisenhower was seen by many Republican Party Leaders as an experienced  leader with a 'world view'. They thought he could help the U.S. defend its allies, and ultimately make itself safer, by keeping tabs on the military activities of the U.S.S.R. (Russia). Eisenhower's military and foreign policy experience, along with the very successful “I like Ike” campaign slogan, helped him win two Presidential Elections in the 1950’s. Though he suffered a heart attack while in office in 1955, he recovered and was re-elected in 1956.

Eisenhower supported the creation of the Interstate Highway System, which would connect U.S. cities & states together. Despite traffic jams, this network of roads, bridges, and freeways would be very helpful to commuters. At this time in history, U.S. businesses were prosperous, and career opportunities were growing. Because the economy was growing, more families could afford to own their own cars. Many middle income and wealthier families were relocating away from apartments in the cities out to newly-built homes on tree-lined streets in the suburbs. This highway system would enable working people to drive from their suburban homes to their workplaces in the cities and back again. It would also help the country's economy continue to grow as businesses needed to receive and deliver goods quickly and safely using trucks.


Prior to Eisenhower's Presidency, getting from one state to another, or across the country by car or bus, was difficult and time-consuming. Many roads, and the limited highways available at that time, were in poor condition. Commercial airline flights for average people were still more than a decade away. Eisenhower, being an ex-soldier and commander of the U.S. Army himself, had seen the value of a good system of roads while directing troops around Europe during WWII. He was most impressed with the highway system the Germans had built, called "the Autobahn", and he used it to move Allied Troops, tanks, and trucks around to defeat them. Eisenhower realized the importance of having a well-designed system of roads in the U.S., and that it could be used to move U.S. Military troops around the country, if needed.


Eisenhower's thinking was, if the continental United States were attacked, troops could be relocated quickly over newer, wider roads to defend an area under attack. U.S. Citizens were warned regularly that they might need to take cover in their homes, schools, or workplaces, if an attack from Russia were imminent (about to happen). A small percentage of American families had even built underground bomb shelters near their homes, hoping to protect themselves in the event of an Atomic Bomb attack. Civil defense sirens were mounted on towers in U.S. cities, and "take-cover" drills were a monthly event. It was thought that having an efficient highway system would help massive numbers of people more quickly evacuate a city that might come under attack.

On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union (Russia) launched the earth's first artificial satellite, Sputnik-1. This successful launch came as a shock to scientists, military, and government leaders throughout the United States. Sputnik-1 orbited the Earth 1,440 times over a period of 22 days. This event had scientific and military implications, but its importance was overlooked by much of the general public. The satellite the Russians had launched by rocket was rather small (about the size of a beach ball). All it could do was communicate its location back to Russian Scientists on Earth. Nowadays however, most people would understand that the Russians' small satellite was a precursor (the beginning of something) to human space flight, and the development of cell phones, worldwide satellite TV, the Internet, control of armed drones, rival nation surveillance, and more.

In response to the Russians' more advanced space program, Eisenhower signed the bill to form and fund the United States' own space agency, the "National Aeronautics and Space Administration", or "NASA". The purpose of NASA was to give engineers, scientists, and pilots (future U.S. astronauts) the resources and support they needed to compete with Russia in what would come to be known as, "The Space Race".


Advances in Space Exploration during the "Cold War" period were considered very important to both Russians and Americans. This was because the rocketry and guidance systems each country developed could also be used as horrific weapons against its enemy. During Eisenhower's two terms in office between 1953-1961, both Russia and the U.S. made great progress toward launching humans into space, generally with the Russians in the lead, though neither country had yet made a moon landing. Landing a man on the moon was, at that time, considered to be the finish line of "The Space Race" that both countries were trying to reach. Both countries were hoping they could boast that they were the first. (See this Space Exploration Timeline: https://bit.ly/3kdcS5V)


"The Cold War" period was a time when both Russia and the U.S. continued to develop more and more nuclear missiles, pointed toward its rival country's most populated cities. Additionally, both Russia and the U.S. tried to establish their influence (and create alliances) with other countries that were strategically important if another world war erupted, which was considered likely then. Throughout his time in office, Eisenhower worked tirelessly to try to ease tensions between the U.S. and Russia. Each U.S. President since Eisenhower has tried to do the same.


On August 8, 1953, the Soviet Union (Russia) announced it had hydrogen bomb capabilities. In August 1954, President Eisenhower signed the Atomic Energy Act to authorize the international exchange of information on the peaceful uses of atomic energy, and endorsed the development of commercial nuclear power.

Domestically (within the U.S.) President Dwight Eisenhower signed the 1957 Civil Rights Act. It was the first significant measure to address African-American Civil Rights since 1875. This bill established the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and created a civil rights division in the U.S. Justice Department. It also authorized the U.S. Attorney General (the highest U.S. law lawyer) to try to protect the voting rights of African Americans. The Act did not completely eliminate racist voting restrictions on Black persons (especially in the American South), but it was an important step in the right direction.


When the desegregation of schools began, President Eisenhower sent troops into Little Rock, Arkansas, to assure nine Black Students’ right to attend public school at Little Rock High School. This would allow Black students to attend the same school with white students, in compliance with the orders of a federal court. Many white students and parents tried to bully and otherwise prevent the Black students from entering the school. To protect these pioneering Black students (known now as "The Little Rock Nine") from harm, each Black student was assigned a soldier to accompany him or her around the campus each day, for a whole year.

President Eisenhower, in a continuation of the effort prior President Truman had begun, also ordered the complete desegregation of the Armed Forces. Previously, white and Black soldiers were quartered (housed in barracks and tents), and fought separately, by race. Eisenhower wrote, “There must be no second class citizens in this country.” This effort proved to be very successful.


Just prior to leaving office, President Eisenhower made a televised address to the nation, warning Americans about the dangers of expansion of the "Military Industrial Complex". He was worried about the amount of tax money the U.S. would continue spending making missiles, bombs, tanks, ships, submarines, planes, and other weapons systems. These expenses, along with housing, feeding, paying, outfitting, providing medical care, and transporting soldiers were growing astronomically. President Eisenhower, mindful that National Defense was very important, reminded the American People that excessive military spending was taking resources (tax money) away from other areas of public need, such as building hospitals, schools, and other needed infrastructure (roads, bridges, dams, airports, etc.).

Eisenhower was right: In 1961 when he left office, the amount the U.S. spent on National Defense was about $50,000,000,000 ($50 billion). In 2020, the amount was about $275,000,000,000 ($275 billion). The U.S. National Debt (the money the U.S. borrows to pay for the military and other government programs) in the year 2020, was estimated to be over $25,000,000,000,000 ($25 trillion), and continues to increase every year. This is money that future generations of younger people will have to pay back.


Fun Fact: President Eisenhower was the first U.S. President to fly in a helicopter.

Sources:
https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/presidents/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
https://www.whitehousehistory.org/slavery-in-the-presidents-neighborhood-faq
https://www.biography.com/us-president
https://2001-2009.state.gov/r/pa/ho/pubs/fs/85895.htm#berlin_airlift
https://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents
https://www.youtube.com

-Compiled by Henry Anker-