Dwight David Eisenhower

Few men of the 20th Century were as acclaimed as Dwight David Eisenhower. Born in Texas but raised on the prairie in Kansas, his devoutly religious parents were determined for their children to succeed. Hard work and tenacity set Ike on the fast track to success in the military. Groomed by the greatest Generals of his day inluding MacArthur and becoming close friends with Patton, Dwight David Eisenhower never saw front line combat personally but became one of the great technicians in modern history. His campaign to retake Europe in World War II won him the honor of greatness in the eyes of the world. And his path crossed all the major players of the mid-century period. As President, Ike Eisenhower became known for his managerial style and acumen for playing serious golf. In his two terms of office, the country flourished, he brought a stalemate to the Korean War but engaged us in Vietnam because of alliances made with Asian nations to defeat communism. Although he suffered a heart attack and stroke in office, his advanced age didn't prevent the popular Republican from a hectic schedule. Working closely with Congressional leaders, Eisenhower began the NASA program and brought a period of prosperity unknown since the twenties. In his parting remarks, Eisenhower warned of the growing military industrial complex that could abuse the political clout they had gained. In his retirement, Ike was called on by President Kennedy for his sage advice in numerous crises. When he succumbed to heart trouble in 1969, the nation honored him with a state funeral before he was laid to rest in his native Kansas. Today historians look on Eisenhower as a great general who brought about a change in America that is generally looked on as a decade of change creating modern America. Join historian Keith Pruitt as the reader is introduced to this General who became a popular President. You will come to like Ike, too.