Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial

Doud Dwight Eisenhower

Dwight D. Eisenhower

E. Frederic Morrow

Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery

John Eisenhower

John and Delores Moaney

Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru

Winston S. Churchill

On January 20, 1953, Dwight D. Eisenhower took the oath of office as the 34th President of the United States. In his Inaugural Address that day, Eisenhower laid out the challenges facing the United States, as well as ways he believed the American people could rise to the occasion and meet them.

It is a routine yet special occurrence in American history—one political leader handing over the most powerful office in the land—the Presidency of the United States—to another. In some cases, this transfer is done amongst friends and political allies. In others, it is amongst political rivals. On January 20, 1953, such a transfer of power occurred, when President Harry Truman passed the torch of leadership to incoming President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

A President-elect and a Corporal sit down together for lunch in the cold wintry mountains of Korea. Five days later, one is killed in action, and the other left wondering what he can do to prevent more deaths in an already far too costly war.

Dwight Eisenhower received many letters from citizens on important issues. In 1957 and 1958, baseball star and Civil Rights activist Jackie Robinson wrote to President Eisenhower about his stance on Civil Rights, voicing his desires for stronger Federal action to protect the rights of African Americans in the United States. His letter of May 1958 expresses the frustration Robinson felt at what he considered to be Eisenhower's slow pace on issues pertaining to Civil Rights.

During World War II, while Dwight Eisenhower ascended to high command and fame, he relied heavily upon his wife, Mamie. Mamie Eisenhower served in her own way during the war, persevering through trials and tribulations to support her husband and her country.

Dwight Eisenhower's ability to manage multiple commanders and forces did not only apply to ground troops in World War II. Managing the war in the skies above Europe proved equally as important and challenging for Eisenhower and the Allies. Explore this story further here.

E. Frederic Morrow, the first ever African American to hold an executive position in the White House, worked for Dwight Eisenhower as an Administrative Officer for Special Projects against the backdrop of the Civil Rights Era. In this position, he confronted racism both personally and professionally and often found himself frustrated and even angered at what he called Eisenhower's "lukewarm stand on civil rights."

The Korean War was one of the defining events of Dwight Eisenhower's presidency. Learn about the multiple ways that conflict and time period are represented through this look at the items on display inside the historic Eisenhower home.