Top 10 Facts About Dwight Eisenhower

Photo by White House – Wikimedia

Top 10 Facts About Dwight Eisenhower

Dwight David Eisenhower was born on October 14, 1890, in Denison, Texas, United States of America. He was raised in Abilene Kansas.

He attended Abilene High school in 1909. Later, he joined the United States Military Academy West Point Admission Office from 1911 to 1915.

Later on, he attended Command and General Staff College from 1925 to 1926, and from 1927 to 1928 he joined the United States Army War College.

Dwight Eisenhower was also a family man who was married to Mamie Eisenhower on July 1, 1916, with whom they brought to life two sons; Doud Eisenhower and John S. D. Eisenhower.

Dwight became the 34th president of the United State of America from the 20^th of January, 1953 to the 20^th of January, 1961.

During Dwight’s presidency, the administration managed to accomplish the creation of an Interstate Highway creation as well as the establishment of strong science education via the National Defense Education Act.

Dwight died of cardiac failure at 78 years of age on March 28, 1969.  

When he was alive, he was making great moves, becoming a university president, changing names of places like parks and giving better names, doing away with the squirrels in White House, and many more.

The following is a record of Top 10 facts of Dwight David Eisenhower.

1. Eisenhower Dismissed the White House’s Squirrels

In 1955, President Dwight Eisenhower ordered the banishment of squirrels from the White House, for they were digging out his putting green to bury their acorns and walnuts. He ordered for the killing of them anytime they would be seen near his putting green which has been placed not far away from the oval office.

In frustration he ordered his valet, sergeant Moanley, “Next time you see one of those squirrels go near my putting green, take a gun and shoot it”. They however avoided the use of guns on the squirrels but instead the ground keepers trapped them and later released them into Rock Creek Park.

2. He signed the Interstate Highway System

His great achievement was the interstate Highway System. In 1957, he signed the Civil Rights Act of 1957. He assigned the Army troops to enforce federal court orders which integrated schools in Little Rock, Arkansas State.

3. President Dwight Eisenhower was a Painter

President Dwight Eisenhower was so much enthusiastic about painting. He took it as a hobby and he would pay a visit to a studio to paint for ten minutes before proceeding to take his lunch.

He developed a painting interest after watching an artist, Thomas Stephens, paint a portrait of his wife, Mamie.

Among his paintings which were more than two hundred in total, were landscapes, portraits of his wife, George Washington, and Abraham Lincoln. He also had his own portrait art.

4. Eisenhower shared a name with his father.

President Eisenhower’s original name was David Dwight Eisenhower. He was named after his father by his mother, Ida Stover.

However, her mother later reversed the two names from David Dwight to Dwight David to avoid the confusion of the two names in the house.

5. Camp David is named after Eisenhower’s grandson.

Camp David serves as a presidential retreat in the United States of America, which is located in Catoctin Mountain Park in Frederic County, Maryland. It is a secluded private place for recreation, contemplation, and relaxation.

The camp was formally known as the Naval Support Facility Thurmont, opened in 1938. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry Truman called it Shangri-La after the fictional Himalayan paradise.

President Dwight, however, felt it was too formal and in 1953 he renamed it to Camp David, in honor of his five-year grandson.

6. President Dwight Eisenhower never participated in active combat

Photo by Wikimedia commons – Wikimedia

President Dwight spent 35 years in the military and also served during the First World War. However, during all this time, he never participated in active combat.

This was because he served at various camps across the United States after his completion and graduation from the US Military Academy in 1915.

During World War I, he undertook overseas assignments but he remained in training roles at home. During World War II, he rose and became amongst the American’s top generals and was later appointed as the supreme commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Europe thus never participating in active combat.

7. Eisenhower was once the President of Columbia University

Photo by James Anthony Wills – Wikimedia

President Dwight Eisenhower served as the thirteenth president of Columbia University from 1948 to January 1953. He succeeded Nicholas Murray Butler and took up the duties three years after Butler resigned.

As the president of the university, he said that the principal purpose of education is to prepare the student for effective personal and social life in a free society.

He defended the dismissal of a left-wing member from teachers’ college and served on national employment as a teacher.

Photo by Wikimedia commons – Wikimedia

Dwight also prevented legendary football coach Lou Littles from leaving for Yale and regularly attended Lion’s contests at Baker field.

He retired from active duty in 1952, not from the Columbia Presidency but to campaign for the Republican presidential nominations.

8. Eisenhower was the first president to ride in a helicopter.

Photo by Wikimedia commons – Wikimedia

Experimental military helicopters had been tested since 1947 but it took ten years later for a president to consider using them for short and official trips to and from the White House.

It was President Dwight who suggested the idea to the secret service which in return approved the helicopter as a new model of transportation.

He used Bell UH-13-J Sioux to fly in Gettysburg Pennsylvania. He also used the Sikorsky VH-3D known as the Sea King for the continental United States and abroad travels.

9. President Eisenhower was hospitalized for almost seven weeks while still the president

He suffered a massive heart attack during his vacation in Colorado in 1955. He remained in the hospital for almost two months.

During his italicization his vice president, Richard Nixon ran his cabinet meetings. President Dwight later underwent an intestinal bypass operation.

10. President Eisenhower was offered a journalism job by William Randolph Hearst.

In the military, Eisenhower was an excellent writer who authored speeches, letters, reports, and staff studies for the highest people in the organization including Douglas MacArthur.

During World War I, he contributed to a guidebook that led to William Randolph Hearst in the 1930s to approach and persuade him to leave the US Army to become a military correspondent for his newspaper. Dwight, however, turned down this offer.

Dwight Eisenhower was not only the 34th President of the United States of America but also a military man, a painter by passion, a Columbia graduate, a family man, and a writer. He was a strong fighter not only for the military but also for himself.

Despite his health condition, he proved to be strong enough for reelection. He was an enthusiastic leader who was ready to try new ideas. His courageous focus got him to historical books of remembrance, for instance, being the first president to ride a helicopter.