The Interstate Highway System is named after him. The nation’s newest memorial honors him. And the fastest path (sometimes) from downtown heading west is an expressway bearing his name. Dwight D. Eisenhower was one of the most consequential American leaders of the 20th century, and yet on this Presidents Day, we barely remember who he was and what he did.
And that’s a terrible shame, for Eisenhower’s record of service to the nation is simply unparalleled: D-Day commander, supreme commander of NATO, Army chief of staff, president of Columbia University and two-term president of the United States. A highly respected figure to politicians of both parties and a venerated world leader. A lifelong soldier who abhorred armed conflict. A leader of uncommon discretion, decency and grace, who is unfairly recalled — if at all — as an old man who liked to fish and play golf. And that’s a travesty of American history, as even the briefest review of his record will attest.
Eisenhower first came on the national scene as a fast-rising young general in the early days of World War II. He made the hugely difficult recommendation not to reinforce the besieged American forces in the Philippines. He commanded both the invasion of North Africa and the subsequent invasion of Sicily. He then served as supreme commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Europe, the war’s most important military role. Eisenhower led the Allied armies across Europe, from the D-Day invasion to Germany’s surrender, while exercising the political skills necessary to preserve the United States’ challenging partnership with Britain, France, Russia and other allies.
After the war, Eisenhower served as Army chief of staff and then led Columbia University before being called back into service by President Harry Truman as the first supreme commander of the newly formed NATO. In that role, Eisenhower promoted the foundational goals of the now-historic alliance and developed its first command structure.
Eisenhower won elections in 1952 and 1956 in a landslide; he led the country to an extraordinary period of domestic tranquility, bipartisan spirit and economic prosperity. Among the major accomplishments of his presidency were the resolution of the Korean War, the establishment of NASA as a civilian agency and his unwillingness to intervene in Vietnam in support of French forces.
As a soldier-statesman, Eisenhower focused on keeping the peace. He urged countries to resolve differences, “not with arms but with intellect and purpose.” He characterized the cost of powerful weapons as “in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. … This is not a way of life at all, in any true sense.” He famously warned the nation of the dangers to arise from “the military industrial complex.”
In retirement, Eisenhower was widely sought for his wisdom and judgment. President John F. Kennedy sought his advice following the failed Bay of Pigs invasion. President Lyndon B. Johnson regularly consulted him on matters ranging from presidential succession in the wake of Kennedy’s assassination to the conduct of the Vietnam War.
Upon Eisenhower’s 1969 death, President Richard M. Nixon observed of Eisenhower’s last years: “Some men are considered great because they lead great armies, or they lead powerful nations. For eight years now, Dwight Eisenhower has neither commanded an army nor led a nation. And yet he remained through his final days the world’s most admired and respected man, truly the first citizen of the world.”
None of this is to say that Eisenhower’s career was without fault. He failed to aggressively confront U.S. Sen. Joseph McCarthy’s political terrorism. His support for the Civil Rights Movement was generally passive. He was slow to react to the rise of Soviet space technology. And for years, Eisenhower failed to earn historians’ appreciation, who misinterpreted his measured tone, lack of flair and willingness to work out of the limelight as the traits of a “do-nothing” president. If that is so, perhaps we need more “do-nothing” political leaders.
Eisenhower was possibly the most extraordinary public servant of the 20th century: soldier, commander, diplomat, educator, president and, in retirement, the ultimate symbol of public dignity and national rectitude. All this is particularly noteworthy in today’s era, where such leadership virtues are seemingly in decline, if not disappearing.
So, on this Presidents Day, do yourself a favor and pull up the video of Eisenhower’s farewell address as president. It’s a little long, but it’s worth the investment of time. You’ll hear a formality of tone that is respectful of the office. You’ll hear his encouragement for “an alert and knowledgeable citizenry” to serve as the bulwark against misplaced power. You’ll hear his call to use America’s power only in the interests of world peace and human betterment.
Chances are you won’t just be impressed; you’ll be shocked. And you’ll wonder if America can continue to produce public servants like Eisenhower.
Michael Peregrine is a retired Chicago lawyer.
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