According to the Eagle's Eye (October 18, 1968) --
President Johnson has proclaimed this week as "Salute to Eisenhower" week in honor of the 34th President of these United States of America, Dwight D. Eisenhower. The Eagle's Eye is glad to join in this salute to this great General, President and statesman.
On behalf of the Eagle's Eye Staff, I wish President Eisenhower a happy birthday, and health and happiness in the years to come. -- Craig Staats, editor
The issue contained several articles about Ike, including:
Dwight David Eisenhower was born in the year of 1890. Sixty-two years later he became the 34th president of the United States and was to go down in history as perhaps one of our greatest presidents.
He was not the greatest student when he was in the lower grades such as Grammar School. He began to "sharpen up" when he entered High School and was admired by the other students. He graduated from school in the year of 1909. The school he attended was Abilene High School, Abilene, Kansas.
For his academic achievements in school he was honored with the choice of either attending West Point or going to the U.S. Military School. In 1910 he decided that he would join the United States Academy.
He was sent overseas during the first World War but he never saw action because, before his ship got to Europe the war was over.
Before the second World War, he finally began his climb to the top of the "elite corp" of the military. Finally around the middle of World War II, he became the commander of the U.S. forces in Europe. He fought in Europe for about two and one-half years. The troops that he was commanding were fighting against the Germans and the Italians. Soon Eisenhower's troops were fighting the Germans.
Many people admired him at home and wanted him to run for the presidency of the United States. He refused to enter the New Hampshire primary and asked the Secretary of State to take his name off the ballot.
He decided that he would rather become the president of Columbia University. He served at that post for about three years, and it is interesting to note that he served without pay for the many services that he rendered the University.
With many people goading him to run in 1952, he heeded their pleas and announced that he was a candidate for the presidency of the United States. In a bitter fight with Senator Taft, he won the party's nomination on the first ballot. In the general election he defeated the democratic candidate for president by over 6 million votes. The '52 election proved that the people of the United States were united in a quest for the end of the Korean War. He became our 34th president on January 20, 1953.
In 1955 the nation was shocked to hear that the President had suffered a major heart attack. It was described as a major coronary thrombosis. Amidst all of the rumors that were circulating around the nation that he would not run for a second term, he announced that he was well enough to run for president.
In the 1956 election the people confirmed their belief in him, and they voted overwhelmingly for him for president. This time he won by over 9 million votes, captured 41 states, and defeated rival Adlai Stevenson for the presidency.
In 1960 when Nixon ran for president, Eisenhower enthusiastically supported him. But it has been learned that Eisenhower was not in good health at the time and that Nixon had told him even if it would cost him the election he did not want Eisenhower to get too excited and possibly suffer a fatal heart attack. Eisenhower complied with Nixon's wishes and did not campaign anymore for his Vice-president.
Eisenhower is now retired from the fierceness of political campaigning, and is semi-retired but still active as a person. He has had many proud accomplishments as president; and I feel that he was one of our finest presidents.
President Johnson has proclaimed the week of November 13 as "Eisenhower Week" in honor of the 34th President of these United States, Dwight D. Eisenhower.
In this time of rampant disrespect for the office of the Presidency, and the man who holds it, it is illuminating to look in retrospect at Eisenhower's terms as President.
Unquestionably, Dwight D. Eisenhower was one of the most popular Presidents this nation has had in recent years; a poll places Eisenhower high on the most admired Americans list.
As president, Eisenhower:
Eisenhower's quotes in the campaign ran in the "it's time for a change' theme, but also were representative of a moderate and progressive candidate:
"There is also need to bring hope and every peaceful aid to the world's enslaved
peoples."
"The one way, the only way, to win World War III is to prevent it … That
is the cause to which I now call America's young people. It is a cause for
every American."
When the name of Dwight D. Eisenhower was chosen for our high school, it was more than "choosing a famous name out of a history book". Our contact with General Eisenhower has been a warm interchange of admiration, gratification, and warmth. Students of E.H.S. have felt and known this every year as they send a delegation to meet the Eisenhowers on their arrival in California.
Last spring General Eisenhower and President Johnson met a March Air Force Base, two of our reporters went out and personally shook hands with them, took pictures, and ran a special pictorial feature in our school paper. Shortly after this, Eisenhower suffered a heart attack and, as you remember, was at March Air Force Base Hospital. The Eagle's Eye staff sent him a copy of the special issue mentioned above and a get well card signed by all the journalism students. About this time, Eisenhower was taken to Walter Reed General Hospital. Still, our correspondence caught up with him and he was generous enough to reply. The Eagle's Eye staff would like to share this letter with you.
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