Biographical Chart: Dwight D.

Eisenhower

Full Name Dwight David Eisenhower

Lifespan October 14, 1890-March 28, 1969

Early Family Background and Created ● Born in Denison, TX to David Jacob

Family Structure Eisenhower and Elizabeth Stover
Eisenhower, the third of seven sons
● Hid father cleaned train engines for a
living, but when they moved back to
Abilene, he got a job at a creamery
● Before he was born, his parents had
moved from Abilene, Kansas to
Denison, but moved back when
Dwight was a year and a half old
● When he was four years old, his
10-month-old brother Paul died of
diptheria
● Played baseball and football at
Abilene high school
● Graduated from high school in 1909
● Got a job at the creamery where his
dad and uncle worked, and used the
money he made to pay for his younger
brother Edgar’s college tuition. They
agreed that after two years, they would
switch places.
● In 1911, Eisenhower was accepted to
the United States military Academy at
West Point. He graduated in 1915 and
was commissioned as a second
lieutenant

Education ● Attended Abilene High School in

Abilene, Kansas (graduated 1909)
● Attended the United States Academy
at West point (graduated 1915)
● Graduated first of his class from the
Command and general Staff School
(1926)
Personality Characteristics and Areas of ● Despite being an incredible military
Aptitude, Talent, and Interest leader, Eisenhower did not condone
war or the use of violence.
● Cared for those on the outskirts of
society

Major Career/Professional Events and ● Commissioned as a second lieutenant

Accomplishments after graduation from West Point
(1915)
● Promoted to first lieutenant on July 1,
1916, which was also his wedding day
● Appointed to run a tank training center
in Pennsylvania during WWI
● Promoted to major (1920)
● Became executive officer to General
Fox Conner in the Panama Canal Zone
(1922)
● Graduated first in his class from the
Command and general Staff School
(1926)
● Toured and reported for the War
Department (1927-1929)
● Appointed chief military aide under
General Douglas MacArthur (1929)
● Became chief of staff for the Third
Army (1941)
● Promoted to Brigadier general
● Transferred to the War Plans division
in Washington, D.C. (1941)
● Promoted to major general (1942)
● Became commander-in-chief of the
Allied Forces and led Operation
Torch, the allied invasion of North
Africa (1942)
● Commanded the Allied forces in the
Normandy invasion (June 6, 1944)
● Promoted to five-star rank (1944)
● Made military governor of the U.S.
Occupied Zone (1945)
● Appointed U.S. Army chief of staff
● Elected president of Columbia
University (1948)
● First Supreme Allied Commander of
NATO (1950)
 ● Elected president of the United States
(November 4, 1952)
● Reelected for a second term (1956)
● Established Hawaii and Alaska as
states
● Signed the 1957 Civil Rights Act
● Set up a permanent Civil Rights
Commission
● Formed NASA

Personal Life Themes/Beliefs ● Pursued a middle course in his

politics, not wanting to promote any
extremes
● Believed that all citizens in the U.S.
were equal, leading to his support of
desegregation of schools and civil
rights
● Strived for world peace

Selected Quotations ● “I hate war as only a soldier who has

live dit can, only as one who has seen
its brutality, its futility, its stupidity”
● “A people that values its privileges
above its principles soon loses both”
● “You don’t lead by hitting people over
the head-- that’s assault, not
leadership.”
● “There is no glory in battle worth the
blood it costs”

Awards and Recognition ● Navy distinguished service medal

● Army distinguished service medal
● Legion of merit
● President of the US

Death and Aftermath ● Died March 28, 1969 at Walter Reed

Army Hospital in Washington, D.C.
after suffering from a heart-related
illness
● A state funeral was held in the nation's
capital, and a military funeral was held
in his hometown of Abilene, Kansas

Lasting Impact and Contributions ● One of the greatest military

commanders in U.S. history
● Helped to diffuse Cold War tensions
and promote the use of atomic/nuclear
research for peace and prosperity
● The system of highways and roads that
he promoted are still in use today