The Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum might be the most interesting thing I’ve seen on my trip so far. This was my first experience visiting a Presidential Library, so I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but it surpassed any possible expectations I could have had. In hindsight I probably should have had higher expectations. President Eisenhower’s life was so fascinating, a museum honoring him was destined to be amazing.
Rankings of all the United States’ presidents have proliferated over the years. It’s a valid exercise, but comparing presidents who served at very different times in our nearly 250 year history is challenging. Rather than have one comprehensive ranking, I prefer to rank the presidents by century. The 18th centuries’ best president is clearly George Washington, an especially easy choice since he only has 1 competitor. Abraham Lincoln is the undisputed choice for the 19th century. The 20th century is where it gets hard, but Eisenhower has always been my favorite.
Quite a few people would challenge that, most likely advocating for one or both of the Roosevelts. But I think that view is driven by familiarity more than anything else. It’s taken 60 years, but historians have gradually warmed up to Eisenhower. In 1962 historians ranked Eisenhower as the 22nd best president. Consulting the latest C-SPAN Survey, he is all the way up to number 5. Only behind Lincoln, Washington, and both Roosevelts. Give it another decade and Ike will be elevated to that number 3 slot. For those wiling to make the pilgrimage to Abilene, Kansas, you can see for yourself.
Visiting The Eisenhower Presidential Library & Museum
The museum covers the entirety of Eisenhower’s life, from boyhood all the way through his Presidency. As expected his time as Supreme Allied Commander and President of The United States get the bulk of the attention, but his early years are fascinating and worthy of study. One example that often gets overlooked, was his participation in the Transcontinental Motor Convoy. In 1919 the War Department organized the convoy, which traveled via the Lincoln Highway from Washington D.C. to San Francisco. Eisenhower volunteered for the convoy, which ended up taking a full 2 months to reach San Francisco, reflecting America’s lack of road infrastructure in the early 1900’s. The experience made a lasting impression on Ike, it’s one of the main reasons he became the champion of the Interstate Highway System. Today that same journey along Interstate 80 would take 3 days.
The WWII section of the museum had lots of interesting information as well as some unique artifacts. I think my favorite artifact was the table and chairs where Eisenhower and Allied commanders planned D-Day (see above). If only they could tell the stories of what went on at that table.
As would be expected the portion covering Eisenhower’s presidency was the largest section of the museum. Covering everything from his campaign to his accomplishments while in office, this part of the museum was very well organized and full of interesting history. The museum is thorough enough where someone having no previous knowledge of Eisenhower’s presidency will leave with a comprehensive view of not only his accomplishments but his political philosophy. A few notable accomplishments during his time in office were the passage of legislation for the creation of the Interstate Highway System, the first Civil Rights legislation since Reconstruction (Civil Rights Act of 1957), the creation of DARPA (inventor of the internet), and the creation of NASA. While focusing on investment, Eisenhower also managed to have 3 years of budget surpluses in 1955, 1957, and 1960. Eisenhower recognized the need for spending and investment, but also was a staunch advocate of balanced budgets. Arguably the last fiscal conservative to occupy the White House.
Once finished inside the museum, you can head outside to see Ike’s boyhood home. Eisenhower came from humble beginnings, but he made a tremendous impact on America. Ordinarily the family home is open for tours but it’s currently undergoing renovations. Maybe that will give me an excuse to make a return visit at some point.
The final stop I made was the Place of Meditation, where both the President and First Lady are laid to rest. Eisenhower designed the building himself and the inside is beautiful. A very peaceful setting to pay respects to one of our greatest presidents.
I could have written pages on President Eisenhower, but I tried to keep this reasonably short. For anyone who found this interesting, but is unlikely to ever make their way to Abilene, I would encourage you to check out the website for the Library and Museum (link below). For those of you potentially interested in visiting, you’ve got 2 easy options. Abilene is located next to I-70, so depending on where you’re starting from, plenty of people will pass by on road trips. If thats you, do yourself a favor and stop for an hour or two in Abilene, you won’t regret it. The other likely option is via Kansas City. Abilene is a 2 hour drive west of Kansas City. So for all the out of state KC Chiefs fans, take a weekend trip to Kansas City and make a detour out to Abilene, its well worth it.
I’m stunned to learn that DARPA was responsible for the internet. I thought it was Al Gore!
You beat me to that comment, Dave. The Al Gore reference was an easy lay-up.
I’ve read about 30 presidential biographies and never considered Ike in the top 5. Then again, I never considered FDR in the top 5 either. I have to agree that his physical conservatism is unique – especially amongst those who claim to be fiscal conservatives. He got us out of Korea, and the Interestate Highway System is a crowning achivement. The system was primarily built for military purposes. The U.S. military has “first dibs” on the Interstate Highways in the event of a national emergency. I would certainly rank Ike in the top 1/3 (top 15), but there’s a lot of competition – Washington and Lincoln are no doubt 1 & 2 (in either order), but you’ve got to consider Jefferson, Monroe, Grant (at least his first term), TR, and even Coolidge. Then there’s the list of best names for Presidents. My pick is Rutherford B. Hayes, although Millard Filmore has to be a close second.
Forgot to mention… I’ve also been to a few presidential libraries – Nixon, Reagan, Bush (41), Truman. My Mom was a docent at the Nixon Library and toured every presidential library up through Clinton with her fellow docents.
This was my first one, but think I’ll have to visit them all now.