The Dwight D. Eisenhower Foundation Gallery Renovation

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Renovation of the Presidential Gallery

     Nearly eight million people have visited the Eisenhower Museum since it opened to the public in 1952. Today, the original gallery, known as the "Presidential Gallery," requires major renovation. The current exhibit, installed in 1976, is outdated in educational techniques and presentation, and no longer imparts the historical significance of the Eisenhower administration during a critical period of national and world history.

     The new gallery will emphasize the history of the United States during the 1950s, and portray the cultural, economic, and social climate of the time. It will incorporate the sounds, images, and artifacts of President Eisenhower and his colleagues. The personal and official correspondence, memoranda, and diaries of the President and his staff will provide a unique insight into the thoughts, opinions and activities of key leaders of the day. Visitors will leave the museum with a clearer understanding of the man who led the nation, and the years in which he served.

     The introductory portion of the Renovated Presidential Gallery will briefly present Dwight D. Eisenhower's roles as Chief of Staff of the Army, president of Columbia University, and his world leadership as the first military commander of NATO.

As visitors continue through the exhibit, video and graphic montages will describe the society, culture, economics, and politics of the 1950s--fads, fashions, music, theater, technology--from hula hoops to bomb shelters.
Through documents, artifacts, and interactive computer programs, visitors will learn of the overwhelming "grassroots" support for Eisenhower's presidential nomination. They will explore the critical issues confronting Eisenhower's presidency: the "Cold War," balancing the budget, civil rights, the "space race," Interstate Highway bill, government reorganization, vitalizing the nation's infrastructure, and renewing the arts in American culture. Sidebars throughout the exhibit will illustrate the personal life of the President and events of the 1950s.

The exhibit will conclude with the election of John F. Kennedy in 1961 and Eisenhower's farewell address, which became famous for its forewarning of the power of military-industrial complex. As the Eisenhower Era ends and the President moves on to retirement, his years as author, painter, family man, golfer, political advisor, and elder statesman will be told.

The Legacy Fund has been established to help renovate the Presidential Gallery. If you want to help support a new exhibit that will more accurately reflect the issues and events that shaped the Eisenhower Presidency, the Eisenhower Foundation welcomes your contribution.

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