Dwight D. Eisenhower: Readers Digest Foundation Press Release

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Living into the 21 st Century

EISENHOWER PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY HONORS GRANT FROM READER’S DIGEST FOUNDATION IN NAMING NEW PRESIDENTIAL GALLERY

Abilene , Kansas, ( Nov. 4, 2002) – The Eisenhower Foundation and Reader’s Digest Foundation have announced an innovative educational collaboration to benefit the Eisenhower Presidential Library, in Abilene, Kansas. The purpose of this new relationship will be to provide assistance to the Eisenhower Presidential Library in reaching out to new generations of Americans—teaching the values and leadership of Dwight D. Eisenhower, the 34 th President of the United States.

To firmly establish its commitment to this educational relationship, the Reader’s Digest Foundation made a significant financial contribution to the Eisenhower Foundation. This contribution helped to make possible the opening of the new Presidential Gallery at the Eisenhower Presidential Library, and a new Education Center classroom, now in the planning stage of construction. To acknowledge and honor this contribution, the Presidential Gallery has been named the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Reader’s Digest Foundation Education Center. GEORGE H.W. Bush, the 41st President of the United States, officially opened the Presidential Gallery, on October 12, 2002, during the Eisenhower Day Celebration.

Stewart Etherington, President of the Eisenhower Foundation , reflected on this new relationship between the Foundations, “The Reader’s Digest Foundation has a tradition of supporting educational programs which help young people realize their full potential. We are thrilled that they have chosen the Eisenhower Presidential Library and the Eisenhower Foundation as an extension of their endeavors. We look forward to working with them to educate entirely new generations of Americans to the values our country represents.”

Kim Barbieri, Education Specialist at the Eisenhower Library, enthusiastically praised the collaboration, “Thanks to the generosity and farsightedness of the Reader’s Digest Foundation, and the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) , construction on the new museum classroom and education office will begin soon. Equipped with state-of-the- art technology, our classroom will allow the education office to deliver creative, high-quality, onsite programming . I’m very excited about the challenges ahead and even more so about the opportunities to contribute to the improvement of history and civic education for the benefit our young people.”

The Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Reader’s Digest Foundation Education Center provides visitors the opportunity to learn more about not only the Eisenhower Administration, but of everyday American life from 1945 to 1960 through computer interactives, videos, and displays. As part of the Eisenhower Library and Museum, the Presidential Gallery and planned classroom will become integral parts of a newly developed onsite education program that will feature hands-on, project-based, interdisciplinary learning experiences for K-12 students, teachers, and the general public.

The Reader's Digest Foundation is a private foundation solely funded by the Reader's Digest Association, Inc. The foundation funds employee matching gifts, volunteer support and scholarship programs; offers general grants; and provides grants to college students pursuing careers in publishing. The Reader's Digest Association, Inc., headquartered in Pleasantville, NY, is a global leader in publishing and direct marketing.

The Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum is operated by NARA, a federal agency, and is governed by federal statute and related federal codes. All NARA presidential libraries are constructed with private and/or non-federal funds then presented to NARA, which provides federal funding for operating expenses.