Dwight D. Eisenhower was born in Denison, Texas on October 14, 1890, but raised mostly in Abilene, Kansas. He graduated from the prestigious U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1915, and began his U.S. military career during World War I.

Eisenhower garnered worldwide acclaim as the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces during World War II, leading the Allies to victory across Europe with a strategic vision and unwavering determination.

After the war, he became the first military governor of the American occupation sector of Germany, and then returned to the U.S. to serve as Army Chief of Staff.

General Eisenhower (popularly known as “Ike”) was the president of Columbia University (1948-53), partly simultaneous with his service as the first Supreme Commander of NATO (1951-52).

In 1952, he was the landslide winner of the U.S. presidential election, and ascended to become the 34th president of the United States, a role he held from 1953 to 1961. His primary policy goals in office were to contain the spread of international Communism and to reduce Federal deficits.

Dwight David Eisenhower was born into a family with deep German-American roots. His ancestry can be traced back to Johann Nicolaus Eisenhauer, who lived from approximately 1691 to around 1760. Johann Nicolaus emigrated to America in 1741, accompanied by his son, Johann Peter. They settled in Pennsylvania, where the family established its American lineage. These rich historical ties shaped Eisenhower’s early life, which influenced his values and leadership throughout his career.

A very popular figure throughout his public life, President Eisenhower died on March 28, 1969

For more detailed information, refer to the Eisenhower biography on the White House archives website.