"President Ike: The Legend of Dwight D. Eisenhower" CAST Virtual Program
Provided by the CAST Senior Center, our Virtual Programs provide an endless variety of interesting subjects. Our Virtual Programs take us across the country, experiencing and learning about places and people which we wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity to experience. Scheduled every Tuesday afternoon, unless noted, at 1pm at the CAST Senior Center, our Virtual Programs are free and open to the public. There are no membership dues and everyone is welcome to attend. Programming is provided by CuriousityU.com and other online providers. Check out our virtual program schedule every month and join us! We look forward to seeing you! In 2017, the influential C-Span ranking of U.S. presidents carried some surprising news: in the opinion of the hundreds of historians that were polled, Dwight D. Eisenhower now ranked as our fifth best president, right next to Lincoln, Washington, Franklin, and Theodore Roosevelt. Ike? Fifth best? For decades, Eisenhower’s presidency had been underrated. Long considered a do-nothing, lazy president who played a lot of golf and presided over the boom years of the 1950s, scholars of the presidency had written off Eisenhower as a mediocrity. But something has happened to the 34th president’s reputation: when the 2021 C-Span ranking was published, Eisenhower remained in fifth place, among the very greatest chief executives. What explains this significant change in how we see Dwight Eisenhower? Partly, it has to do with his moderation: in our polarized era, a moderate Republican president now seems attractive. Partly, it has to do with his reputation for public service and integrity: he gave his entire life to public service as an Army officer, a university leader, and president. But it also has to do with the real results he achieved in office: he wound down the Korean War, avoided other conflicts, affirmed the New Deal, fought the demagoguery of Joe McCarthy, and advanced civil rights for African Americans. He also warned us of the dangers of the “military-industrial complex.” This lecture will assess Ike’s legacy and the example he offers for today.
Date and Time
Tuesday Apr 23, 2024
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM CDT
Tuesday, April 23
1pm
Location
CAST Senior Center, Room 112
600 N. German St.
New Ulm, MN 56073
Fees/Admission
Free
Contact Information
507-354-3212
Send Email