Dwight D. Eisenhower

34th president of the United States and Supreme Commander of Allied forces in Europe during World War II.

Dwight D. Eisenhower was born David Dwight Eisenhower in Denison, Texas, the third of seven sons, and his mother later reversed his forenames to avoid confusion with his father.^[1] From a man named Bob Davis who camped on the Smoky Hill River, he acquired skills in hunting, fishing, cooking, and card playing, alongside a deep and lasting fascination with outdoor exploration.^[2][3]

Last updated 2026-09-30 from the source article.

Quick Facts

Order: 34th
Office: President of the United States
Vice president: Richard Nixon
Took office: January 20, 1953
Left office: January 20, 1961
Predecessor: Harry S. Truman
Successor: John F. Kennedy

Facts from the source article.

Life and work

He attended Abilene High School and graduated in 1909, after recovering from a life-threatening leg infection that he refused to have amputated.^[4][5] In 1916, Funston convinced him to become the football coach for Peacock Military Academy, and he later coached at St. Louis College.^[6] Eisenhower met Mamie Doud while stationed in Texas, proposed on Valentine's Day in 1916, and they married on July 1 of that year.^[7] After winning the entrance-exam competition but being too old for the Naval Academy, Eisenhower took an appointment to West Point in 1911.^[8]

At West Point, he played halfback as a starter on the varsity football team in 1912, but a torn knee injury ended his playing days.^[9] General Frederick Funston noticed Eisenhower after he took on roles as a junior varsity football coach and cheerleader.^[10]

What the cited sources add

The Miller Center account notes that Eisenhower delighted in hunting, fishing, and football as a youth, and eagerly read military history.^[11] The same source states that Eisenhower graduated first in his class of 245 officers at the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth.^[11] The ACBL District 8 newsletter reports that during WWII, an unwritten qualification for service on Eisenhower's staff was an officer's ability to play a decent game of bridge.^[12] The newsletter also describes that bridge great Ely Culbertson called Eisenhower's game classic and sound with "flashes of brilliance"^[12]

The Military Times record notes that Eisenhower graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Class of 1915.^[13] The Sigma Beta Chi list records Dwight D. Eisenhower as an honorary member of that fraternity.^[14]

References

Wikipedia, "Dwight D. Eisenhower" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: D'Este 2003, p. 21–22; ; Eisenhower, Dwight David "Ike"., biography on World War II graves website; ; Barnett, "General "Ike" Eisenhower", November 9, 1942, p. 112–120, 122, 124–125 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Wikipedia, "Dwight D. Eisenhower" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: D'Este 2003, p. 21–22 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Wikipedia, "Dwight D. Eisenhower" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Eisenhower, Dwight D. (1967). At Ease: Stories I Tell to Friends, Garden City, New York, Doubleday & Company, Inc.; D'Este 2002, p. 25; "Getting on the Right TRRACC", Lesson Plans: The Molding of a Leader (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Wikipedia, "Dwight D. Eisenhower" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Public School Products", September 14, 1959 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Wikipedia, "Dwight D. Eisenhower" (CC BY-SA 4.0) en.wikipedia.org
Wikipedia, "Dwight D. Eisenhower" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: O'Connell 2022, p. 117–119; ; "We Remember", Sigma Beta Chi (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
Wikipedia, "Dwight D. Eisenhower" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Weingroff, "The Man Who Changed America, Part I", Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), March–April 2003; O'Connell 2022, p. 117–119; (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Wikipedia, "Dwight D. Eisenhower" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Biography: Dwight David Eisenhower", Eisenhower Foundation; "Biography: Dwight David Eisenhower", Eisenhower Foundation (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Wikipedia, "Dwight D. Eisenhower" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "President Dwight D. Eisenhower Baseball Related Quotations", Baseball Almanac; "Eisenhower BOQ 1915", Fort Sam Houston; "Lt Eisenhower and Football Team", Fort Sam Houston; Botelho, "Roller-coaster life of Indian icon, sports' first star", CNN, July 15, 1912; Eisenhower, Dwight D. (1967). At Ease: Stories I Tell to Friends, Garden City, New York, Doubleday & Company, Inc.; "Ike and the Team", Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Wikipedia, "Dwight D. Eisenhower" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: O'Connell 2022, p. 117–119; "Dwight David Eisenhower" (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
American President: An Online Reference Resource, Dwight David Eisenhower (1890–1969), "Life Before the Presidency", Miller Center of Public Affairs, University. facts only, no text reused. millercenter.org
Walker, "D-Day Memories of the Bridge Player in Chief", ACBL District 8, June 2009. facts only, no text reused. advocate.district8acbl.com
"Dwight David Eisenhower", Military Times. facts only, no text reused. valor.militarytimes.com
"We Remember", Sigma Beta Chi. facts only, no text reused. sigmabetachi.celect.org

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Dwight D. Eisenhower (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.