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Page 56 Caldwell • Eisenhower demonstrates an adept understanding and effective managing of his colleagues in order to achieve the ends he desired as President. 57 The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower is not the only work to undertake the publishing and dissemination of the documents and files of President Eisenhower, however. Another notable primary resource is the two-volume publication The Eisenhower Administration 1953-1961: A Documentary History, which dives into the political philosophy and leadership style of Eisenhower as President. Robert Branyan and Lawrence Larson, the editors, work to collate major documents from Eisenhower’s administration to “shed new light on the Eisenhower Presidency.” 58 While their collection does not highlight the personal engagement of Eisenhower in the many aspects of government as the Papers do, the two volumes manage to present a clear picture of where the Eisenhower administration stood on key issues during his two terms. However, this is not to say that the collection solely consists of formal government documents. Interspersed among the official speeches, proposals, budgets, and various governmental files are occasional personal communications from President Eisenhower. One such letter, shown to be from Eisenhower to the Secretary of Agriculture, Ezra Taft Benson, detai ls Eisenhower’s desire for Benson to present a specific message to delegates to the Food for Peace conference on May 4, 1959. In his letter, Eisenhower goes into so much detail that he drafts not only the substance of the speech, but also the greeting he w ishes Benson to begin with, as well as a conclusion that includes his “appreciation and best wishes.” 59 In addition to the massive number of official collections of important papers, there are also the primary sources written and published by Eisenhower himself. These include his memoirs of the White House years, as well as his diaries and letters. One fascinating collection of Ike’s personal correspondence is Robert Griffith’s edited work titled Ike’s Letters to a Friend 1941-1958. The book is a compilation of the letters exchanged between two lifelong friends – Eisenhower and his childhood buddy Swede Hazlett. 60 After growing up together, the two men maintained their friendship via mail, for they did not frequently see each other. Griffith collected the more than 150 letters exchanged between Ike and Swede in a slim volume that charmingly displays the honesty, encouragement, and banter that comes out of a lifelong friendship. While this source proves to be just as entertaining as it is informative, it too contributes meaningfully to the character of Eisenhower as President. As much as Ike’s letters are full of personal inquiries, inside jokes, and advice about how to catch the best fish, he also 57 Dwight D. Eisenhower, The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower: The Presidency – Keeping the Peace, Volume XX, ed. Louis Galambos and Daun Van Ee (Baltimore: John Hopkins University Press, 2001), 1399. 58 Robert L. Branyan and Lawrence H. Larson, The Eisenhower Administration 1953-1961: A Documentary History, Volume 1 (New York: Random House, 1971), viii. 59 Robert L. Branyan and Lawrence H. Larson, The Eisenhower Administration 1953-1961: A Documentary History, Volume 2 (New York: Random House, 1971), 884. 60 Griffith, Ike’s Letters to a Friend, 1.