Channels, Fall 2020

Page 64 Caldwell • Eisenhower Conclusion The evidence speaks for itself on the subject of whom and what Eisenhower was like as President of the United States. On the other end of history, after all the papers and documents have been released, after the dust has settled in the Middle East and relations with Russia have calmed down, after the Civil Rights movement changed the nation, and after all the memoirs have been published and final words spoken, the answer seems obvious. Dwight David Eisenhower was an unusual President… but he was a good one. He was not perfect. He made mistakes, and there were moments and decisions that even he admits he would have changed. But he certainly was not who he had been contemporaneously portrayed to be. He was not lazy. He did not golf and goof his way through his two terms of service as President. He was not controlled by strong personalities like Sherman Adams or John Foster Dulles. He was a deft politician, one who was able to delegate and run his administration effectively behind the scenes. He was savvy in his choice of subordinates and smart in his decisions on which course of action to take. His military experiences prepared and served him well for the role he assumed as President of the United States; while he was not the conventional politician by any means, he was not any less effective because of that difference. His reputation as a “do - nothing” President has successfully undergone a change within the past few decades that has led to a more correct perception of Eisenhower and his administration. In some ways, his reputation now more resembles that of a “did - e verything” President – the evidence certainly does not contradict the label. Eisenhower and his presidency is a fascinating case of revisionism working its way through history in a positive manner, and there is much to learn from the work that has been done and is still being done on the subject. To undertake the task of fully proving just how deft of a politician and shrewd of a president Eisenhower was would have to be the goal of a lifetime of scholarly work on the subject, a route many historians have chosen, fortunately. Through their work and efforts, the truth has been revealed and the historical record set straight. As Eisenhower once said, “the world moves, and ideas that were good once are not always good.” 89 This applies aptly to history, for as is seen in the case of Eisenhower himself, accepted perceptions or conclusions are not always correct. To correct them is the duty of a historian, and it is satisfying work when it is done. 89 Dwight D. Eisenhower, “Quotes,” Eisenhower Presidential Library, last modified November 5, 2019, accessed April 6, 2020, https://www.eisenhowerlibrary.gov/eisenhowers/quotes.