Eisenhower, Dwight D.: Post-Presidential Papers, 1961-69
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EISENHOWER, DWIGHT D.: POST-PRESIDENTIAL PAPERS, 1961-69 1965 PRINCIPAL FILE Series Description The 1965 Principal File was the main office file for Dwight D. Eisenhower’s Gettysburg Office. It is divided into two subseries-a subject file and an alphabetical file. The subject subseries consists of seventeen boxes of documents arranged under such categories as appointments, autographs, endorsements, gifts, invitations, memberships, messages, political affairs, publications, statements, and trips. Documentation in this subseries includes correspondence, schedules, articles, memoranda, and reports. The alphabetical subseries, which has thirty-seven boxes, is arranged alphabetically by name of the individuals or organizations corresponding with Eisenhower or his staff. The bulk of this subseries is correspondence, but there are also printed materials, speeches, articles, statements, memoranda, reports, transcripts, and lists. A substantial portion of the correspondence in this series deals with fairly routine and repetitive matters. In January 1965 Eisenhower attended Winston Churchill’s funeral in London and delivered a tribute to the former prime minister. There are hundreds of letters referring to this event and praising Eisenhower for his moving tribute. There are a large number of autograph requests in this series, and many of these were turned down because of the burden they placed on Eisenhower and his small staff. Invitations to speak at or visit countless events, meetings, or groups, letters and notes regarding gifts of flowers, fruit, etc., and get-well cards and letters in late 1965 are all part of this series. There are numerous letters to and from members of the West Point Class of 1915 regarding a reunion and a photo of the class. Eisenhower received frequent requests for statements, messages, or letters addressing a certain issue or commenting on a certain organization, individual, or event. Other items which appear frequently in these files are thank you letters from Eisenhower to people who have made substantial contributions to the construction of the Place of Meditation at the Eisenhower Center in Abilene, Kansas. Eisenhower also maintained a high level of correspondence with many prominent individuals, celebrities, and current and former government officials. This series contains correspondence with Konrad Adenauer, Herbert Brownell, Walter Cronkite, Abbott Washburn, Congressman Gerald Ford, Joyce Hall, Arthur Burns, George Bush, Senator Everett Dirksen, Rev. Edward Elson, Nelson Rockefeller, Harold Stassen, Field Marshal Montgomery, Rev. Billy Graham, and Arnold Palmer. In letters, memoranda, drafts of speeches and messages, and interviews Eisenhower expressed his views on a wide variety of subjects. He received a number of letters commenting on the 1964 national political conventions, and his responses indicate that he strongly favored a move to improve and reform the conventions. His letters include frequent references to what he viewed as destructive trends toward lawlessness, riots, and declining moral values in American society. A number of individuals wrote to him regarding the John Birch Society and Robert Welch’s attacks on Eisenhower in his writings. Eisenhower shared with his correspondents his views on the Society, Welch, and extremism of the right and left, but he refused to make any public statements responding to the personal attacks. There are a number of references in the correspondence to Eisenhower’s religious faith and his belief that prayer should be allowed in public schools and meetings. However, he also seemed reluctant to endorse a constitutional amendment on this subject. The 1965 Principal File contains correspondence on many subjects reflecting historical trends and Eisenhower’s interest in public policies and citizen involvement in national issues and international relations. Additional subjects mentioned in the correspondence include Cuba, Freedoms Foundation, The Republican Party, People-to-People activities, the criteria for selecting federal judges, leadership, Lyndon B. Johnson’s policies, Radio Free Europe, economic policies, Planned Parenthood and the population problem, federal Indian policy, World War II, The Taft-Hartley Act (Section 14B), disarmament and the role of Dulles and Stassen, the Vietnam War, and the U.S. space effort. More personal topics that Eisenhower and his staff commented on are his heart attack and hospitalization in late 1965, the policy on the use of his name, his attitude toward his paintings, the use of signature machines and facsimiles, the publication of his memoirs, Mandate for Change and Waging Peace, the disappointing results of his farming operation, and the establishment of the farm as a National Historic Landmark. In the transcript of an interview by Pat Morin of Associated Press, Eisenhower reflects on his boyhood, military career, World War II, and the presidency. He discusses leadership, decision-making, and men qualified to succeed him as President. This file also has some written comments by Mamie Eisenhower regarding their courtship, wedding, and her first trip to Abilene. In processing the series we have removed a number of items from the files. Forty-six objects, representing numerous small gifts to the ex-president, have been transferred to the museum. One hundred and seventy-four still photos, one slide, and three negatives have been transferred to the audiovisual collection. Thirty documents and photos have been closed under the donor’s deed of gift and are therefore not available for researchers. Eighty-five original documents totaling two hundred and twenty-one pages were removed from the series and placed in the Preservation File in the vault. All were replaced with electrostatic copies. There are no security classified items in this series. The 1965 Principal File illustrates the volume and variety of correspondence Eisenhower and his small staff were involved with and the views of the ex-president on a wide variety of subjects. Although the bulk of this series represents repetitive, routine matters, there are numerous insights in these files into Eisenhower’s thinking on a number of pressing issues, trends, events, and policies. CONTAINER LIST Subject Subseries Box No. Contents 1 AP-1 Appointments [empty] AP-1 Aeschbacher, W. D., 9-13-65 [director of Eisenhower Library] AP-1 All American Conference to Combat Communism, 5-25-65 [film introductory] AP-1 Alling, Wilson S., 5-18-65 [Winant Volunteers] AP-1 ABC Filming for Doubleday (Visitors Center), 9-28-65 AP-1 Anderson, Elmer; Thayer, Walter; Bliss, Ray, 7-15-65 [future of Republican Citizens Committee] AP-1 Armacost, Michael H., 8-5-65 [interview re development of strategic military technology] AP-1 Army Pictorial Documentary Film, 7-14-65 [film re Remagen Bridge] AP-1 Auchincloss, James, 8-5-65 AP-1 Babcock, Tim, 1965 AP-1 Barnes, J. Hampton, Eisenhower Exchange Fellowships, Inc., 3-3-65 AP-1 Battson, Leigh, 10-5-65 AP-1 Billman, A. M., Royer, John F., 6-23-65 [Billman was chaplain at Camp Colt during WW I] AP-1 Brewer, David, 3-20-65 [a 10-year old admirer] AP-1 Brownell, Herbert, 9-16-65 [private meeting during Eisenhower’s trip to New York] AP-1 Buhbe, Dr. Pres. Protestant Ch. Germany; Rev. Klick, 6-9-65 [news release on content of interview] AP-1 Burns, John, 8-26-65 [friends of Len Hall; New York official] AP-1 Campbell, Jeremy T. A., 7-14-65 AP-1 Campion, Inspector (Secret Service), 8-23-65 [re legislation making their service available to ex-presidents] AP-1 Cartt, Robert E., 3-2-65 AP-1 Catlin, George, 10-8-65 [writing book on Atlantic Community] AP-1 Coffman, Ralph E., 8-18-65 [junior high teacher from Denver; tied trout flies used by Eisenhower] AP-1 CBS (Filming for Doubleday), 9-28-65 AP-1 Conroy, C. Harrison, 6-18-65 AP-1 Cutler, Robert, 12-13-65 AP-1 Dapp, Fred B., 5-17-65 AP-1 Deane, Martha, 9-23-65 AP-1 DeGuingand, Francis, 6-2-65 [requests Eisenhower’s help in getting appointment to see President Johnson] AP-1 Detwiler, John G., 5-27-65 [gift of gold medals; warning concerning possible attempt to obtain Eisenhower endorsement of political candidate] AP-1 Doubleday Luncheon, 10-8-65 [in Gettysburg; members of press present] AP-1 Doubleday, 5-3/4-65 [work on galleys of Waging Peace] AP-1 Evans, Daniel J. (Gov. of Washington), 9-28-65 AP-1 Evans, Ernest P. (National Youth Council on Civic Affairs), 8-16-65 AP-1 Explorer Post 126 (Budge), 8-13-65 AP-1 Falk, Sam, 8-23-65 AP-1 Ferguson, Glenn, 9-1-65 [Director of VISTA (Domestic Peace Corps)] AP-1 Finder, Leonard V., 4-19-65 [Eisenhower does not want to get involved in details of California politics; possible gubernatorial candidates in California in 1966- Ronald Reagan, Tom Kuchel, George Murphy; need for party harmony; Vietnam issue; Republican Council of California; series of articles on “Extremism” and the John Birch Society] AP-1 Findley, Paul (NATO Task Force), 6-25-65 [congressman re report on NATO] AP-1 Findley, Paul (NATO Task Force, 6-8-65 [congressional fact-finding trip to NATO headquarters in Paris] AP-1 Firman, Joseph H. (Pomona Progress-Bulletin), 1-21-65 AP-1 Folliard, Ed, 8-26-65 [appointment for background on Waging Peace; reference to another book by Eisenhower of anecdotes] AP-1 Ford, Gerald R., 5-28-65 [Ford, Mel Laird, Bob Wilson discuss upcoming 1966 Congressional campaign with Eisenhower] AP-1 Friendly, Fred (Apptmt. in New York), 9-16-65 AP-1 Gault, James, 3-26-65 AP-1 German Political Educators, 9-24-65 AP-1 Goldberg, Arthur, 8-18-65 AP-1 Golibart, Martin T., 10-21-65 AP-1 Goodpaster,