Eisenhower photo collage
Winter 2013
IKE NEWS & NOTES
A quarterly newsletter to keep you informed.

Looking Back at 2012
Symphony at Sunset photo
The Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home staff wish all of you a healthy and prosperous New Year. Thanks to your support we had an outstanding year in 2012. Here are some of the highlights: 
  • We experienced a remarkable turnout for the first Symphony at Sunset. This annual D-Day commemorative event will be the first Saturday each June.  
  • We reached another research room milestone -- the 40,000th research visit. 
  • We estimate the FY2012 economic benefit to Abilene from our visitors at $12.3 million!

We would also like to express our sincere gratitude to the Arts Council of Dickinson County for coordinating and sponsoring the wildly successful War and Peace: The Art of Shin-hee Chin exhibit and artist workshops. Due to the overwhelming popularity, this fiber arts exhibit is extended through March 31.    

 

The success of 2012 would not have been possible without the support of the Eisenhower Foundation and commitment of many donors. Their financial support led to highly successful programming. This coming year looks to be equally exciting with a number of programs and exhibits in the works. The only way to make sure it is a success is through the private donations made to the Eisenhower Foundation. Please visit their website for donation options.
Looking Ahead in 2013
Ike Celebrates Kansas Day! On January 29, the Eisenhower Living History program joins in the festivities marking Kansas Day. The "Garden Kids" as we often call them will be doing a short program titled "A Day in the Life of Dwight Eisenhower - 1900." This 15-minute skit will highlight scenes showing the Eisenhower brothers doing chores, classroom lessons and after-school fishing adventures. They will perform at the top of each hour between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. in the Museum Conference Room at the Kansas Museum of History, 6425 SW 6th Avenue, Topeka.

G.Wa Acts of CongressGeorge Washington's annotated copy of the Acts of Congress will be on exhibit at each of the Presidential Libraries administered by the National Archives and Records Administration. At the end of the Presidential Library tour, it will go on permanent exhibit at Mount Vernon. The Eisenhower Presidential Library is the only venue in Kansas where this amazing record may be seen. It is tentatively slated for exhibit in late April/early May for about two weeks time. Visit www.mountvernon.org for more details. 
WWII Remembered logo
WWII Remembered: Leaders, Battles and Heroes - In-depth Preview
WWII Remembered: Leaders, Battles and Heroes - In-depth Preview
World War II Remembered: Leaders, Battles and Heroes will open in June 2013. This multi-faceted exhibit will run through December 2016, marking the 70th anniversaries of WWII. Two anchor exhibits (one in the Museum and one in the Library building) will each contain rotating components. A number of public programs and educational components will be combined with the exhibit to further tell the story of World War II. What makes this exhibit stand out from other interpretive WWII exhibits is the focus on personal stories. World War II Remembered will strive to honor the unsung heroes and tell the lesser known stories of the time.     

To learn more about this ambitious undertaking, please visit our website and view the promotional videos. The Eisenhower Foundation is still looking for additional corporate sponsors to make this exhibit and programming a reality. For more information on becoming a corporate or private sponsor, please contact the Eisenhower Foundation or Library Director, Karl Weissenbach by calling 785.263.6700.
What's Showing...
Abraham Lincoln Note Check out the many constantly changing exhibits throughout our campus:

In the Museum:
  • Civil War: Lincoln, Lee and More! | through March 31
    Documents and artifacts from the Eisenhower Library related to the Civil War. This exhibit showcases some of the unexpected items we have in our very own collection just in time to mark the 150th anniversary of the Civil War and the 50th anniversary of the Eisenhower Presidential Library.  
  • War and Peace: The Art of Shin-hee Chin | extended run through March 31!
    War and Peace Exhibit Video Tour 
    War and Peace Exhibit Video Tour
In the Library Building:
  • 50th Anniversary of the Eisenhower Presidential Library | 2nd floor gallery through March 31, 2013  
  • Living History Garden Exhibit | Lobby hallway through February 2013 
Mark Your Calendars!
Visit our Calendar page for a complete schedule of upcoming events.

January 11 | Congressman Huelskamp Town Hall, 3 to 4 p.m., Visitors Center Auditorium

January 21 | Museum building closed for utility work. All other buildings open with free admission including the Boyhood Home.

January 31 | City of Abilene Inaugural Business Summit, 7 p.m., Visitors Center Auditorium

February 21 | Brown bag discussion, Researcher Scott Parker of UNC Charlotte discusses the Suez Crisis, noon, Visitors Center Auditorium 

March 7, 14, 21
| Paul H. Royer Film Series, Visitors Center Auditorium, 7 p.m. - free soda and popcorn

March 30 | Easter Egg Roll! 1 p.m.

April 5 | Kansas Geographic Bee

April 13 | Eisenhower Marathon (packet pick-up and late registration begins 2 to 9 p.m. on Friday, April 12 in the Visitors Center Auditorium)

April 23 - May 3 | George Washington's Acts of Congress www.mountvernon.org/actsofcongress (exhibit dates are subject to change)

June 1 | Symphony at Sunset...Annual D-Day Commemorative Concert, 8 p.m.
and World War II Remembered: Leaders, Battles and Heroes exhibit opening

August 10 | Vintage Base Ball game, 1 p.m.
Highlights from the Archives
Research Trends | 4th Quarter 2012 | 1st Quarter 2013

The fourth quarter trend was, essentially, no trend. Over half of the researchers in our research room focused on a wide range of topics beyond the usual favorites of military history and foreign policy.  A strong interest in biographical research was shown with researchers looking at documents relating to Charles Francis, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Fred A. Seaton, George McGovern, J. Earl Schaefer, Joseph McCarthy, Kay Summersby, Omar Bradley, Parker Hitt and Ronald Reagan. Additional general research topics included citizenship, civil rights, economics, the Interstate Highway System, the missile gap, New Look defense policy, psychological warfare strategy, the space program, the U.S. Information Agency, women and the 1958 World Exposition and general genealogy topics.

 

U.S. foreign policy and international topics were the most popular research topics in the first quarter of FY 2013. Researchers looked at documents relating to the 1957 Bermuda Conference, China, Foreign Trade, France, Italy, French West Africa, Guatemala, Hungary, Indochina, Israel, Latin America, Middle East and Syria.

 

The second most popular research area was World War II. Researchers reviewed documents relating to individual military units and campaigns, as well as the 6th Army and French forces during World War II and the Korean War.

 

Join Our Cause
We are always looking for a few good volunteers just like you. A number of volunteer opportunities are waiting for you at the Eisenhower Presidential Library. What an exciting way to meet new people and do your part to further the legacy of Dwight David Eisenhower. Opportunities include assisting with the Five Star Leaders program, providing tours in the Boyhood Home, assisting with archival projects, helping install exhibits and so much more. And the more volunteers we have, the bigger impact we can all make. Together. Learn more.

Stay Connected
P.O. Box 339 * 200 SE 4th Street * Abilene, Kansas 67410
785.263.6700  *  877.RING.IKE