Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library

The fourth in a series on presidential libraries focused on Dwight D. Eisenhower’s life and career were discussed through rarely seen film and sound recordings, as well as letters, documents and artifacts collected from the stacks and vaults of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library in Abilene, Kansas. Library officials guided a tour of the library and responded to telephone calls and electronic mail. Series historian and consultant Richard Norton Smith participated from the studio in Washington, D.C.

Dwight D. Eisenhower was the first president to use television extensively to communicate with the American public. Highlighted film, sound, documents and artifacts featured during the program included Eisenhower’s ground-breaking use of television during the 1952 presidential campaign; Eisenhower’s establishment of television “firsts,” such as the first-ever televised presidential news conference and the first-ever televised cabinet meeting; two of Eisenhower’s major televised close