In 1941, Dwight Eisenhower was an obscure, over-age colonel commanding a battalion at Ft. Lewis. Eleven years later he was the most famous person in the world, having been elected to his first of two successful terms as President after leading the Allies to victory in Europe in World War II. We will take a deep dive into how a Kansas farm boy became a great American general and President, his influences, lucky breaks, and leadership style. Come back spring term for Part 2 and his Presidency.

Moderator: Greg Gajus has been a history enthusiast his entire life and consulted 20 different books on Eisenhower to prepare for this class. Pre-COVID, he also visited the Eisenhower Boyhood Home and Museum in Abilene, the Eisenhower Farm in Gettysburg, and Normandy. He has previously taught OLLI classes on the history of NASA and is the co-author of Baseball Revolutionaries, which sadly contains no references to Ike.