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4526225
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Eisenhower Birthday Dinner, October 14, 1969
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4526225
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document
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Eisenhower Birthday Dinner, October 14, 1969
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Gerald R. Ford Congressional Papers
Speeches
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4526225
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1969
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1969-10-01
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1969
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The original documents are located in Box D27, folder "Eisenhower Birthday Dinner,
October 14, 1969" of the Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at
the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Copyright Notice
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of
photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. The Council donated to the United
States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.
Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public
domain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to
remain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid
copyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
EISENHOWER BIRTHDAY DINNER, OCTOBER 14, 1969
MR. PRESIDENT, MRS. EISENHOWER, MR. CHAIRMAN,
HONORED GUESTS AND LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:
THIS BIRTHDAY PARTY FOR DWIGHT DAVID EISENHOWER
COMES AT A MOST AUSPICIOUS TIME -- A TIME WHEN THE
MAGNIFICENT SPIRIT OF THE LATE PRESIDENT EISENHOWER
SHINES WITH EVER GREATER SPLENDOR IN A WORLD SCARRED BY WAR.
IT
IS
TIMELY, TOO, BECAUSE THE KIND OF BURDEN. THAT FELL
MAVILY ON DWIGHT DAVID EISENNOWER THAT OF MAKING
LIBRARY
2/EISENHOWER
PEACE IN MOST DIFFICULT PART OF THE WORLD NOW ALSO
RESTS WITH AVESOME WEIGHT ON THE MAN WHO SERVED MOST CLOSELY WITH
DWIGHT EISENHOWER DURING HIS YEARS OF PEACE MAKING AND PEACE
KEEPING IN THE WHITE HOUSE.
THE CONGRESS WAS AWARE OF THE GREAT DEBT OWED BY
THIS NATION TO DWIGHT DAVID EISENHOWER. THE CONGRESS ALSO
RECOGNIZED THE GREAT QUALITIES IN THE MAN, EISENHOWER -- THE
SUPERB CHARACTER THAT MADE HIM THE MOST BELOVED OF ALL
AMERICANS AND PLACED HIM IN RANK WITH THAT AMERICAN PRESIDENT
Digitized from Box D27 of The Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
3/EISENHOWER
KNOWN TO ALL CITIZENS OF THIS NATION AS THE FATHER OF HIS
COUNTRY.
THE CONGRESS WANTED TO HONOR PRESIDENT EISENHOWER WITH
A MEMORIAL THAT WOULD BE PECULIARLY SUITED TO THE MAN. THE
MEMBERS THEREFORE CHOSE TO ASSIST IN DWIGHT DAVID EISENHOWER'S
NAME THE ONE ENTERPRISE IN WHICH HE HAD SHOWN THE MOST INTEREST
AND IN WHICH HE HAD BEEN MOST ACTIVE EISENHOWER COLLEGE AT
SENECA FALLS, NEW YORK.
IN ASSISTING EISENHOWER COLLEGE, MEMBERS OF CONGRESS
4/EISENHOWER
FELT THEY WOULD BE HELPING TO CREATE A LIVING MEMORIAL TO
DWIGHT DAVID EISENHOWER "IN BEHALF OF A GRATEFUL NATION."
AND so IT IS THAT THE CONGRESS IN SEPTEMBER 1968
PASSED A BILL WHICH AUTHORIZED A $5 MILLION APPROPRIATION TO
CONSTRUCT EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES AT EISENHOWER COLLEGE, TO
EQUIP THOSE FACILITIES, AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE REPAIR,
RENOVATION AND REHABILITATION OF THOSE FACILITIES.
LIB,
THE RESOLUTION AS ORIGINALLY INTRODUCED PROVIDED
$2.5 MILLION FOR EISENHOWER COLELGE SCHOLARSHIPS AND AN EQUAL
5/EISENHOWER
AMOUNT FOR CONSTRUCTION, OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF COLLEGE
FACILITIES. BUT THE HOUSE EDUCATION COMMITTEE DECIDED THERE
WERE SUFFICIENT FUNDS FROM OTHER SOURCES FOR SCHOLARSHIP
PURPOSES AND THAT THE FULL AMOUNT SHOULD BE EARMARKED FOR
CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE. OPERATING EXPENSES WERE EXCLUDED
BECAUSE THIS WAS TO BE A ONE-TIME CONTRIBUTION, AND IN ANY CASE
THE FUNDS WERE TO PROVIDE FOR A LIVING MEMORIAL TO PRESIDENT
EISENHOWER.
SAID THE COMMITTEE: "BY OUR COMMITMENT OF FUNDS
6/EISENHOWER
TO THE COLLEGE NOW (IN 1968), WE CAN INSURE THAT THIS LIBERAL
ARTS COLLEGE SHALL INDEED SERVE AS A LIVING MEMORIAL TO A
GREAT AMERICAN PATRIOT, SOLDIER, AND PRESIDENT AND MAN OF
PEACE AND EDUCATOR, OUR BELOVED AND RESPECTED COUNTRYMAN,
DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER."
THE COMMITTEE NOTED THAT IN A LETTER TO ME DATED
JULY 29, 1968, DR. MILTON S. EISENHOWER SAID OF THE PROPOSED
CONTRIBUTION: "I WISH TO ASSURE YOU THAT PRESIDENT EISENHOWER
AND ALL MEMBERS OF THE EISENHOWER FAMILY HAVE A KEEN INTEREST
7/EISENHOWER
IN EISENHOWER COLELGE AND THAT WE PREFER A LIVING MEMORIAL OF
BENEFIT TO THE YOUNG PEOPLE OF THE NATION TO ANYTHING ELSE
WHICH THE CONGRESS IN ITS WISDOM MIGHT DECIDE TO DO IN
RECOGNITION OF PRESIDENT EISENHOWER'S HALF-CENTURY OF SERVICE
TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE."
so THIS IS WHAT MOTIVATED THE CONGRESS TO MAKE A
FORD
$5 MILLION CONTRIBUTION TO EISENHOWER COLLEGE: A CONSENSUS
THAT THE MEMORIAL TO DWIGHT DAVID EISENHOWER SHOULD BE A LIVING
LIBRARY
MEMORIAL, AND THAT THE GIFT TO EISENHOWER COLLEGE WOULD BE
8/EISENHOWER
"THE MOST FITTING TRIBUTE" THAT COULD BE PAID TO THE FORMER
PRESIDENT.
THE CONGRESS, OF COURSE, INTENDED THAT THE
$5 MILLION CONTRIBUTION FROM THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE MATCHED
BY CONTRIBUTIONS FROM OTHER SOURCES. I AM SURE THAT THOUGHT
IS UPPERMOST IN OUR MINDS TONIGHT AS WE SPEAK OF EISENHOWER
COLLEGE -- A LIVING MONUMENT TO A MONUMENTAL MAN.
LIBRARY
###
OCT. 14, 1969
Congress of the United States
Office of the Minority Leader
Herald R. Ford
house of Representatives
M.C.
Washington, D.C. 20515
OFFICIAL BUSINESS
EISENHOWER BIRTHDAY
DINNER
FORD 3 LIBRARY