ABSTRACT
In 1952 a nation frustrated with a stalemated war in Korea turned to a highly esteemed former military leader. Dwight Eisenhower (served 1953-1961), affectionately called “Ike,” proved to be a popular president who easily won reelection in 1956. His critics, however, often painted him as lazy and ineffectual. After he had recovered from his September 1955 heart attack, some even enjoyed suggesting a broader role for his chief of staff as they asked, “Now what do we do if Sherman Adams gets sick and Eisenhower has to be president?” In 1960 presidential scholar Richard Neustadt expressed his own doubts about Eisenhower’s leadership skills in his classic study Presidential Power, thereby echoing the already widespread skepticism.1 When staffers such as speechwriter Arthur Larson depicted a president who was politically astute and deeply involved in the direction of his administration, they were expressing a minority view.
