Early life

David Eisenhower was born on March 31, 1948, in West Point, Orange County, New York, to John and Barbara Eisenhower. His father was a U.S. Army officer, and his grandfather was future President of the United States of America, and former Supreme Allied Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Forces in Europe during World War II, Dwight D. Eisenhower.

His father would go on to be a brigadier general in the U.S. Army Reserve, U.S. Ambassador to Belgium (1969-1971), and a renowned military historian. His grandfather would become president of Columbia University (1948-1953), and later the 34th President of the United States (1953-1961). After assuming the presidency in 1953, President Eisenhower named the presidential mountain retreat, formerly Camp Shangri-La, Camp David, after his grandson.

Education and career

Eisenhower graduated from Phillips Exeter Academy in 1966. He received his B.A. in history cum laude from Amherst College in 1970. After college, he served for three years as an officer in the United States Naval Reserve. During this time, he was an officer on the USS Albany in the Mediterranean Sea. He then earned his J.D. cum laude from The George Washington University Law School in 1976.

He was at least loosely identified with the Nixon Administration, when he accepted a request to attend the funeral of Dan Mitrione in 1970, the operative whose activities in training Uruguayan police in torture techniques, when later publicized, caused profound controversy, although there has been no suggestion that Eisenhower had any knowledge of Mitrione's controversial activities.

He is today a teaching adjunct and public policy fellow at the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania, author, and co-chair of the Foreign Policy Research Institute's History Institute for Teachers. From 2001-2003, he was editor of the journal Orbis published by FPRI.

Eisenhower was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in history in 1987 for his work Eisenhower: At War, 1943-1945—about the Allied leadership during World War II.

Personal life

On December 22, 1968, Eisenhower married Julie Nixon, the daughter of the 37th President of the United States, Richard Nixon, who served as Dwight Eisenhower's Vice-President. The couple had known each other since meeting at the 1956 Republican National Convention. The Reverend Norman Vincent Peale officiated in the non-denominational rite at the Marble Collegiate Church in New York City. Eisenhower's best man was future The Love Boat actor and congressman Fred Grandy.

Eisenhower and his wife Julie live in Berwyn, Pennsylvania. They have three children: actress Jennie Elizabeth Eisenhower (b. 1978); Alexander "Alex" Richard Eisenhower (b. 1980); and Melanie Catherine Eisenhower (b. 1984). They also have three grandchildren: Kaia Marie Eisenhower (b. 2007); Chloe Cheslock (b. 2013); and Kaeden Brian Eisenhower (b. 2013).

In popular culture

The Creedence Clearwater Revival song "Fortunate Son" (1969) was inspired by the wedding of David Eisenhower and Julie Nixon. Songwriter John Fogerty thought that Eisenhower received preferential treatment because he was born into a famous family and married to the daughter of the President.

Family tree

Dwight D. Eisenhower Mamie Doud Richard Nixon Pat Ryan Doud Eisenhower John Eisenhower Barbara Thompson Edward Cox Tricia Nixon Julie Nixon David Eisenhower Anne Eisenhower Susan Eisenhower Mary Eisenhower Christopher Cox Andrea Catsimatidis Anthony Cheslock Jennie Eisenhower Alex Eisenhower Tara Brennan Melanie Eisenhower Chloe Cheslock Kaia Eisenhower Kaeden Eisenhower

Ancestry

Ancestors of David Eisenhower

16. Jacob Frederick Eisenhower (1826-1906) 8. David Jacob Eisenhower (1863-1942) 17. Rebecca Matter (1825-1890) 4. Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890-1969), 34th President of the United States 18. Simon P. Stover (1822-1873) 9. Ida Elizabeth Stover (1862-1946) 19. Elizabeth Ida Judah Link (1822-1867) 2. John Eisenhower (1922-2013), 45th United States Ambassador to Belgium 20. Royal Hughton Doud (1836-1901) 10. John Sheldon Doud (1870-1951) 21. Mary Corneilia Sheldon (1842-1908) 5. Mamie Geneva Doud (1896-1979) 22. Carl Severin Jeremiasson (1841-1908) 11. Elivera Mathilda Carlson (1878-1960) 23. Johanna Maria Andersdotter (1841-1906) 1. Dwight David Eisenhower II 12. John Thompson 6. Percy Walter Thompson (1898-1974) 13. Sarah Ewens 3. Barbara Jean Thompson (1926-2014) 7. Beatrice E. Bearchfield

[ Source: Wikipedia ]