Passed Presidents - # 34 – Dwight D. Eisenhower

It was 2008.  I had been to Grand Rapids to see Gerald Ford in April and flew to Buffalo in May to visit Millard Fillmore.  There were two presidents left but they were remote and distant.  How was I going to get to Ike in central Kansas and LBJ in the Texas hill country?  Why couldn’t Ike be buried near his farm in Gettysburg, less than an hour away?  Flying and renting cars seemed so limiting and expensive. 

Then it hit me.  What the Hey!  I’m retired.  My time is my own.  Becky is understanding and encouraging.  Plus, what better way to end one quest than to begin another?  I piled gear into the trusty SUV and began a 4900-mile road trip that ended the Dead Presidents Quest and formally kicked off the State Capitol Odyssey.  In 24 days, I found Ike and LBJ, added eleven state houses to the collection AND saw friends and family along the way.  Under the heading of, “Timing is Everything”, the big downside in June 2008 was the sad energy scene and the $4.00/gallon gasoline.  It was not a cheap trip.

The Eisenhower Family Home, Abilene, KS (12 June 2008)

Nostalgic, older Americans fondly remember the Eisenhower years.  Dwight David Eisenhower presided over two terms of post-war prosperity.  Fueled by the GI Bill and union labor, the middle class became a prominent American population segment.  It was the time of Leave it to Beaver and Father Knows Best...Elvis and Disneyland. 

After the Great Depression and WW II, we deserved a break and Ike was the perfect front man for the job.  He was a national hero who was courted by both parties to run for president.  He decided to run as a Republican and easily won both elections.  He and Zachary Taylor [# 12] are the only presidents who never held any other elected or appointed office.  Ike died 45 years ago today and is buried at the Eisenhower Center in Abilene, Kansas. The Center includes a visitor center, his family home, a museum, library and chapel where he and Mamie are interred.

The Eisenhower Presidential Museum, Abilene, KS (12 June 2008)

The Eisenhower Family settled in Kansas.  He was born in Texas during a brief time his parents were there looking for better work, but he grew up in Abilene.  His family belonged to the River Brethren Mennonite sect.  Like Quakers, their beliefs include pacifism.  His mother was not pleased when he went off to West Point.

Ike and Mamie on their Wedding Day in 1916

Her given name was Mary.  She came from a well-off family

and was a dutiful military wife who relocated frequently and

 lived in some trying places.  They did not own a home

until retiring to the Gettysburg farm after he left office.

Ike thrived at the Academy and was part of the famous Class of 1915...”The Class the Stars Fell On” where 59 of the 164 graduates went on to become generals.  Twenty six years later, in 1941, he had risen to the rank of colonel.  He expected to end his army career at that rank but the Second World War changed all that.  After leading the allied forces in Europe to victory over Nazi Germany, he was a 5-star general. 

The Place of Meditation, Eisenhower Center,

Abilene, KS (12 June 2008)

Inside are the graves of Ike, Mamie and their first-born son,

Doud Dwight, who died of scarlet fever at age four.

When Ike was president, the French were thrown out of Viet Nam and Castro took over Cuba.  It was Ike who first coined the term ‘domino theory’ to describe the Communist threat in Southeast Asia and Latin America.   The Hungarian Revolution was violently suppressed, Senator Joe McCarthy was trying to expose Communists in high places and the Russian Sputnik satellite scared us into creating NASA and entering the Space Race. 

I was a boy during the Eisenhower years and they were heady, impressionable times.  The Cold War was its most intense.  Russia and America tested hydrogen bombs in the open.  I did the ‘duck and cover’ drill in school and wore dog tags with my name and address stamped in the metal.  They didn’t tell me that the Commies might drop the Big One on New York and the cool dog tags were there so they could identify the little ash pile that used to be me.  All in all, nostalgia for the ‘good old days’ is not always what comes to mind.

 

 A Personal Cold War Memento

Still, I think Ike was a good guy.  He was a straight shooter whose military experience demonstrated exceptional skills that are celebrated in today’s leaders.  He delegated, worked well with difficult personalities and reached consensus.  He also warned us to guard against the growing influence of the military-industrial complex.  The hero of ‘The Last Good War’ cautioned us but I’m not so sure we listened very well.

 Dwight David Eisenhower

34^th President; Served 1953-1961

Born: October 14, 1890, Denison, TX

Died: March 28, 1969, Washington, D.C.

Grave Location: Eisenhower Center, Abilene, KS

Date Visited: 6/12/2008

Tip of the Day – Crop the Shot for More Drama

Wisconsin Winter [28 December 2012]

I’ve used short, wide images in the blog before.  I like how they look.  The essential subjects of the picture are reduced to a narrower, horizontal perspective.  There are cameras that are specialized to take panoramic images or settings on some cameras that will reduce the image to these dimensions. 

Yes, the new dimensions are not helpful for standard print paper and frames.  And, as I have said before (“Rule Number One”), it’s always best to make your best shot in the camera and not depend on the digital darkroom to make it all right.  It really is not good when you eliminate so much of the original file’s information.  But when you do, save the cropped image as a separate file and preserve the original.  What you’ve created is a new version and the original should remain intact.  If you’re going to use the trimmed picture in a document or online, there are enough pixels.  And it’s aesthetically pleasing...to me anyway.

You can also make panoramas by taking multiple, overlapping shots of a scene and using software to stitch them together.  That will be the subject of a later post.  This is about cutting away parts of a single shot to achieve a better look.

St. Croix River, Autumn Afternoon, Stillwater, MN [6 October 2007]

There was a lot of water between me and the gondola and the trees beyond the sunlit shore were uninteresting...so, I cut them out.  Understand that doing this eliminates a great percentage of the pixels in the file.  The shot is no longer one that can be turned into a sizable enlargement.  But it can be inserted in document and e-mails...which is all I expect from it.

Mono Lake, CA [14 May 2007]

Mono Lake is this relict, hyper-salty body of water on the arid, eastern side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.  Shot from a distance, there was lots of sky and foreground grassland in the picture.  I think the rough tufa formations along the lakeshore, the lake and the terrain beyond are the essential elements of the scene.  Since much of it is not very colorful, I finished the image in black and white.

Along I-55 in Illinois [16 June 2009]

This is another of those shots taken out of a moving car window.  I talked about this [some would say, sad] habit in a 2012 post.  Again, this is not fine art.  I’m just reducing a [literally] drive-by shot to something that has...to me...a more pleasing presentation.

Col. DeShield’s Salute, Arlington National Cemetery [16 August 2011]

I was far from the soldiers.  I could have zoomed in and filled the frame with them or kept this shot with uninteresting foreground grass, tree and sky.  Instead, I chose to reduce the scene to the gunners and headstones to emphasize the key elements.

 

Egret Roost, Audubon Park, New Orleans [23 June 2008]

The lagoon in Audubon Park is a popular place for birds.  This tree was blown over three years earlier by Hurricane Katrina.  They decided to leave it in place.  The egrets certainly don’t mind.

I’m guessing this tip is not really recommended by experts.  I have not seen it in print and it clearly reduces the size of the original image file.  What can I say?  It’s an easy way to create a dramatic image and if you’re not going to blow it up into a big print to frame, it works. 

Passed Presidents - # 23 – Benjamin Harrison

First, there were the Adams’...father and son.  In the 20^th century, we had the Roosevelt cousins.  More recently, there were Bush 41 and 43.  The presidency seems to run in some family’s blood. 

In the 19^th century, we had two Harrison’s...William Henry (# 9) and his grandson, Benjamin.  Our 23^rd president, who served a single term between Grover Cleveland’s separated terms, died 113 years ago today in 1901.  The president is buried in Crown Hill Cemetery which is also the home of three vice presidents and the infamous gangster, John Dillinger. 

Crown Hill Cemetery, Indianapolis, IN (22 October 2006)

Sandwiched by Cleveland and in the middle of that other forgettable stretch of presidents between Grant and Roosevelt, Ben was honest but dull...and short.  At 5’ 6”, the only president he could look down on was 5’ 4” Madison...and Madison was a giant in other ways.

Ben’s daddy was a Congressman, his grandpa was president and his great granddad signed the Declaration of Independence.  He marched with Sherman through the South and left the Civil War a brigadier general.  He rose through Indiana politics and served a term in the U.S Senate before beating Cleveland in the 1888 election.  He actually lost the popular vote but the Electoral College votes are what counts.  They called him the “Centennial President” because Washington’s first term began a hundred years earlier.

Benjamin Harrison Grave, Crown Hill Cemetery, Indianapolis, IN 

(22 October 2006)

His was an undistinguished term. No wars or great conflagrations to address.  Just dull tariff and business issues to advance.  He signed the Sherman Anti-trust Act, the first federal law to regulate monopolies.  Civil Service reforms continued, especially after he appointed Teddy Roosevelt to head the Commission (Yawn).  He also knew the U.S. had to move away from isolationism so he expanded the Navy (Zzz).  However, his single term saw six new states enter the union...more than any other president can boast.

On the other hand, First Lady Caroline (‘Carrie’) did her part for posterity.  She was an artist and china painter who started both the White House china collection and the annual Christmas tree traditions.  My stories of late have not had many happy endings for the wives...nor will this one.  Two weeks before the 1892 election, Carrie Harrison died of tuberculosis in the White House.  The president did not campaign so he could stay at her side.  Out of respect to his opponent, Grover Cleveland also refused to campaign and yet he won handily.  I’d like to see candidates in today’s billion dollar election cycles stoop to such decency.

I visited the Harrisons on a marvelous autumn road trip through the Midwest.  The drive to Wisconsin collected five presidents and three state houses on the way.  I planned to visit a fourth capitol in Indianapolis but arrived on a Colts home game Sunday along with thousands of football fans.  Downtown was too crowded to do anything else.

Benjamin Harrison

23^rd President; Served 1889-1893

Born: August 20, 1833, North Bend, OH

Died: March 13, 1901, Indianapolis, IN

Grave Location: Crown Hill Cemetery, Indianapolis, IN

Date Visited: 10/22/2006

Passed Presidents - # 27 – William Howard Taft

What do I do with my plan to post a president’s story on their anniversary date when two of them have expired on the same day? Post two stories. I could wait until next March 8th but we’re on a roll.

The Long’s of Louisiana, the Kennedy’s of Massachusetts and the Taft’s of Ohio...three of America’s dynastic political families. William Howard Taft, our 27th president, son of Alonso Taft, a prominent Cincinnati lawyer and U.S. Grant’s Attorney General, died on this date in 1930. The president’s son, Robert, was a powerful senator and three-time presidential candidate in the 40’s and 50’s. His grandson, Robert, Jr., also served in the Senate in the 70’s. His great grandson, Robert III, was a two-term governor of Ohio just seven years ago.

From the time Taft began to study and appreciate the law, he wanted to be on the U.S. Supreme Court. Ever since Helen Herron Taft was 17 and visited the White House, she wanted to live there. Together, they achieved their goals.

The Taft Grave, Arlington National Cemetery (8 August 2005)

Helen was smart, independent, probably more political than her husband and very ambitious. She was a strong advocate for equal rights and often worked closely with her cautious, deliberate (some say indecisive) husband. I could summarize their careers in the form of an imagined dialogue between the two.

Helen (age 17) – “I just returned from a week in the White House. My daddy and President Hayes are old friends and look how far Mr. Hayes has gone. I’ve decided my life’s ambition is to be First Lady and one day, live there.”

She met and married Bill eight years later and he rose through city and state judicial positions.

Bill – “Nellie! You know I’ve been on the Ohio Supreme Court for only two years but President Harrison wants me to be his Solicitor General. It means we’ll have to move to Washington but...”
Helen – “Take the job, Bill.”

Bill – “Well, Harrison is out and so am I. It’s back to Ohio to sit on the federal Court of Appeals”.
Helen – “If we must.”

Bill – “Nellie! President McKinley wants me to be Governor General of the Philippines. We just won the colony from Spain and General MacArthur [Douglas’ daddy] believes that the flogging of the natives should continue until morale improves. How ‘bout we live abroad a while?”
Helen – (It’s not IN Washington but it’s FOR Washington) “I’ll start packing.”

Bill – “Didn’t we do a great job there, Babe? I set up a civil government and judiciary...built roads and hospitals. Gave the people what they wanted and gained their respect. You showed sincere interest in the local culture and invited Filipinos to all your affairs. President Roosevelt knew I always wanted to be on the Supreme Court and those two offers he made were tempting but we had a job to complete here and...”
Helen – “(...and I’ll NEVER get to live in the White House if your big butt is in the Supreme Court.)”
Bill – “...we stayed. But now, Teddy wants me to be his Secretary of War...right there in his Cabinet. We can’t go back to Ohio just yet. There will be lots of meetings at the White House...”
Helen – “On my way...”

President Taft’s foot stone, Arlington National Cemetery [14 November 2013]

Bill – “Teddy’s such a popular president...and we get along so well. He said he’s not going to run for re-election in 1908.”
Helen – (I knew that. That’s why I’ve been urging him to promote YOU as the party’s nominee. I was so aggressive, he doesn’t like me anymore. He’ll get over it.)

Bill – “Teddy’s been grooming me and thinks I could be the guy to carry our progressive Republican agenda forward. It’s not my favorite job and I really want to be on the Sup...”
Helen – “Listen, Jumbo. You’ve had a nice ride and you’ve been given a shot to be the BIG KAHUNA...and you’re not sure!?!? This is what I have wanted and kept in front of me for the last 30 years. Be a good little husband and grant me my lifelong wish.”
Bill – “Yes, Dear.”

I made fun here but Helen was a great First Lady. She was active, involved and courageous. She hired many African-Americans to fill White House positions. She displayed many of the Asian artifacts she brought from the Philippines. Too bad she suffered a stroke in her first few months and was much less able and engaged after that.

Helen Herron Taft

[Copied from Google Images]

Taft’s term was unremarkable. Yes, he busted a few more trusts and gave us the income tax and all those D.C. cherry trees but in other areas, especially with regards to conservation, he no longer followed Roosevelt’s interests. His relationship with Mentor Teddy soured. Taft was weary of the job and even willing to step aside and wait for that shot at SCOTUS but Helen was not ready to leave the White House. She was recovering and wanted another round on the Big Stage.

In 1912, the Republicans nominated Taft. Impulsive Teddy just had to jump in with his own Bull Moose Party which split the vote that ensured Woodrow Wilson’s victory. Bill achieved the distinction of being the incumbent president with the lowest percentage vote in history.

The story needs a happy ending. William Howard Taft was best at being a judge and Warren Harding granted his wish. After being the 27th president, he became the 10th Chief Justice of the United States...a fine and fitting capstone on his career.

Taft Bust in U.S. Supreme Court (14 November 2008)

He served on the Court for ten years before ill health forced him to retire. He died only a month later and became the first president to be buried in Arlington National Cemetery. I have visited him a few times as I enjoy walking around Arlington with the camera. The hills, blooming trees and fields of identical grave markers are a visual and sobering pleasure.

William Howard Taft

27th President; Served 1909-1913

Born: September 15, 1857, Cincinnati, OH

Died: March 8, 1930, Washington, D.C.

Grave Location: Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA

Dates Visited: 10/15/1999; 8/8/2005; 11/14/13

Passed Presidents - # 13 – Millard Fillmore

When I told Gerald Ford’s story last December, it began with the fact that in 2008, there were only four guys left to visit and I wondered how I was going to complete the Quest.  Since Buffalo isn’t on the way to anywhere, I had to make a specific plan to get to Millard Fillmore, who died 140 years ago today in 1874.  Thanks to Southwest Airlines and their $49 specials (now a distant, bargain memory), I was able to zip up to Buffalo, pay my respects, see Niagara Falls and be home in time for dinner.

Another one of our log cabin presidents, Fillmore was one of nine children in a dirt-poor, unsuccessful farming family.  He had little formal schooling and by age 14, worked as an indentured apprentice in the textile mills.  He wanted more from life.  He was interested in learning and at age 19, enrolled in a new, private high school.  There, he met Abigail Powers, a teacher two years his senior.  She taught and studied with him.  Eventually, he became a lawyer and they were married.

The Fillmore Family Plot, Forest Lawn Cemetery, Buffalo, NY (21 May 2008)

So Mister Fillmore, Esq. hung out his shingle and developed his legal practice.  With a growing reputation came local and then state political positions and finally, election to Congress.  When General Zachary Taylor ran for president in 1848, he was riding the popularity gained after beating up Mexico and acquiring all the land from Texas to the Pacific coast.  But he was a slave-owning southerner and needed a running mate who could balance the ticket.  I guess the anti-slave Fillmore held his nose and accepted the nomination for higher office. 

Campaigning was different in those days.  Fillmore never even met Taylor until after they won the election...then...bada-bing!  Old ‘Rough and Ready’ dies and the VP he barely interacted with is now president.

Memorial Plaque on the Fillmore Enclosure (21 May 2008)

Forest Lawn Cemetery is the grand, old burial ground for the soldiers, industrial barons and political leaders of the Buffalo area.  As long as I was there, I wandered about to find other residents and photo opportunities.

As I left for Niagara Falls, the radio noted that in the state elections held the day before, Hillary Clinton became the woman with the most primary votes for president in our history.  She broke the record of Representative Shirley Chisholm, the first African-American woman elected to Congress and an unsuccessful Democratic nominee in 1972.  Less than an hour earlier, I visited her final resting place.

Shirley Chisholm’s Grave, Forest Lawn Cemetery, Buffalo, NY (21 May 2008)

 

Because Millard, the infamous Number 13, lies in the middle of that dim and vacant stretch of presidents between Jackson and Lincoln, we might be giving short shrift to his wife.  Another great Abigail, she was likely the first First Lady who worked outside the home.  She educated her husband and encouraged him beyond his rudimentary, frontier learning.  She also lobbied for and built the first library in the White House. 

The sad end to her story came as they were about to leave the White House.  Like President Harrison twelve years earlier, she stayed too long in the nasty weather of Franklin Pierce’s inauguration and died of pneumonia shortly thereafter.  Millard returned home to Buffalo to bury his wife.

Abigail Powers Headstone (21 May 2008)

Surveys regularly place Fillmore firmly in the ‘Bottom Ten’ ranks of our presidents.  He approved the Compromise of 1850 which was hardly that as it only upset both sides of the slavery issue until the Civil War broke out.  Worst of all, the Compromise included the Fugitive Slave Act which required escaped slaves to be recaptured and subjected anyone who aided them to prosecution---including federal law enforcement officers if they did not work to apprehend slaves in free states.  Apart from the triskaidekaphobes among us, there is little good to remember about this # 13. 

Millard Fillmore

13^th President; Served 1850-1853

  

Born: January 7, 1800, Locke, NY

Died: March 8, 1874, Buffalo, NY

Grave Location: Forest Lawn Cemetery, Buffalo, NY

Date Visited: 5/21/2008