Crowd Packs Avalon School to Hear Eisenhowers

AVALON – Likely a few in the crowd of 600 or so who filled Avalon Elementary School’s auditorium Wed., July 13 had once sported “I Like Ike” campaign buttons for President Dwight D. Eisenhower. That night, they adored his grandson, David Eisenhower and his wife Julie Nixon Eisenhower.
The event, hosted by the Avalon Free Public Library, brought the Eisenhowers here to discuss David’s book, “Going Home to Glory: A Memoir of Life with Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1961-1969.”
Many purchased a copy of the hardback book, and had the famous couple autograph their copy.
According to an earlier release, the book was “written by David with assistance from Julie, the book was published earlier this year and describes David’s life with his grandfather, Dwight (Ike) D. Eisenhower, on the family farm in Gettysburg, Pa., after his presidency ended in 1961.”
Eisenhower revealed a some little known facts about his grandfather including that the Second World War was not a subject for discussion at home. Instead, Eisenhower said his grandfather explained battles of the Civil War in detail, but, on further reflection, those battles, some of which took place near the late president’s farm in Gettysburg, Pa., were really about World War II battles.
He joked about his grandfather having to get a Pennsylvania driver’s license after 25 years of being driven around as general and then president.
A question and answer period followed the couple’s reflections of life in an around the White House.
In 1986, David and Julie were the first husband and wife to have their books listed as NY Times non-fiction bestsellers at the same time. David’s book, Eisenhower at War, 1943-1945 was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in history in 1987. He is currently the director of the Institute for Public Service at the Annenberg School for Communications at the University of Pennsylvania. Julie is a trustee for many organizations and causes, including the Richard Nixon Foundation, the Nixon Center, and the Eisenhower Medical Center.
The July 13 lecture was part of the Avalon Library’s Summer Author Series for 2011. No tickets were required and the event is open to the public.
The library is located at 235 32nd Street and provides free and open access to first class collections, services and programs that inspire, inform and enrich the community.