The Eisenhower Special

On October 3, 1952, Dwight Eisenhower spoke in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on stage with Senator Joe McCarthy. McCarthy had just called Eisenhower’s colleague and friend, former Secretary of State George Marshall, a “traitor.” Eisenhower planned to defend his friend, but under pressure from the conservative wing of the Republican Party, he held his tongue during his speech. After giving a speech the next morning in Fargo, North Dakota, he boarded a Northern Pacific train headed for Everett, Washington, where he spoke on October 7. En route, he and his party enjoyed lunch and dinner from this menu.

Click image to download a 1.2-MB PDF of this menu.

Eisenhower’s opponent, Adlai Stevenson, campaigned in St. Paul on October 5 by criticizing Eisenhower for effectively supporting McCarthy’s red-bating tactics. The incumbent president, Harry Truman, accused Eisenhower of “firing blank shots.” Eisenhower, of course, won the election, and once in office he quietly helped put an end to McCarthy’s career.


Comments

The Eisenhower Special — 1 Comment

  1. The lunch and dinner menus seem a bit more elaborate than the typical NP fare at the time. I don’t remember salads of any kind being included with a meal. I guess at least Ike wasn’t a fan of tongue since I don’t see that on the menu, and it usually was in 1952. I wonder if he was the guy who wanted a liverwurst sandwich? I don’t recall that as being a common sandwich choice on other menus.

    Jim

Leave a Reply