(1890-1969), thirty-fourth president of the United States (1953-61) and supreme commander of Allied forces in Europe during
World War II. Eisenhower led the U.S. invasion of North Africa and the
D-Day invasion of France. As president Eisenhower ended the
Korean War with an armistice. Although initially reluctant to deal with civil rights matters, he ultimately enforced the Brown decision by sending troops to Little Rock, Arkansas, to back the desegregation of a school there. He also hesitated to condemn McCarthyism but in the end gave tacit approval to the senator's censure. He approved two huge transportation projects: the St. Lawrence Seaway and the Federal Highway Act of 1956 authorizing the interstate system. Alaska and Hawaii were admitted into the Union during Eisenhower's term. When he left office, his farewell address and most famous speech warned against the growth of the military-industrial complex.
