Presidential transition of Dwight D. Eisenhower

Presidential transition of Dwight D. Eisenhower
Date of electionNovember 4, 1952
Inauguration dateJanuary 20, 1953
President-electDwight D. Eisenhower (Republican)
Vice president-electRichard Nixon (Republican)
Outgoing presidentHarry S. Truman (Democrat)
Outgoing vice presidentAlben W. Barkley (Democrat)
HeadquartersCommodore Hotel, New York City
Leaders of the transition
Herbert Brownell Jr. and Lucius D. Clay

The presidential transition of Dwight D. Eisenhower began when he won the United States 1952 United States presidential election, becoming the president-elect,[1] and ended when Eisenhower was inaugurated at noon EST on January 20, 1953.

The transition was the first United States presidential transition to employ a large-scale transition process, with Eisenhower's transition having a staff of more than 100 individuals.

The transition has been considered to have been a rough transition, with much tension between the president-elect and the outgoing president, Harry S. Truman. Eisenhower and Truman had developed bitter feelings during the course of the 1952 election campaign, which lingered through the transition. Eisenhower and Truman only met once in person in the time between the election and the day of the inauguration. Eisenhower regarded the advice that Truman had attempted to provide him with as being of little value, and rejected an invitation for a second in-person meeting. Eisenhower also declined offers from Truman for him to be involved in the lame duck Truman administration's decision making during the transition period. There was mixed-success in coordination between the designated subordinates of the incoming Eisenhower administration and the outgoing subordinates of the Truman administration. After the election, Truman instructed White House staff and heads of government departments to prepare briefing documents for the incoming Eisenhower administration, and Eisenhower was the first president-elect to appoint liaison representatives for key federal agencies.

The transition took place amid active United States combat in the Korean War. Fulfilling a campaign promise to visit Korea if elected, two weeks after his election victory Eisenhower made a covert three-day visit to Korea.

  1. ^ "The Nation Salutes a New President". Newspapers.com. Fort Worth Star-Telegram. 20 Jan 1953.

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