Headliner of State: Dwight Eisenhower

The Other Side

The search for the funniest president continues! We know that people liked Ike. But was comedy part of Dwight Eisenhower's appeal?

Our guest is Michael Birkner, a history professor at Gettysburg College -- the very place where Eisenhower kept his offices after leaving the White House. We talk about Eisenhower's fundamental good nature, and the way he used his avuncular image to his strategic advantage. And while we know that Eisenhower was able to laugh at himself, we tackle the question: Could Ike tell a joke? It's a very cool look at one of the most influential leaders of the 20th century ...

Michael J. Birkner bio

Eisenhower National Historic Site

Gettysburg College

MUSIC: Hail Columbia, "The General Jumped at Dawn" by Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra, "American Patrol" by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra