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Susan Elaine Eisenhower (born December 31, 1951) is an American consultant, author, and expert on
international security ''International Security'' is a peer-reviewed academic journal in the field of international and national security. It was founded in 1976 and is edited by the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University and publis ...
,
space policy Space policy is the political decision-making process for, and application of, public policy of a state (or association of states) regarding spaceflight and uses of outer space, both for civilian (scientific and commercial) and military purposes ...
,
energy Energy () is the physical quantity, quantitative physical property, property that is transferred to a physical body, body or to a physical system, recognizable in the performance of Work (thermodynamics), work and in the form of heat and l ...
, and relations between the Russian Federation and the United States of America. She is the daughter of John Eisenhower and the granddaughter of President
Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was the 34th president of the United States, serving from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, he was Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionar ...
.


Early life

Eisenhower is the daughter of John Eisenhower and the granddaughter of Dwight D, Eisenhower. In 1970, following family tradition, she was presented as a debutante to
high society High society, sometimes simply Society, is the behavior and lifestyle of people with the highest levels of wealth, power, fame and social status. It includes their related affiliations, social events and practices. Upscale social clubs were open ...
at the
International Debutante Ball The International Debutante Ball is an invitation-only, Formal wear, formal Debutante, debutante ball, to officially present well-connected young women from Upper class, upper-class families to high society. Founded in 1954, it occurs every two ...
at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City.


Career

Eisenhower is President of the Eisenhower Group, Inc, which provides strategic counsel on political, business, and public affairs projects. She has consulted for Fortune 100 and
Fortune 500 The ''Fortune'' 500 is an annual list compiled and published by ''Fortune (magazine), Fortune'' magazine that ranks 500 of the largest United States Joint-stock company#Closely held corporations and publicly traded corporations, corporations by ...
companies doing business in the emerging markets of the former Soviet Union and for a number of major institutions engaged in the energy field. She is also Chairman of Leadership and Public Policy Programs and Chairman Emeritus of the Eisenhower Institute, a
think tank A think tank, or public policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, technology, and culture. Most think tanks are non-governme ...
based in Washington, D.C., and in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, owned and operated by
Gettysburg College Gettysburg College is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1832, the campus is adjacent to the Gettysburg Battlefield. Gettysburg College has about ...
. She served as the president of the Eisenhower Institute twice, and later as chair. During that time, she became known for her work in the former Soviet Union and in the energy field. In January 2010, Secretary of Energy Steven Chu appointed Eisenhower to serve on the Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future, which has been asked to develop a long-term solution for safely managing the back end of the nuclear fuel cycle. Over the years, she has served on many other government task forces. In 2000, she was appointed by
United States Secretary of Energy The United States secretary of energy is the head of the United States Department of Energy, a member of the Cabinet of the United States and fifteenth in the United States presidential line of succession, presidential line of succession. The po ...
Bill Richardson to the Baker-Cutler Commission, a blue-ribbon task force, to evaluate U.S.-funded nonproliferation programs in Russia. Since that time, she has also served as an advisor on two other
United States Department of Energy The United States Department of Energy (DOE) is an executive department of the U.S. federal government that oversees U.S. national energy policy and energy production, the research and development of nuclear power, the military's nuclear w ...
studies; one on the threat of nuclear terrorism and the other a blue-ribbon panel on the future of nuclear energy. In 2001, after two terms on the NASA Advisory Council, she was appointed to the International Space Station Management and Cost Evaluation Task Force, which analyzed International Space Station management and cost overruns. She currently sits on the Nuclear Threat Initiative board, co-chaired by Senator Sam Nunn and
Ted Turner Robert Edward Turner III (born November 19, 1938) is an American entrepreneur, television producer, media proprietor, and Philanthropy, philanthropist. He founded the CNN, Cable News Network (CNN), the first 24-hour United States cable news, ...
, the Energy Future Coalition, the US Chamber of Commerce's new Institute for 21st Century Energy, and the Air Force Academy's Eisenhower Center for Space and Defense Studies. In academia, she is an External Advisory Board Member of the MIT Energy Initiative. She has also served as an Academic Fellow of the International Peace and Security program of the
Carnegie Corporation The Carnegie Corporation of New York is a philanthropic fund established by Andrew Carnegie in 1911 to support education programs across the United States, and later the world. Since its founding, the Carnegie Corporation has endowed or othe ...
of New York, as director of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and as an advisor to
Johns Hopkins Johns Hopkins (May 19, 1795 – December 24, 1873) was an American merchant, investor, and philanthropist. Born on a plantation, he left his home to start a career at the age of 17, and settled in Baltimore, Maryland, where he remained for mos ...
' Nitze School of Advance International Studies. Eisenhower testified before the Senate Armed Services and Senate Budget Committees on policy toward the region. She was also appointed to the National Academy of Sciences' standing Committee on International Security and Arms Control, where she served for eight years. Eisenhower is also active in the corporate world, serving on the advisory boards of Thorium Power, IxReveal, and Foolproof. She is also a Senior Director of Stonebridge International, a Washington-based international consulting firm headed by former national Security Advisor Samuel "Sandy" Berger and former Senator Warren Rudman. She has provided analysis for
CNN International Cable News Network International or CNN International (CNNi, simply branded on-air as CNN) is an international television channel and website, owned by CNN Worldwide. CNN International carries news-related programming worldwide; it cooperates ...
,
MSNBC MSNBC is an American cable news channel owned by the NBCUniversal News Group division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. Launched on July 15, 1996, and headquartered at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Manhattan, the channel primarily broadcasts r ...
, '' The Situation Room'' with Wolf Blitzer,
Fox News The Fox News Channel (FNC), commonly known as Fox News, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Conservatism in the United States, conservative List of news television channels, news and political commentary Television stati ...
, '' The Newshour with Jim Lehrer'', '' Hardball with Chris Matthews'', ''One on One'' with John McLaughlin, the
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
, and three network morning programs. Over the years, she has appeared on many other programs, including ''
Nightline ''Nightline'' (or ''ABC News Nightline'') is ABC News (United States), ABC News' Late night television in the United States, late-night television news program broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC in the United States with a franchis ...
'', '' World News Tonight with Peter Jennings'', '' This Week with David Brinkley'', and '' CBS Sunday Morning'' with Charles Kuralt. She has spoken at diverse gatherings such as Harvard University, World Affairs Councils, and corporate gatherings. She has also spoken to many expert audiences. For instance, she gave the Commandant's Lecture at the Army War College in Carlisle, the Harry S. Truman Distinguished Lecture at Sandia National Laboratory, and she delivered the 2008 Rose Lecture at
MIT The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of modern technology and sc ...
. She has also given full speeches at other prominent places, such as the National Press Club, the
Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums, Education center, education and Research institute, research centers, created by the Federal government of the United States, U.S. government "for the increase a ...
, the
National Archives National archives are the archives of a country. The concept evolved in various nations at the dawn of modernity based on the impact of nationalism upon bureaucratic processes of paperwork retention. Conceptual development From the Middle Ages i ...
, the Hollywood Bowl, the French National Assembly, the Rotunda of the Capitol, and the White House. Eisenhower has also been seen as a "talking head" on television programs and documentaries, including Oliver North's ''War Stories'', ''
Why We Fight ''Why We Fight'' is a series of seven propaganda films produced by the US Department of War from 1942 to 1945, during World War II. It was originally written for American soldiers to help them understand why the United States was involved in the ...
'' and, most recently, Sputnik Mania. She has received four honorary doctorates, including from the Monterey Institute, where she was cited for her work on nuclear nonproliferation. She received the 2008 Dolibois History Prize from
Miami University Miami University (informally Miami of Ohio or simply Miami) is a public university, public research university in Oxford, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1809, it is the second-oldest List of colleges and universities in Ohio, university in Ohi ...
. She was a keynote speaker at the 2012
Washington & Jefferson College Washington & Jefferson College (W&J College or W&J) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Washington, Pennsylvania, United States. The college traces its origin to three Presbyterian m ...
Energy Summit, where the Washington & Jefferson College Energy Index was unveiled.


Publications

Eisenhower has written extensively on nuclear and space issues. She is the author of four books: ''Breaking Free: A Memoir of Love''; ''Mrs. Ike: Memories and Reflections on the Life of Mamie Eisenhower''; ''Partners in Space: US-Russian Cooperation After the Cold War'' and ''How Ike Led''. She has co-authored ''The Making of a Soviet Scientist'' with Roald Sagdeev. She has also edited four books on regional security issues; the most recent – ''Partners in Space'' (2004) – was also published by Nayuk, the publishing house of the
Russian Academy of Sciences The Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS; ''Rossíyskaya akadémiya naúk'') consists of the national academy of Russia; a network of scientific research institutes from across the Russian Federation; and additional scientific and social units such ...
. In 2000, she co-edited a book, ''Islam and Central Asia: An Enduring Legacy or an Evolving Threat?'' She has written chapters for a number of collected volumes, and penned hundreds of op-eds and articles on foreign and domestic policy for the ''
Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
'', ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'',
United States Naval Institute The United States Naval Institute (USNI) is a private non-profit military association that offers independent, nonpartisan forums for debate of national security issues. In addition to publishing magazines and books, the Naval Institute holds s ...
's ''Proceedings'', ''
The Spectator ''The Spectator'' is a weekly British political and cultural news magazine. It was first published in July 1828, making it the oldest surviving magazine in the world. ''The Spectator'' is politically conservative, and its principal subject a ...
'', the ''
National Interest The national interest is a sovereign state's goals and ambitions – be they economic, military, cultural, or otherwise – taken to be the aim of its government. Etymology The Italian phrase ''ragione degli stati'' was first used by Giovanni de ...
'', ''Politique Americaine'', ''
USA Today ''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...
'' and other Gannett Newspapers. She also maintains a blog on her website, addressing various issues in foreign and domestic policy, national security, and politics.


Endorsement of Barack Obama

Although a lifelong member of the Republican Party, Eisenhower endorsed
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
for president of the United States in 2008. She announced on August 21, 2008, that she was leaving the Republican Party and becoming an Independent. She spoke on the final day of the
2008 Democratic National Convention The 2008 Democratic National Convention was a quadrennial United States presidential nominating convention, presidential nominating convention of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party where it adopted its national platform an ...
. Her speech began with, "I stand before you tonight not as a Republican or a Democrat, but as an American." On October 29, 2012, she re-endorsed Barack Obama for a second term in the 2012 presidential election. Since leaving the Republican Party, she has described herself as "an Eisenhower Republican". Her father, John Eisenhower, had similarly left their family's traditional party in 2004 to become an Independent; he endorsed Democratic candidate Senator
John Kerry John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician, and diplomat who served as the 68th United States secretary of state from 2013 to 2017 in the Presidency of Barack Obama#Administration, administration of Barac ...
for president in 2004.


Dwight Eisenhower Memorial controversy

Along with the rest of her family, Eisenhower has stated her opposition to architect
Frank Gehry Frank Owen Gehry ( ; ; born February 28, 1929) is a Canadian-American architect and designer. A number of his buildings, including his private residence in Santa Monica, California, have become attractions. Gehry rose to prominence in th ...
's proposed design for the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial. She objects to its size, arguing that it is ecologically unsustainable, to the negative symbolism associated with the 80-foot-high metal curtains, and to the design's overall depiction of former President Eisenhower as a young boy rather than a man. In her testimony to Congress on the matter, she said, "The Eisenhower Memorial can and should be a reflection, not only of Eisenhower's lifetime achievements, and the challenging and dangerous times in which he led us; it should also be anthem to our national purpose."


Personal life

Eisenhower has been married three times. Her first husband was Alexander H. Bradshaw, a London barrister, They have two daughters, Laura Magdalene Eisenhower and Caroline Eisenhower Bradshaw. Then she married John Mahon, an American lawyer, with whom she had a daughter, Amelia Eisenhower Mahon. Her third marriage was to Russian space scientist Roald Sagdeev, formerly the director of the Russian Space Research Institute and pro-democracy advocate.


Family tree


See also

* Obama Republicans (disambiguation)


References


External links

* *
Conversation With Susan Eisenhower''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Eisenhower, Susan 1951 births Living people 20th-century American women writers 20th-century American writers 21st-century American women writers Writers from Kentucky Eisenhower family New York (state) Republicans New York (state) independents American debutantes