<--PREV Doc #1144  |  Memorial Commission Home Page  |  Second Term Table of Contents  |  Presidential Papers Home Page  |  Doc#  |  NEXT--> Doc #1146 Document #1145; April 30, 1959 To Henry Robinson Luce Series: EM, WHCF, Official File 144-B-1-A The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, Volume XX - The Presidency: Keeping the Peace Part VII: Berlin and the Chance for a Summit; March 1959 to August 1959 Chapter 16: A "staunch bulwark" resigns   Dear Harry: In the midst of other preoccupations (some of which admittedly have concerned the Luce family),1 I do not want to neglect to congratulate you on your success in obtaining such a wonderful piece of ground for the National Presbyterian Church. The site seems to be ideal in every respect. I must say, however, that my sense of satisfaction cannot wholly eliminate the shock of learning that over two million dollars was required to purchase fourteen acres of ground.2 During my early years in Washington that sum would probably have bought half of the entire District area northwest of Wisconsin Avenue! With warm regard, As ever 1 On the recent resignation of Secretary of State Dulles and the appointment of his successor see nos. 1137 and 1139, respectively. Eisenhower had nominated Luce's wife, Clare Boothe Luce, to be U.S. Ambassador to Brazil. Although the Senate would confirm her appointment on April 28, Luce had asked his wife to withdraw her name due to the controversy that her nomination had engendered. Shortly after the Senate had voted to confirm her, she had criticized her principal opponent, Oregon Senator Wayne Morse (see Galambos and van Ee, The Middle Way, no. 222), and had attributed his opposition to the fact that he had once been "kicked in the head by a horse." She would resign the post on May 2 (see no. 406, and New York Times, Apr. 29, May 2, 1959). 2 Luce, who was leading the fund-raising campaign for the National Presbyterian Church, had written on April 27 that the site was near Ward Circle in Washington and had considerable frontage on Massachusetts Avenue (for background see no. 1016). Luce had also reported that half the money had been raised and that he hoped that the balance would be obtained by the end of May. Luce thanked Eisenhower for his continued interest in the project (see no. 12; see also Elson to Eisenhower, May 4, 1959). All correspondence is in the same file as the document. For developments see no. 1209. Bibliographic reference to this document: Eisenhower, Dwight D. To Henry Robinson Luce, 30 April 1959. In The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, ed. L. Galambos and D. van Ee, doc. 1145. World Wide Web facsimile by The Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission of the print edition; Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996, http://www.eisenhowermemorial.org/presidential-papers/second-term/documents/1145.cfm <--PREV Doc #1144  |  Memorial Commission Home Page  |  Second Term Table of Contents  |  Presidential Papers Home Page  |  Doc#  |  NEXT--> Doc #1146

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