Presidential Papers, Doc#964 To Sherman Adams, 8 December 1958. In The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower
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Doc #965

Document #964; December 8, 1958
To Sherman Adams
Series: EM, AWF, Administration Series; Adams Papers
The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, Volume XIX - The Presidency: Keeping the Peace
Part VI: Setbacks; November 1958 to February 1959
Chapter 14: A "dreary election result"

 

Dear Sherm: Recently in Augusta I ran into a couple of friends who had had contact with you during the last month or so; one of them saw you briefly at luncheon at a New York club.1 He observed that you ate lunch hurriedly and seemed as busy as ever.

As you know, we are in the throes of budgeting, preparing the "State of the Union" message, planning for a meeting of the Republican legislative leaders (the Democrats refused this year) and at the same time, so far as I am personally concerned, Meade Alcorn is laying out for me a series of January chores that are completely political.2

Referring again to friends who have seen you or heard about you, one of them--I think Slats Slater--told me that through Sidney Weinberg you had given some consideration to two or three commercial positions, but that you had declined to accept any of them.I had a chance also to talk to Doug Black, who told me he had had some conversations with you.3

In spite of whatever may be your principal preoccupation at the moment, I suppose that skiing will have a major part in your life for the next several months. I know nothing about the New Hampshire snow crop at the moment, but if there is any there at all I am quite sure you will find it.

Nelson Rockefeller dropped in to see me Saturday evening; he seems to be attacking his job not only enthusiastically but very intelligently. His victory, together with that of Keating, Hatfield and one or two others, has provided a bright spot in an otherwise dreary election result.4

So far as I know, you have not honored our fair city with your presence recently, but whenever you do come down, please drop in to see me.5

My warm greetings to Rachel and, of course, the very best to yourself. As ever

1 Several friends had visited the Eisenhowers while they vacationed in Augusta, Georgia, over the Thanksgiving holiday (see, for example, no. 957). The friend who had seen Adams was probably Ellis D. Slater, who reported that he thought Adams was writing a book (see n. 3 below). For background on Adams's resignation as the Assistant to the President see no. 753.

2 On the struggles with the economy and the budget see no. 961. On the State of the Union Address see no. 1003. On Eisenhower's plan to revitalize the GOP and his assessment of Republican National Committee Chairman Alcorn see no. 962.

3 Slater had visited Eisenhower at the White House on December 6 and 7 (Slater, The Ike I Knew, pp. 185 - 87). Adams would reply on December 12 (AWF/A) that in October he had spoken to Weinberg, vice-chairman of the Commerce Department's Business Advisory Council, but had not received any "commercial offer." Douglas Black was president and director of Doubleday & Company. Adams would confirm that he was writing a "good constructive story" of his experiences. His memoir, Firsthand Report, would be published in 1961.

4 On Rockefeller's election see the following document. On Keating see no. 908. On Governor-elect Hatfield of Oregon see no. 963. On the midterm election results see nos. 880 and 926. Adams would not "comment" on the election, he wrote, but he repeated his offer to assist the President in any unofficial tasks.

5 On February 2, 1960, Adams would attend an off-the-record meeting with the President at the White House.

Bibliographic reference to this document:
Eisenhower, Dwight D. To Sherman Adams, 8 December 1958. In The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, ed. L. Galambos and D. van Ee, doc. 964. 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/964.cfm

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