Eisenhower became President of Columbia University in 1948

One of the interesting facts about Dwight D. Eisenhower is that Eisenhower became President of Columbia University in 1948. Eisenhower was admitted into Phi Beta Kappa at Columbia University, an Ivy League university in New York City, in 1948. Eisenhower's tenure as president of Columbia University was highlighted by his participation in the Council on Foreign Relations, a study group he led as president concerning the political and military implications of the Marshall Plan, and The American Assembly, Eisenhower's vision of a great cultural center where business, professional, and governmental leaders could meet from time to time to discuss and reach conclusions concerning social and political problems.

Eisenhower accepted the presidency of the university in order to broaden his capacity to promote "the American type of democracy" through education. He made this point very plain to the trustees on the search committee. Within months after taking over as president of the institution, Eisenhower was asked to assist US Secretary of Defense James Forrestal on military unification. He became the informal Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Washington around six months after his appointment. Two months later, he became ill with acute gastroenteritis and spent more than a month recovering at the Augusta National Golf Club. In mid-May, he returned to his employment in New York, and in July 1949, he took a two-month vacation out of state. Because the American Assembly was taking shape, he toured around the country from mid-to-late 1950, soliciting financial support from Columbia Associates, an alumni association.