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Eisenhower statue
Kansas Delegation with Eisenhower
Todd and Stewart Etherington
with the Eisenhower statue
Kansas will be the first state to switch one of its statues in the United States Capitol. Every state is entitled to place two statues in the Capitol. Kansas currently is represented by statues of former Governor George Glick and former U.S. Senator John Ingalls. On June 4, 2003, the Glick statue will be replaced by one of General Dwight D. Eisenhower. Eisenhower will return to the Capitol in the 50th anniversary year of his inauguration as the 34th President of the United States.
Following a four-year effort, the Eisenhower statue will be unveiled in the Capitol, June 4, in a ceremony to be attended by several members of Congress, including the Speaker of the House and the Senate Majority Leader. The statue is currently on display at the Eisenhower Library in Abilene for public viewing until May 26.
There are several significant events yet to take place in this historic project:
Chronology of Eisenhower Statue Replacement
May 1979 U.S. Representative Keith Sebelius (R-KS) introduces legislation to replace Glick statue with one of President Eisenhower.
January 1995 Todd Tiahrt sworn in as member of Congress, notices statue of former Kansas Governor Glick. Tiahrt doesn’t know who Glick is or why he is representing Kansas as one of its two statues on display in the U.S. Capitol. He thinks Kansas should be represented by someone more familiar to Kansans and the general population.
Spring 1998 U.S. Representative Todd Tiahrt discusses placing a statue of Dwight D. Eisenhower in the Capitol with Eisenhower Foundation.
January 1999 Rep. Tiahrt works with leadership of the Kansas Legislature on project
March 1999 Kansas Legislature passes a concurrent resolution in support of statue replacement
April 1999 Formulated 5-member Eisenhower Statue Replacement Board to help raise $300,000 for project
September 1999 Gordon R. England makes first contribution to effort ($5,000). At the time Mr England was Exec V.P. of General Dynamics, he has since served as Secretary of the Navy and is currently Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security
December 2000 Congress passes law to allow states to replace statues in the Capitol
Spring 2002 Search Committee, which comprises a variety of Kansans and includes a member of the Eisenhower family, commissions Lawrence, Kansas sculptor Jim Brothers to create the statue after a nationwide search. The statue will portray General Eisenhower speaking to the troops prior to the D-Day invasion in World War II. Tiahrt was responsible for assembling the committee.
September 2002 Letter from Governor Bill Graves to the U.S. Congress Joint Committee of the Library in support of change
October 2002 Approval by the Joint Committee of the Library on proposed replacement (approval required per law passed December 2000)
March 2003 Pass resolution in both houses of Congress to provide for the acceptance of the new statue and for use of the Rotunda for the unveiling
April 2003 Statue unveiled at Eisenhower Library in Abilene, where it would remain on display until transported to Washington.
June 2003 Statue unveiled in U.S. Capitol Rotunda
Kansas Makes History by Sending Ike Back to Washington
Something that has never happened in the history of the United States will occur June 4, 2003 in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda. A statue of General Dwight D. Eisenhower will be unveiled and will be the first statue to replace an existing state statue displayed in the Capitol. The ceremony will include remarks by Speaker of the House J. Dennis Hastert and the Eisenhower family and culminates a project that ended in success as a result of an effort spearheaded by Kansas Congressman Todd Tiahrt.
05.22.2003
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