<Tr> <Td> <Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> <P> Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (/ ˈaɪzənhaʊ. ər / EYE - zən - how - ər; October 14, 1890--March 28, 1969) was an American army general and statesman who served as the 34th President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 . During World War II, he was a five - star general in the United States Army and served as Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Forces in Europe . He was responsible for planning and supervising the invasion of North Africa in Operation Torch in 1942--43 and the successful invasion of France and Germany in 1944--45 from the Western Front . </P> <P> Born David Dwight Eisenhower in Denison, Texas, he was raised in Kansas in a large family of mostly Pennsylvania Dutch ancestry . His family had a strong religious background . His mother was born a Lutheran, married as a River Brethren, and later became a Jehovah's Witness . However, Eisenhower did not belong to any organized church until 1952 . He cited constant relocation during his military career as one reason . He graduated from West Point in 1915 and later married Mamie Doud, with whom he had two sons . During World War I, he was denied a request to serve in Europe and instead commanded a unit that trained tank crews . Following the war, he served under various generals and was promoted to the rank of brigadier general in 1941 . After the U.S. entered World War II, Eisenhower oversaw the successful invasions of North Africa and Sicily before supervising the invasions of France and Germany . After the war, Eisenhower served as Army Chief of Staff and then took on the uncomfortable role as president of Columbia University . In 1951--52, he served as the first Supreme Commander of NATO . </P>

Who was president for most of the 1950's