Letter from President Dwight D. Eisenhower to Alfred Gruenther. Grunther had been a four-star general in the United States Army; following his retirement in 1956, he served as president of the American Red Cross from 1957 to 1964. In the letter, Eisenhower encourages Gruenther to ignore criticism and to continue his work. In the postscript, Eisenhower discusses the merits of returning to Washington D.C. from his retreat in Newport, Rhode Island, responding to a suggestion by Gruenther. In 1957, the Little Rock school district voted to integrate its schools. Governor Faubus, opposed to integration, sent members of the Arkansas National Guard to prevent African American students--the "Little Rock Nine"--from entering Little Rock Central High School on September 4. Federal courts ordered Governor Faubus to remove the troops and permit the nine students to enter the school on September 23, 1957. However, because of the rioting that continued outside, the students were removed from the school after three hours. President Dwight D. Eisenhower ordered troops from the 101st Airborne Division to Little Rock to restore order and to protect the students. After a single year of integration, Governor Faubus closed the Little Rock public high schools to avoid further integration. The United States Supreme Court declared Faubus' action illegal and the public schools reopened August 1959.

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Collection: Dwight D. Eisenhower's Papers as President (Ann Whitman File), Series: Administration Series, Box Number: 16, Folder Title: Gruenther, General Alfred 1956-1957 (2)

Rights Status: Restricted - Possibly

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Forms part of: Presidential Timeline of the Twentieth Century.