Southeast professor to discuss women in Eisenhower administration

Note: This story has been updated.

Former President Dwight Eisenhower is well known as a war hero and important political figure, but he has a lesser-known legacy: promoting and placing women in positions of authority in his administration, and that’s the subject of an upcoming lecture and forthcoming book by Pam Parry.

Parry, professor and chairwoman of the Department of Mass Media at Southeast Missouri State University, has written one academic book — “Eisenhower: The Public Relations President” — and is working on another, due out late this year, she said.

That book’s title will be “Women and the Eisenhower Administration: Changing the Face of Politics.”

Parry is also co-editor of an academic book series, “Women in American Political History” from Lexington Books, which will include her forthcoming book, she said.

“I think you might think of him as a war hero, and as a president who presided over unprecedented peace and prosperity,” Parry said. “You do not think of him as an advocate for women’s rights, but he was.”

Parry has been researching the topic for five years, and through that research, has developed a working relationship with the Eisenhower Memorial Commission staff. A presidential memorial to Eisenhower is in the works in Washington, D.C., Parry said, and the dedication is planned for May 8 — the anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe.

This year is also the 100th anniversary of the constitutional amendment granting women in the United States the right to vote, Parry said.

“Because the memorial will be done before my book is published, I decided to start talking about it,” Parry said.

Parry said another aspect of Eisenhower’s legacy that isn’t widely known is he advocated for women to serve in the military — not combat duty, but in clerical and other roles that would free up able-bodied men for combat roles.

“I think that’s a huge part of his legacy and I think nobody knows,” Parry said.

Eisenhower also appointed Clare Boothe Luce as an ambassador to Italy.

“I think she’s considered the first woman to be an ambassador at a major location,” Parry said.

Anne Wheaton was associate press secretary under Eisenhower — the first woman in that role.

“Dee Dee Myers under (President Bill) Clinton was the first woman press secretary, but before Dee Dee Myers, there was Anne Wheaton, who was the associate.

“They don’t really mention Wheaton, but that was a big deal in 1950,” Parry said.

Eisenhower was also in favor of equal pay for equal work, Parry said.

Parry’s first career was as a reporter, and her fascination with politics and the presidency served her well as a congressional correspondent in D.C. during the Clinton presidency.

Parry later taught for several years, and when it came time to work on her doctorate, she needed a thesis subject.

She discovered Wheaton’s story and originally planned to write about that, she said, but then discovered the broader story of Eisenhower’s work to place women in positions of authority.

Parry said she’s excited to work with the staff of the Eisenhower Memorial Commission, educating people on a topic she’s cared about for several years.

The lecture is set for 7 p.m. Tuesday, part of the Historic Tuesday Talk series at Crisp Museum on Southeast’s River Campus, 518 S. Fountain St. in Cape Girardeau.

The event is free and open to the public.

For more information, visit www.semo.edu/museum/education.html or call (573) 651-2260.

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