March 1, 2017 - March 1, 2018 @ Eisenhower Presidential Library & Museum
War erupted in Europe in 1914 and soon involved nations around the globe. The United States reluctantly joined the conflict in 1917 and began to build a large professional army from the ground up. One of the young officers who helped in this endeavor was a lieutenant by the name of Dwight Eisenhower. Eisenhower showed remarkable talent for organization and leadership during the years of American involvement in the war. Tasked with training thousands of inexperienced troops in the new and untested art of armored warfare, Eisenhower quickly built a strong and motivated group of soldiers while overcoming severe obstacles and setbacks. This exhibit tells the story of the Great War and its influence on Eisenhower’s budding leadership abilities. World War I, as it would become known later in the century, proved critical to the making of this American Icon.
April 1, 2017 - May 31, 2018 @ Eisenhower Presidential Library & Museum
Celebrate the Chisholm Trail Sesquicentennial as part of the tristate celebration with Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. See rare artifacts and historic photographs. Learn about the “square meal,” “real McCoy,” origins of the cowboy boot, and “the wickedest town in the West.” Discover stories behind the legends of T.C. McInerney, Bear River Smith, and Wild Bill Hickok among others. Find out why Dwight Eisenhower developed a love for all things western and the Cowtown that raised a President!
May 12 - August 24 @ Eisenhower Presidential Library Lobby
Growing up in Abilene, Kansas, Fitzwater looked up to Dwight D. Eisenhower as a hometown hero. Fitzwater earned a journalism degree from Kansas State University then embarked on a career that eventually lead to a decade of service in the White House, from 1983 to 1993. Fitzwater, the only press secretary in history to be appointed by two Presidents, recently donated his personal papers to his alma mater. The Eisenhower Presidential Museum is pleased to collaborate with Kansas State University to bring this extraordinary exhibit to Fitzwater's hometown. "Marlin Fitzwater: From Wheat Fields to White House" will be on display from May 12 to August 24, 2017 and will feature items from his distinguished career as Press Secretary to Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush
August 11, 7:30 PM - August 20 @ Great Plains Theatre
As the 20th century dawns, the separate worlds of New York City begin to blur together to tell their stories. Ragtime shines a light of the disparate lives of Harlem musicians, Upper-Middle Class families, and Immigrants, all while weaving their tales together in brilliant musical style. Rated PG-13.
August 14, 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM @ Eisenhower Visitors Center Auditorium
Talk About Literature in Kansas (TALK) is a program for every Kansan who loves to read and discuss good books. A series of seven book discussions focusing on the theme "Best of the West" will be held from January through August 2017 at the Eisenhower Presidential Library. All of the books in this series are available to check out from the Abilene Public Library or purchase at the Eisenhower Presidential Library Gift Shop.