Dwight D. Eisenhower, elected in 1952, was mindful of the southern Democratic congressional commitment to racial segregation, but he was determined to eliminate racial discrimination in all areas of his authority. Some historians write that the President was not known for his support of the civil rights movement, but his ability to respond to problems and lead the Nation is remarkable. Here is what he accomplished during his administration:
- Created the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, April 11, 1953
- Appointed Chief Justice Earl Warren to the Supreme Court in 1954, Who Wrote the First Major Decision of the Warren Court, Brown v. Board of Education
- Issued Executive Orders to Halt Segregation in Washington D.C.
- July 7, 1954, Appointed Elbert Tuttle, U.S. Court of Appeals (Fifth Circuit), Who Ended Segregation at University of Mississippi for James Meredith as Well as Many Other Cases in the South
- Appointed First Black, Frederic Morrow, to the Executive Staff of the White House From 1955 – 1961
- Civil Rights Act of 1957, Creates the Civil Rights Division in the Justice Department
- Sent 101st Airborne to Little Rock, Arkansas to Restore Order and Allow the Little Rock 9 to Desegregate the School
- Met with Black Leaders in 1958 to Discuss Plans to Advance Civil Rights
- Civil Rights Act of 1960 Which Further Addressed the Voting Rights of Black Americans
- Received Robert S. Abbott Award From the Publisher of the Chicago Defender, John H. Sengstake, Nephew of Robert S. Abbott
President Eisenhower was the first president since Reconstruction to use federal troops to support blacks, but he did so with criticism on both sides of the aisle; those who felt he did not do enough for blacks and others who thought that asserting federal power over states’ rights was wrong.
https://eisenhower.archives.gov/research/subject_guides/pdf/Civil_Rights_Act_1957.pdf