July 11, 1952 – Dwight D. Eisenhower Nominated for Republican Presidential Candidate

Dwight D. Eisenhower, formerly Supreme Allied Commander in Europe during World War II, won a hard-fought nomination on this day in history as the Republican candidate for President. Senator Richard M. Nixon of California was chosen by acclamation as his running mate for the Vice Presidency.

The official results were 845 for General Eisenhower, 280 for Senator Taft, 77 for Gov. Earl Warren of California, and 4 for General of the Army Douglas MacArthur.

Eisenhower declared he would lead “a great crusade” for “total victory” against a Democratic Administration he described as wasteful, arrogant and corrupt and too long in power. He said he would keep “nothing in reserve” in his drive to put a Republican in the White House for the first time since March 4, 1933.

Moments before a night session of the Republican National Convention in Chicago in 1952, the seats of New York delegates were covered with “Ike” straw hats for Dwight Eisenhower, via AP