1954 State of the Union Address
Date | January 7, 1954 |
---|---|
Time | 12:30 p.m. EST[1] |
Duration | 52 minutes[1][2] |
Venue | House Chamber, United States Capitol |
Location | Washington, D.C. |
Coordinates | 38°53′23″N 77°00′32″W / 38.88972°N 77.00889°W |
Type | State of the Union Address |
Participants | Dwight D. Eisenhower Richard Nixon Joseph W. Martin Jr. |
Previous | February 1953 State of the Union Address |
Next | 1955 State of the Union Address |
The 1954
Eisenhower began his speech by noting that the Korean War was over, but he also stated the threat from communism was not over:
American freedom is threatened so long as the world Communist conspiracy exists in its present scope, power and hostility. More closely than ever before, American freedom is interlocked with the freedom of other people. In the unity of the free world lies our best chance to reduce the Communist threat without war. In the task of maintaining this unity and strengthening all its parts, the greatest responsibility falls naturally on those who, like ourselves, retain the most freedom and strength. We shall, therefore, continue to advance the cause of freedom on foreign fronts.[3]
For domestic issues, Eisenhower asked Congress to reduce spending but to forego tax cuts for 1954.[4]
In the last part of his address, Eisenhower called for several measures which were not accomplished by the
Eisenhower then closed his speech saying that Americans must reject materialism and look to transcendent aims to preserve peace and prosperity:
No government can inoculate its people against the fatal materialism that plagues our age. Happily, our people, though blessed with more material goods than any people in history, have always reserved their first allegiance to the kingdom of the spirit, which is the true source of that freedom we value above all material things. But a government can try, as ours tries, to sense the deepest aspirations of the people, and to express them in political action at home and abroad. So long as action and aspiration humbly and earnestly seek favor in the sight of the Almighty, there is no end to America's forward road; there is no obstacle on it she will not surmount in her march toward a lasting peace in a free and prosperous world.[3]
After he was done speaking, Eisenhower spent the rest of the afternoon playing golf.[5]
References
- ^ a b c "Everybody Cheered Eisenhower's Message Except The Silent Soviet Ambassador". Tampa Tribune. Tampa, Florida. January 8, 1954. p. 1. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
Not once did he [the Soviet ambassador] join in the 50 bursts of applause that punctuated Eisenhower's 52-minute address.... Eisenhower mounted the rostrum promptly at 12:30 P. M.
- ^ "Speeches". Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum, and Boyhood Home. United States National Archives. August 14, 2023. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f Eisenhower, Dwight D. (January 7, 1954). "Annual Message to the Congress on the State of the Union". The American Presidency Project. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
- ^ "Eisenhower Asks Congress To Reduce Spending But Forego Tax Cuts This Year". Tampa Tribune. Tampa, Florida. January 8, 1954. p. 1. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
- ^ "Eisenhower Golfs After His Speech". Tampa Tribune. Tampa, Florida. January 8, 1954. p. 1. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
President Eisenhower went golfing today after delivering his State of the Union message to Congress.
External links
- 1954 State of the Union Address (audio) at Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home