Fiscal Responsibility in the Eisenhower Years

Fiscal Responsibility in the Eisenhower Years

Celebrating America 250! Lunch & Learn Series

ABILENE, Kan. — The September Lunch & Learn program titled "Fiscal Responsibility in the Eisenhower Years," is scheduled for September 24, 2026, at 12 p.m. CDT. Guests attending in person are encouraged to arrive by 11:45 a.m. The Library will provide a light box-lunch on a first-come, first-served basis. This hybrid event will be held in person in the Library's indoor courtyard and streamed live via the Library's YouTube channel.

Guest speaker Joseph J. Thorndike, will join us in person to discuss Dwight D. Eisenhower’s fiscal policy. Thorndike will explain how Eisenhower prioritized fiscal responsibility over tax cuts, effectively maintaining the nation’s World War II tax structure.

After his 1952 election, Eisenhower established fiscal discipline as a hallmark of his administration. He chose to preserve the tax framework developed during World War II, which included high-rate income taxes, flat-rate corporate taxes, and payroll taxes for Social Security. Despite public rhetoric favoring tax cuts, his administration upheld these war-era fiscal policies throughout the 1950s, signaling a broader acceptance of the existing economic structure.

Thorndike is the director of the Tax History Project at Tax Analysts and a contributing editor for Tax Notes Federal magazine. A nationally recognized expert on the history of U.S. taxation, Thorndike writes regularly on contemporary policy debates and has contributed to publications such as The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal. He is also the author and co-author of several academic books, including Their Fair Share: Taxing the Rich in the Age of FDR and War and Taxes.

The 2026 programming season celebrates America's 250th anniversary and examines President Eisenhower's top accomplishments in the continual pursuit of a more perfect Union. These themes complement the current 'Ike's Work' exhibit, which highlights Eisenhower’s engagement with citizens and his administration's accomplishments. These programs are made possible courtesy of The Eisenhower Foundation.

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