Ambassador Programs: About Us: History

History

A PRESIDENT'S LASTING LEGACY
President Eisenhower's granddaughter, now a People to People official, recalls her grandfather's design for peace

By Mary J. Eisenhower
President and CEO, People to People International

Mary J. Eisenhower

People to People sprang into existence through my grandfather, President Dwight D. Eisenhower. The 34th President of the United States sought a new path to international understanding, and he developed People to People to be the vehicle on that path.

His presidency found itself mired in a divided world, stockpiling weapons of mass destruction and careening toward global armed conflict. The mission of his brainchild, People to People, represented hope - hope that the nuclear nightmare would never see the light of day.

President Eisenhower believed that ordinary citizens of different nations, if able to communicate directly, would solve their differences and find a way to live in peace. This simple thought – that people can make the difference where government cannot – is People to People's foundation.

President Eisenhower put his beliefs into action in 1956, when he called a special White House conference of American leaders.

My grandfather asked his guests to join him in the creation of a new initiative to be known as People to People (PTP).

He believed that if people could visit each others' homes, attend their schools, and see their places of worship, then the misunderstandings, misperceptions, and resulting suspicions – which were making war a viable option – would disappear. He wanted people to know and understand that while we are all very different, our values, goals, and day-to-day issues are very much the same.

Soon after the People to People program was established, my grandfather decided that the spirit of People to People would be best preserved in the hands of private citizens rather than faceless government entities.

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Eisenhower believed strongly in the power of the citizen ambassador. According to him, "the people want peace; indeed, I believe they want peace so badly that the governments will just have to step aside and let them have it."

As a result, People to People's mission developed around personal exchanges and individual, firsthand experiences of other cultures.

My grandfather turned to his good friend Joyce C. Hall, founder of Hallmark Cards, to help him launch People to People in the private sector. Hall agreed and relocated PTP to his own hometown: Kansas City, Missouri.

Although People to People first built bridges between working citizens, Eisenhower recognized the power of young people as future leaders. In 1963, Keith Tatham, already an active leader in the People to People effort, organized the first delegation of Student Ambassadors.

From that time forward, the Student Ambassador Program has taken thousands of American young people across international boundaries. Regardless of the destination, each student, at the end of his or her travels, realizes the experience was much more enriching than a "tour."

Our program encourages meaningful exchanges between young people of different cultures, through official meetings, educational site visits, and homestays, all of which create deep cultural understanding, probe a nation's history, and launch long-lasting friendships.

The threat of armed global conflict is no longer so dominant, but the need for better international understanding remains. I hope that today's People to People travels will result in continued exchanges on newer issues that require international cooperation, resources, and priorities, such as cures for cancer and HIV, the care of the environment, and the reduction of poverty.

The ideas and understanding created by face-to-face encounters with people of different backgrounds will be the foundation of a lasting world peace.

As they travel under the banner of People to People, Student Ambassadors represent the best of our country: hope, courage, openness, and a love of peace.

My Granddad would be proud.

Learn more about People to People International.