Photo by Volunteer Jeff Cross
Dwight D. Eisenhower Birthday Commemorative Concert
Presented by Trust for the National Mall and Clark Construction and honoring the 131st birthday of General and President Dwight D. Eisenhower
Thursday, October 14, 2021
Eisenhower Memorial
On the evening of Dwight D. Eisenhower's 131st birthday, October 14, 2021, the Trust for the National Mall honored the five-star General and 34th President with a sunset concert at his Memorial in Washington, D.C.. The event featured keynote remarks by Professor Michael Birkner, professor of history at Gettysburg College and Eisenhower author. The keynote address discussed Eisenhower's lasting legacy:
"Dwight David Eisenhower touched millions of lives over a long, busy, and fruitful life. Best known to us for his role leading the crusade in Europe against Nazi tyranny, and for his successful presidency, Eisenhower was also an example of the American dream come to life."
The U.S. Army Band, "Pershing's Own" followed with a lively sunset concert, featuring music from the Eisenhower-era. Pershing's Own was formed in 1922 by order of General John J. Pershing, who believed that music played a vital role in troop morale. Today, the band provides musical support to a wide spectrum of national and international events in support of Soldiers and their Families, public diplomacy, memorial affairs, community and international relations.
Thank you to Georgetown Cupcakes for adding to the celebration with special Ike-themed cupcakes, shared with the first 100 attendees at the event. The Trust looks forward to honoring President Eisenhower's birthday annually with the support of Clark Construction, the builders of the Eisenhower Memorial.
Photo Gallery
About the Speakers
Michael J. Birkner
Professor of History, Gettysburg College
Michael J. Birkner is professor of history at Gettysburg College, where he has taught since 1989. From 2001-2016 Birkner served as Benjamin Franklin Chair of Liberal Arts. Birkner's scholarship focuses on aspects of 19th- and 20th-century America. His many books include The Governors of New Jersey: Biographical Essays (2013), McCormick of Rutgers: Scholar, Teacher, Public Historian (2001), an edition of The Papers of Daniel Webster: Correspondence Series (1986), a social history of his home town of Bergenfield New Jersey (a CHOICE outstanding academic book, 1994), and three edited volumes on President James Buchanan. The latest, co-edited work, is entitled The Worlds of James Buchanan and Thaddeus Stevens (2019)
Birkner is recognized for his work on Dwight D. Eisenhower. In 2018 he led a Gilder-Lehrman summer seminar at American University focused on Eisenhower’s presidential leadership. He has published a biography of Eisenhower for middle-school students, an illustrated history of the Eisenhowers, a volume of first hand accounts titled Encounters With Eisenhower (2015), and numerous scholarly and popular articles on aspects of Eisenhower presidency. From 1998-2016 Birkner collaborated with the Eisenhower National Historic site supervisory historian in running a summer institute for secondary school teachers focused on Eisenhower’s presidency. He has been a consultant to the e-Eisenhower project of the Eisenhower Memorial Commission, to the current revamping of the Eisenhower Museum in Abilene, Kansas, and to the multi-part documentary on Eisenhower’s generalship and presidency produced by Starbright television. He has been an on camera presence both for the Eisenhower documentary segment on the presidential election of 1952 and to the film introducing visitors to James Buchanan’s home, Wheatland, in Lancaster, PA.
Birkner served twice on the Pulitzer Prize jury for History, the second time in 2006 as jury chair. From 2014-2016 he served as President of the Pennsylvania Historical Association. In the 1980s Birkner took a hiatus from his academic career for several years, serving as an editorial page editor and chief editorial writer for New Hampshire's Concord Monitor.
On campus, Birkner has served on numerous college committees and chaired the department of history for a decade. He is currently College Marshal. He received his bachelor’s degree from Gettysburg College and his master’s degree and doctorate from the University of Virginia in American history.
Jeffrey Reinbold
Superintendent, National Mall and Memorial Parks, National Park Service
Jeffrey P. Reinbold is a national park manager with 28 years’ experience and expertise in public-private partnerships, has served as Superintendent of National Mall and Memorial Parks since March 2019. He manages the iconic monuments and memorials of the nation’s capital, and cares for treasured neighborhood green space with a budget of approximately $35 million and alongside a staff of nearly 300 and more than 6,000 volunteers. Reinbold also manages the National Mall’s infrastructure improvement projects, ensuring the enjoyment of future park visitors.
Reinbold previously served as the National Park Service’s assistant director for partnerships and civic engagement, where he was responsible for partnerships, philanthropy, national trails, and wild and scenic rivers. In more than 28 years with the National Park Service, Reinbold has led planning and partnership projects around the country: protecting historic sites and Civil War battlefields, developing new ways for national parks to work with their neighboring communities, and exploring ways to connect people to the national parks. He served at the National Park Service’s central planning, design, and construction center in Denver, and as the superintendent of the five National Parks in Western Pennsylvania, including Flight 93 National Memorial, where he also oversaw the international design competition for the Memorial. He started his National Park Service career as a seasonal ranger in 1990 at the Johnstown Flood National Memorial.
Reinbold holds a bachelor’s degree in geography from the University of Pittsburgh and a master’s degree in city and regional planning from the Ohio State University. He is married to Jacqueline Reinbold and they have two sons.
Catherine Townsend
President and CEO, Trust for the National Mall
As the President and CEO of the Trust for the National Mall, Catherine leads a dynamic team to bring critical resources in support of the organization’s mission and programs, focused on restoration and sustainability, educational engagement and volunteerism on the National Mall. With over 30 years of experience in fundraising, strategic partnerships and organizational management, Catherine and the team have ambitious plans to develop new initiatives and strategic philanthropy to meet the Trust’s vision by the year 2026, which is the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and a celebration that will showcase the National Mall. Before joining the Trust, she was a consultant to non-profit leaders, served as the President of the DC Public Education Fund for two years and was a founding director of Share Our Strength/No Kid Hungry for 18 years.
In her spare time, Catherine enjoys cycling and is the director and lead coach for HoopGirls DC, a girls youth basketball and empowerment program she founded on Capitol Hill in 2005. Catherine lives on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC and is the mother of four children.
About the Trust for the National Mall
As the leading nonprofit, nonpartisan philanthropic partner of the National Park Service dedicated to restoring, enriching and preserving the National Mall, the Trust for the National Mall brings expertise, private funding and in-kind support to time-sensitive restoration and sustainability projects, mobilizes volunteers and provides educational opportunities to ensure that the National Mall endures and evolves as a vibrant space for all. With over 36 million visits annually to the National Mall, combined with aging infrastructure and the need for better visitor amenities throughout the park, the Trust is helping the National Park Service tackle the more than $800 million needed for critical repairs and improvements.