Sam Rayburn served in the U.S. House of Representatives for a legendary 48 years. For 17 of those years he served as the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. As Speaker, Rayburn served with Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy.
Rayburn’s relationship with Eisenhower is the subject of a new exhibit opening at the Sam Rayburn House Museum. The new exhibit, “Captain Ike” and “Mr. Sam” will open on Saturday, April 12 at the Sam Rayburn House Museum. The event will run from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and will include free admission, tours of the house museum and refreshments. The Sam Rayburn House Museum is located at 890 West State Highway 56 in Bonham.
Rayburn, known affectionately as “Mr. Sam” and “Captain Ike,” as Rayburn called his friend Eisenhower before he became President, shared a special bond. The new exhibit explores both the professional and social relationship between the men.
One of their first collaborations came on April 20, 1946. It was then that the two men came together in Denison, Texas for a celebration to honor General Eisenhower in the town where he was born on October 14, 1890. After brunch in the home where he was born, a parade through Denison, speaking to a crowd of 50,000, a barbeque meal and posing for photos, Eisenhower remarked to Rayburn, “I’ve had two meals in two hours and I’m tired.”
Years later, as the Republican candidate for President, Eisenhower was elected for two consecutive terms from1953 to 1961. The President and Republican members of the House of Representatives often were at odds with Rayburn and his Democratic party. There were times when Rayburn staunchly disagreed with certain Eisenhower’s programs and actions. Particularly what Rayburn perceived as Communist witch-hunting, disparaging of former (Democrat) Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman, tax breaks for the wealthy, failure to balance the budget and neglecting the unemployed.
At other times, the two men saw eye-to-eye on such issues as with foreign relations. Eisenhower met with Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev to discuss the arms race during the Summit Conference in 1960. Rayburn sent Eisenhower a message of support from the Democratic Party letting him know they supported his mission. Rayburn noted that all Americans wanted peace, not just the Republicans and that the Democrats would stand behind him during the Summit. When the Summit talks broke down, Rayburn wanted to alert the U.S. defenses and maintain the country’s military strength. When Eisenhower returned from the conference, Rayburn was at the Andrews Air Base to greet him and pledge his personal cooperation to support the President.
The men remained cordial throughout Eisenhower’s eight years in office, though their party politics often kept them separated. When Sam Rayburn died in 1961, Eisenhower came to Bonham to attend his funeral. His respect for “Mr. Sam” continued after his death. Eisenhower remarked of Rayburn in a 1962 letter to a constituent, “[Rayburn] was dedicated to his country as few individuals are; he was a master politician (in the best sense of the word) and tireless in his efforts to bring into law those measures which were in his opinion important to the good of the country…”
The Sam Rayburn House Museum tells the real story of Sam Rayburn, one of the most powerful and influential politicians of the 20th century, in his authentic 1916 home. Preserved as a period time capsule, the two-story home contains all original Rayburn furnishings. The Sam Rayburn House Museum is one of 20 historic attractions operated by the Texas Historical Commission. For more information visit www.VisitSamRayburnHouse.com