Charles Lewis Brainard (1903–1988) was an architect, businessman, and teacher who headed efforts to preserve the papers of

Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...

and create the Eisenhower Presidential Library.

Information

Brainard was born on September 18, 1903 in Greeley, Colorado. He received a bachelor's degree in architecture in 1930 from

Kansas State University Kansas State University (KSU, Kansas State, or K-State) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Manhattan, Kansas, United States. It was opened as the state's land-grant college in 1863 and was the first public instit ...

. Upon graduation, he married and moved to Minnesota. He taught technical drawing at the University of Minnesota, as well as drawing and designing for Pine Beach Development Company. He then returned to Kansas State to earn a Master's degree in architecture in 1937. After graduating, he relocated to

Abilene, Kansas Abilene (pronounced ) is a city in, and the county seat of, Dickinson County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 6,460. It is home of The Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum and the G ...

and became the architect (and later an executive) for Duckwall Dime Stores, his father in law Alva Lease Duckwall's business. Additionally, he was on the board of Western Merchandise Company and the United Trust Company, as well as teaching. Brainard was active in the development of the

Eisenhower Center The Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home is the presidential library and museum of Dwight David Eisenhower, the 34th president of the United States (1953–1961), located in his hometown of Abilene, Kansas. The mu ...

. In 1945 he joined the Eisenhower Foundation, a private organization dedicated to developing the

memorial. In 1947, the Foundation purchased the Eisenhower's family home in Abilene, and converted it to a museum.Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library. https://www.eisenhower.archives.gov/Visit_Us/Buildings_History/Buildings_History.html. Accessed 4/16/09. The Foundation also conducted a national fundraising campaign to build a museum to hold the military memorabilia of Dwight D. Eisenhower. This eventually became the Eisenhower Museum, dedicated on

Veterans Day Veterans Day (originally known as Armistice Day) is a federal holiday in the United States observed annually on November 11, for honoring military veterans of the United States Armed Forces (who were discharged under conditions other than di ...

in 1954. Due to his architectural training Brainard, he served on a committee to improve the grounds surrounding the home and the museum. The memorial was based on a sketch made by Brainard in collaboration with John Wickham. In 1954, President Eisenhower decided to donate his personal papers to the public provided an archive building could be constructed near the Eisenhower Museum to hold them. In 1955 the state of

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...

created the Eisenhower Presidential Library Commission to develop such an archive. Brainard resigned from the Eisenhower Foundation in order to accept an appointment to the Commission. He served as secretary of the Commission during its entire existence. As Secretary, Brainard handled most of the Commission's duties. The Commission established a separate committee, known as the Kansas Governor's National Committee for the Eisenhower Presidential Library, to handle a national fund-raising drive to pay for the buildings. Brainard oversaw the bids for construction, which he divided into two phases in order to get the archives finished prior to the addition of the memorial. In 1971 and later years, Brainard donated approximately 3,700 pages of Eisenhower documents to the library. Brainard also was a trustee for the Kansas State College Endowment association.

Personal life

He married Donna Duckwall in 1930. They had one daughter. He died on June 29, 1988 in Abilene.

References

External links

Papers of Charles L. Brainard, Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brainard, Charles Architects from Kansas 1988 deaths 1903 births 20th-century American architects People from Abilene, Kansas