David Eisenhower America, and former Supreme Allied Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Forces in Europe during World War II, Dwight D. Eisenhower. His father would go on to be a brigadier general in the U.S. Army Reserve, U.S. Ambassador to Belgium (1969–1971), and a renowned military historian. His grandfather would become president of Columbia University (1948–1953), and later the 34th President of the United States (1953–1961). After assuming the presidency in 1953, President Eisenhower named the presidential mountain retreat, formerly Camp Shangri-La, Camp David, after his grandson. Eisenhower graduated from Phillips Exeter Academy in 1966. He received his B.A. degree in history
Dwight D. Eisenhower after his birth to avoid the confusion of having two Davids in the family. All of the boys were called "Ike", such as "Big Ike" (Edgar) and "Little Ike" (Dwight); the nickname was intended as an abbreviation of their last name. By World War II, only Dwight was still called "Ike". In 1892, the family moved to Abilene, Kansas, which Eisenhower considered his hometown. As a child, he was involved in an accident that cost his younger brother an eye; he later referred to this as an experience that taught him the need to be protective of those under him.