On the trail of Doris Kearns Goodwin

The Eisenhower Museum in Abilene KS has a museum and a library, as well as Ike and Mamie's tomb. A few plaques in the museum deal with Senator Joe McCarthy, and not in a way that Ann Coulter would find to her liking. While the museum has interesting historical artifacts, including various cables between Ike and others, it doesn't go into too much depth about any one subject. Only one plaque mentions in passing his warning about the military-industrial complex.

For that, you'd need to speak to an archivist or (even) one of the many visiting historians. Unfortunately, the archivists were off because it was a Saturday, and none of the famous historians were likewise to be found.

On my way out of town, I stopped at one of the more upscale hotels in the area, and asked if they'd had any famous historians sightings. The gentleman behind the counter - who unfortunately but kindly refused my request for a photograph - couldn't name any famous historians he'd seen. Marlin Fitzwater is from the area, but he hadn't stayed there. Neither had Arthur Schlesinger Jr., but he might have stayed at one of the more upscale hotels in the area. Like Gwen Ifell, I began naming TV historians: Michael Beschloss? Steven Ambrose? Doris Kearns Goodwin? None of those names rang a bell, but he did mention that most of their historian traffic is one or two tiers down, being mere college professors or students. Those didn't interest me.