April 8, 2026
Dear Campus Community,
At Gettysburg—where our history reminds us how much leadership and character matter—Susan Eisenhower’s contributions carry special meaning.
Today, I write to express my profound gratitude to Susan for her remarkable impact and service to the Eisenhower Institute (EI). Susan will conclude her distinguished tenure at the College in December to engage more directly in current affairs and strategic communications.
In recognition of Susan’s extraordinary legacy at Gettysburg College and beyond, I am delighted to announce that she will be awarded an honorary degree at this year’s Commencement ceremony on May 16.
For more than 15 years, Susan has brought to our community a unique combination of vision, wisdom, and insight—all in service to shaping the next generation of leaders. She co-founded the Eisenhower World Affairs Institute in 1985 and was a strong advocate for its partnership with Gettysburg College in 2009, believing in EI’s potential to connect our students’ classroom learning with their career goals.
During her tenure at the Eisenhower Institute, Susan has served as Expert-in-Residence and Chairman Emeritus, guiding students through her yearlong seminar, Strategy and Leadership in Transformational Times (SALTT), as well as Foundations of Strategy and Leadership. She’s mentored more than 150 Gettysburg students, encouraging them to think strategically, to lead with integrity, and to take on the complex questions of our time with discipline, determination, and humility.
As an accomplished policy strategist, Susan’s return to The Eisenhower Group, Inc., comes at a time when matters of national security, energy, and international diplomacy are of heightened importance. Over her career, she has authored hundreds of op-eds, and her most recent of five books, How Ike Led: The Principles Behind Eisenhower’s Biggest Decisions—which honors her grandfather and is dedicated to her Gettysburg students—received both national and international acclaim.
In addition, Susan has served as a fellow at Harvard University’s Institute of Politics; a member of the Advisory Board of MIT’s Energy Initiative; and—following many years on the NASA Advisory Council—a member of the International Space Station Management and Cost Evaluation Task Force. She’s earned numerous honors, most notably the Department of Energy’s Distinguished Service Award and the Légion d’Honneur—France’s highest award for military and civilian merit.
As she reflected on her Gettysburg experience and hopes for the future, she offered me these moving words, rooted in her unwavering belief in our students: “I am sincerely grateful for the rewarding experiences and collaboration I have enjoyed with Gettysburg College, both before and after the merger. As the Eisenhower Institute embarks on its next chapter, I hope it will continue to emphasize the importance of sound strategic thinking among its students. Over the years, my students and I worked on projects to develop a range of strategies to initiate change; we traveled to Normandy, as well as to Azerbaijan and other parts of the U.S.; and today, we continue to stay in touch and discuss strategy and world affairs, even years after their graduation. I know what Gettysburg students are capable of, and I have full confidence they will step forward in important ways during this time of tumultuous change and geopolitical uncertainty. I am immensely proud of them.”
We look forward to celebrating Susan and her inspiring legacy at Commencement and in the months ahead. Until then, please join me in expressing our deepest thanks and admiration to Susan.
Sincerely,
Bob Iuliano
President