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How United States President Dwight Eisenhower Was Lassoed By A Cowboy At His Inauguration
The 34th President shocked many when he was publicly tied up with a rope by a Hollywood performer during his first inauguration in 1953
34th President Dwight D. Eisenhower had one of the more accomplished resumes of any person assuming the leadership of the United States in the history of the country. His background as a five-star general, who also served as the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Europe during World War II, made him a figure of great respect. However, during his first inauguration that didn’t stop a cowboy from riding up on a horse and roping the commander in chief with a lasso on stage in front of a massive crowd.
Eisenhower, a Republican, won the 1952 Presidential election in a landslide, defeating Adlai Stevenson, who he similarly beat again four years later for his second term. Already in his 60s, the general came into politics after a lengthy military career and a five-year stint as the President of Columbia University just prior to taking office.
Like other similar ceremonies before it, the 1953 inauguration in Washington, D.C. was one of pomp and circumstance, and had plenty of people in attendance. At the time…
