Media Contact:
Jane Fader
904-940-4009
jfader@wghof.org
World Golf Hall of Fame and
Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum
Partner to Create 2009 Inductee Exhibition
St. Augustine, Fla. (September 29, 2009) – The World Golf Hall of Fame in St. Augustine, Fla., and the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum in Abilene, Kan., have partnered in the creation of the upcoming inductee exhibition for Dwight D. Eisenhower, a member of the Hall’s 2009 Class of Inductees. A selection of memorabilia from the Presidential Library and Museum will be on display in the Hall of Fame beginning Friday, Oct. 30th.
“Having the opportunity to partner with the World Golf Hall of Fame in creating a dynamic exhibit that explores President Eisenhower's passion for golf is thrilling for us,” said Karl Weissenbach, Executive Director of the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum. “President Eisenhower stated in a 1965 letter to his grandson, David, ‘I suggest that you take up golf which after all is the best game of all of them,’ – evidence that his love for the game caused him to want to share it with others. We are confident this partnership will result in an exhibit that illustrates his passion.”
“With Eisenhower being the first president inducted in to the World Golf Hall of Fame, the development of his exhibit is of extreme importance to us,” said Jack Peter, Sr. Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the World Golf Hall of Fame. “It is an absolute honor for us to unite with the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum to create a worthy tribute to a man so significant for golf and our country as a whole.”
Eisenhower’s exhibit within the Hall of Fame will feature a variety of memorabilia on loan from the library including a number of Eisenhower’s Augusta National Golf Club items such as golf shoulder patches, a signature Augusta-motif yellow tie and a green personal leather case with Augusta’s emblem, as well as a green Master’s jacket given to Eisenhower in 1970.
Other featured artifacts within Eisenhower’s personal exhibit will be various golf-themed accessories found atop the former president’s desk, an altered wood driver bearing five engraved stars along with the president’s name and a Ben Hogan trophy – awarded to Eisenhower in 1955 for making the greatest comeback from a physical disability. Additionally, on display will be a putter referred to as “The Chestah,” a gag putter given to Eisenhower from fellow World Golf Hall of Fame member Bob Hope.
Selected in the Lifetime Achievement Category, Eisenhower will posthumously join Christy O’Connor, José Maria Olazábal and Lanny Wadkins at the Hall’s annual Induction Ceremony on Monday, Nov. 2, 2009. The ceremony will be aired nationally that same night on the GOLF CHANNEL at 10 p.m. EST.
For more information on the 2009 World Golf Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, visit www.wgv.com.
About the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum
The Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, a nonpartisan federal institution, is one of thirteen presidential libraries operated by the National Archives and Records Administration. All buildings are open daily from 9 a.m. until 4:45 p.m., except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. An admission fee is charged for the museum. To learn more, please visit www.eisenhower.archives.gov.
About the World Golf Hall of Fame
World Golf Hall of Fame, located at World Golf Village in St. Augustine, Florida, honors and celebrates golf’s greatest players and contributors. A World Golf Foundation initiative, the Hall of Fame represents collaboration among 26 national and international golf organizations, including the PGA TOUR, LPGA, USGA, PGA of America, The European Tour and The R&A. The museum houses interactive exhibits and historic and personal artifacts that tell the stories of its members and the game of golf. For more information, visit www.wgv.com .
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As sole founding partner of World Golf Hall of Fame, The First Tee and World Golf Village, Shell Oil Company provides financial support and plays the lead role in charitable initiatives aimed at introducing golf to young people, and through the golf experience promotes scholastic achievement, community service and those values intrinsic to the game of golf: honesty, integrity and sportsmanship.
