Doud Eisenhower
| Doud Dwight Eisenhower | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Born |
September 24, 1917 San Antonio, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | January 2, 1921 (aged 3) Camp Meade, Maryland, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Scarlet fever |
| Known for | First son of 34th president of the U.S. , Dwight D. Eisenhower |
| Parent(s) |
Dwight D. Eisenhower Mamie Eisenhower |
Doud Dwight "Icky" Eisenhower (September 24, 1917 – January 2, 1921) was the first son of Dwight D. Eisenhower and Mamie Eisenhower. He was named "Doud" in honor of his mother (her maiden name was Doud) and "Dwight" in honor of his father. He was commonly called "Icky" amongst his family members.
Icky was the first son of future-president Dwight D. Eisenhower and his wife Mamie Eisenhower. He was born on September 24, 1917 in San Antonio, Texas. He and his mother moved to Denver, Colorado while his father was stationed at Camp Meade in Maryland. Regarding Dwight's family contacts while on the U.S. Army's 1919 Transcontinental Motor Convoy, biographers Lester and Irene David wrote:
He called Mamie several times a week [while on the convoy], beginning each call with requests for news about Icky. How was he growing? What new mischief had he gotten into? Once Mamie interrupted with, "Listen here . . . how about asking how your wife is?" Ike was chastened; he chatted for a moment about Mamie, but soon turned the conversation to Icky again. Mamie gave up.
After he and his family relocated to Fort Meade in Severn, Maryland, his mother hired a sixteen-year-old local girl as a maid. The girl had been recovering from scarlet fever. In December 1920, shortly before Christmas, Icky caught scarlet fever from the girl. Though his mother tried desperately to save him, even calling a specialist from Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Icky died on January 2, 1921. His father then referred to this incident as "the most shattering moment of their lives, one that almost destroyed their marriage". Mamie and Dwight blamed themselves for Icky's death; had they checked the girl's background, they would have found out that the girl had scarlet fever. In his biography of Eisenhower, Stephen E. Ambrose wrote:
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