Bilateral Agreements: Mechanisms of Peace

Abilene, Kan. - The public is invited to join the August Lunch & Learn program on Thursday, August 22, at 12 p.m. noon central time at the Eisenhower Presidential Library. The hybrid program will be held in the Library building indoor courtyard and online via YouTube Livestream. Guests are encouraged to arrive by 11:45 a.m. A light box-lunch will be provided on a first come, first served basis.

Dr. Jared Pack will join us in person to discuss how President Eisenhower sought global peace through alliances. During his eight years in office, the Eisenhower Administration signed and entered into more than 1,750 bilateral agreements with other nations—either through treaties, conventions, or executive agreements. These agreements covered a whole host of topics from atomic energy and economic assistance to shrimp conservation and parcel service and spanned the entire globe in their reach. By building trust and friendship with other nations, Eisenhower demonstrated the power of diplomacy and aid in waging peace.

Dr. Pack is Associate Professor of History and Chair of the History Department at York University in York, NE. He is a graduate of the University of Arkansas, where he completed his M.A. and Ph.D. in U.S. History with an emphasis in Cold War Diplomacy. Dr. Pack’s current book project, “Special Relationships: The U.S., Great Britain, and the Southern Cone,” examines the distinct and constantly changing definitions of national security. Additionally, Dr. Pack currently serves as a member of the Curriculum and Training Committee of the National Council on Public History and the Management Committee of the Transatlantic Studies Association.

The 2024 Waging Peace program series is made possible courtesy of the Eisenhower Foundation with generous support from the Jeffcoat Memorial Foundation.