Saying No to a Close Friend: Suez Crisis of 1956 (Evenings at Ease)

The 2023 annual program theme is Difficult Decisions. Join us all year for a deep dive into the challenges faced during the Eisenhower era. 


Abilene, Kan. - The public is invited to attend the April Evenings at Ease lecture scheduled for Tuesday, April 11 at 7 p.m. central time either in person or online. The in-person component of the program will be held in the library building courtyard at the Eisenhower Presidential Library. The virtual audience may stream the program live on our YouTube channel.

Guest speaker Scott Finney will join us virtually to discuss Eisenhower's role during the Suez Crisis of 1956. President Eisenhower made a very difficult decision to not provide the British with military support. Three key factors weighed heavily in Eisenhower's decision. Primarily, he feared the situation would turn into a full scale war involving the Soviet Union. Additionally, he felt the British government miscalculated the level of threat posed by Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser. Finally, he knew that Anglo-American relations would be damaged and in need of repair if the United States withheld support of its closest ally during WWII. Despite these difficulties, Eisenhower made his decision and employed sound crisis leadership skills in working through the crisis. 

Finney is a Doctoral thesis candidate completing his Ph.D. online through Manchester Metropolitan University in England. Scott was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and just recently visited the Eisenhower Presidential Library to complete research for his Doctoral thesis.

The 2023 program series is made possible courtesy of the Eisenhower Foundation with generous support from the Jeffcoat Memorial Foundation.