The memorial does not come close to memorializing what kind of person President Eisenhower was. The planned tribute features an avant-garde statue of a young Eisenhower looking at metal artwork portraying his childhood home with the backdrop of the Capitol. The boy is staring in awe of what was to be his life. This could not be more off-base. The president’s granddaughter, Susan Eisenhower, sent a complaint to the memorial committee saying:

“Ike” is simply the wrong figure to memorialize with an avant-garde approach. He was a traditionalist, bewildered by modern art, she said.

The problems go much deeper. The memorial is planned to be large and ornate, whereas Eisenhower was a simple man with simple tastes. The memorial for a man who devoted his [life] to public service is being designed by Frank Gehry who turned down an opportunity to work on the Twin Towers after 9/11 because the pay was not high enough.