Truman

Having won the greatest war of the 20th century, President Dwight Eisenhower in 1953 ushered in 8 years of calm and stability not seen in the United States for 50 years and, in the process, opened the Golden Age of Cattleya Orchids. First Lady Mamie Eisenhower was the symbol of prosperity and elegance and she loved cattleyas. She was rarely seen in public without her corsage of 2 or 3 cattleya flowers during her husband’s entire two terms.

The 4th Mid-America Orchid Congress in the spring of 1962 must have been quite an show. Aside from the spectacular orchid displays, the weekend included a slate of big-name speakers as well as a trip to the Truman Presidential Library where the former President was expected to make an appearance.