Eisenhower Hall Renovation Begins with Wall Breaking

Eisenhower Hall was built in 1960 as a 4-story building with approximately 130,000 square feet. At 62 years old, the last major renovation was completed in 1998, which included mechanical system upgrades and a force protection blast film added to the original windows. The exterior walls have no insulation or vapor barrier, and the chillers are over a decade old. In 2019 due to delayed expenditures, water intrusion, a mold bloom, and air quality concerns, the NDU President made the decision to evacuate the building.

The Eisenhower School’s nearly 400 students, faculty, and staff then relocated into NDU’s remaining buildings, with 80% less space, which resulted in a sub-optimal learning environment. This impacted not just the Eisenhower School, but also the College of Information and Cyberspace, the College of International Security Affairs, the Institute for National Strategic Studies, and the three Regional Centers as we crowded into their spaces. In the true spirit of NDU, we made it work, but at some cost to the student experience and the work environment for a large swath of the NDU team.

Since 2019, NDU has been on an upward trajectory made possible public-private support. In 2020 the US Army Corps of Engineers completed a 10-year capital investment strategy for NDU’s Fort McNair campus, identifying $153 million in facilities repair, sustainment, and maintenance required from now through Fiscal Year 2030. This included the immediate need for $52M in FY22 funding to begin repairs on this building. In the larger context of the DoD budget, that might not seem to be a tremendous number, but it represented more than half of NDU’s total annual budget, so there was no way that NDU could afford that bill.

As NDU pursued support for this project, Army Materiel Command provided $3 million in design funding, which allowed the renovation project to be advertised for contract in January of this year. The resulting design included more than 500 drawings and 2,000 pages of specifications to address the root causes of the issues affecting this building. Interestingly, the cost to replace this building was estimated at $107 million. And that’s where Congress stepped in, providing $50 million to the Army for NDU facilities.

This year, the Army funded and let the renovation construction contract. Currently, the contractors are moving into high gear, stripping down the exterior of the building, removing much of the interior, replacing the HVAC, electrical, plumbing, and other systems, and preparing this building to host the national security leaders who will study here for many decades to come.

So, with a few swings of the sledgehammers, NDU embarks on the next leg of the Eisenhower School journey. And, if all goes to plan, this project will be complete in time to celebrate the 100-year anniversary of this esteemed college and our students will be back in these classrooms by February 2025 .

The National Defense University (NDU) Special Collections Library has acquired former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman and former Secretary of State General Colin Powell’s archives from Mrs. Alma J. Powell.

Gen and Mrs. Powell had a long-standing and cherished relationship with NDU since his time as a student at the National War College. The Powell Collection includes a standing desk, childhood and family photographs, speeches, correspondence, artist renderings, memorabilia and military uniforms, and a diary and photos from Gen Powell’s service in Vietnam.

“General Powell often said NDU, and the National War College in particular, had a profound impact on his career and life,” said Susan Lemke, Special Collection Librarian at the National Defense University. “Throughout his career, General Powell returned to the University. Of course, he continued to lecture and often brought students from middle and high schools in New York City. He was devoted to inspiring young people to create their own legacies of service and leadership.”

The NDU Library Special Collections, Archives, and History is the repository for personal papers, rare books, historical photographs, maps, prints, artifacts, university archives, and local historical materials. The manuscript collection contains primarily biographical and personal papers of 20th-century military and diplomatic leaders, emphasizing those of former Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Supreme Allied Commanders, Europe, and other Combatant Commanders.

Archival collections from the Hudson Institute, the Presidential Commission on Women in Combat, the Title V Report to Congress on the Conduct of the Persian Gulf War, Civil Affairs in the Persian Gulf, the Skelton Panel on Military Education, and GoldwaterNichols legislation are available for research in Special Collections. A select collection on the Lincoln assassination, and the trial and execution of the Lincoln conspirators, includes unique ephemera such as a memorial fan illustrating events leading up to and after the assassination and a signed pass to the trial.

“The collections cover a diversity of topics historically speaking and liberally accepts collections because the university wants to nurture accessibility,” said Lemke.

The Special Collections focus on biographical history. A thriving exhibition program supports the university’s curriculum and features distinguished individuals or special events/ anniversaries. In addition to Gen Powell’s collection, exhibits in Special Collections feature Gen Maxwell D. Taylor, USA (Ret.), Gen John W. Vessey, USA (Ret.), and AMB (ret) Donald Yamamoto.

“We invite collections from our alumni, faculty, and staff. They are a vital part of our learning legacy. We welcome their contributions to continuing NDU’s legacy. We want to exhibit items that propel future knowledge. All items are incorporated into exhibits and the experiential learning environment to support our students. Intellectual goods, papers, and books are intentionally accessible to all scholars. Their stories and lives become a part of this place forever. We want to use their lives to inspire our students through learning enrichment,” said Gower.

“We exhibit items from people connected to NDU. We preserve and share their legacies with our students, faculty, visiting scholars, and the public to inspire them. The student papers, lectures, and university materials build a legacy of knowledge and learning. We ensure those legacies are tangible and available for students, scholars, and the public. Much of what we have is digitized, so it’s very accessible,” said University Archivist Scott Gower.

In addition to providing historical resources, the NDU Special Collections staff offers historical walking tours. Seeking to preserve and provide access to these national treasures, the Library’s Special Collections is a vital resource for research and a portal to our nation’s heritage.

The Powell Family and the NDU Special Collections Library intend to collaborate with collections and exhibits at Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership at the City College of New York and the National Museum of African American History and Culture to ensure broad and ongoing engagement with the Powell Special Collection.

Individuals and families considering donating to the National Defense University Special Collections can contact: James Schmeling at schmeling@ndufoundation.org.

Learn more about the NDU Special Collections at https://www.ndu.edu/ Libraries/Manuscript-Collections

The National Defense University Foundation hosts National Security Briefings to convene and engage senior private industry experts, military, and public sector officials on issues vital to national security – especially in the areas of technological transformation and innovation for warfighting, defense, national security, and diplomacy.

Topics and themes provide National Defense University (NDU) professional students and faculty, DoD personnel, the Defense Industrial Base, and the National Security Innovation Base with ample opportunities for world-class learning and engagement environments.

Wednesday February 22, 2023

2:00 P.M – 3:00 P.M. ET VIRTUAL ONLY