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Dwight D. Eisenhower Office Building to be dedicated on June 6

June 1, 2005 (05-121)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

News Contact: Steve Swartz, (785) 296-3585

Dwight D. Eisenhower Office Building to be dedicated on June 6

Gov. Kathleen Sebelius will officially dedicate the state’s newest office building in Topeka at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, June 6.

The dedication of the Dwight D. Eisenhower State Office Building, 700 SW Harrison, which is home to the Kansas Department of Transportation, will recognize the former Kansan for his influence on the American transportation system and for his military career.

 Monday is the 61st anniversary of the D-Day invasion that General Eisenhower commanded.

“President Eisenhower led the world in the battle to defeat fascism in World War II, then came home and changed the face of America by authorizing the Interstate system, the greatest transportation system the world has ever known,” Sebelius said.

Other speakers at the event include Secretary of Transportation Deb Miller; Merrill Atwater, great-grandson of Eisenhower; Dan Holt, director of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Library and Museum in Abilene; Jack Fowler, chairman of the Kansas Commission on Veteran’s Affairs; and Kansas Army National Guard Chaplain Larry Parrish.

Five World War II veterans who served in the European Theater of Operations under General Eisenhower will be honored. They are John Bausch, James Durrell, Charles Hamm, John Hankammer, and Donald Patterson.

The 35th Infantry Division Band from Olathe, the Capital City Chorus Choir and the Topeka High School Armed Exhibition Team and Color Guard will perform during the celebration, which will be on the north side of the building.

In addition to serving as KDOT headquarters, the Eisenhower State Office Building is home to the Kansas State Gaming Agency and the Kansas Racing & Gaming Commission.

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