A quaint yellow house in Boone, Iowa — a community of just over 12,000 — appears relatively unassuming from the outside. But on Nov. 14, 1896, one of the most influential women of the 1950s was born inside. Mary Geneva Doud would go on to become Mamie Eisenhower, the wife of the 34th U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Mamie was born the second of four daughters to John and Elivera Doud. Her early years were spent in Cedar Rapids, where her family moved when she was 9 months old. The Douds left Iowa for Colorado in 1905.
She met her husband, recent West Point graduate Dwight “Ike” Eisenhower, in Texas in 1915. The smitten couple was married the next year.
When her husband assumed the presidency in 1953, Mamie became first lady. In this role, she embodied traditional 1950s feminine ideals with her renowned charm, hosting ability and enduring support of her husband. Her style also left its mark, with her oft-worn shade of pink being colloquially referred to as “Mamie pink.”
Despite moving in larger circles for much of her life, Doud Eisenhower never forgot her Iowa roots. She frequently returned to visit Boone, with her final visit only two years before her death in 1979.
Her birthplace is one of only two first lady birthplaces designated as National Historic Sites, along with Abigail Adams’ Massachusetts home. Mamie is also the second first lady to be born in Iowa, the first being Lou Henry Hoover, born in Waterloo in 1874.
The Mamie Doud Eisenhower House is not open for visits in the colder months, but its doors will reopen in June.
This article is from Little Village’s December 2025 Peak Iowa issue, a collection of stories drawn from Hawkeye State history, culture and legend. Browse dozens of Peak Iowa tales here.
