The Effectiveness of Eisenhower's First Term: 1953-1956 On my honor, I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid on this work. Presidents are judged by a number of factors for their overall effectiveness. In 1953, Dwight D. Eisenhower took public office for the first time. During his first term as President he was confronted with many different situations that taxed his leadership abilities. During the nineteen fifties, America was in a period of enormous change. The United States had just ended World War II, and the conflict in Korea had reached a st