The presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower began on January 20, 1953, when Dwight D. Eisenhower was inaugurated as the 34th president of the United States, and ended on January 20, 1961. 1953 January 20 – First inauguration of Dwight D. Eisenhower January 21 – President Eisenhower meets with Herbert Brownell Jr. in the Oval Office for discussions on business. This is President Eisenhower's first appointment since taking office. George M. Humphrey is sworn in as the 55th United States Secretary of the Treasury, Douglas McKay is sworn in as the 35th United States Secretary of the Interior, Martin Patrick Durkin is sworn in as the 7th United States Secretary of Labor, Sinclair Weeks is sworn in as the 13th United States Secretary of Commerce, Ezra Taft Benson is sworn in as the 15th United States Secretary of Agriculture, and Arthur Summerfield is sworn in as the 54th Postmaster General of the United States during a ceremony at the White House in the evening. January 22 – President Eisenhower appoints Charles Erwin Wilson as the 5th United States Secretary of Defense during the evening. Wilson agrees beforehand to abandon his General Motors stock that was worth 2 and a half million. Agriculture Secretary Benson pledges to overhaul and cut expenses of the Agriculture Department and regroups the twenty agencies into four. January 27 – Committees vote for President Eisenhower to reorganize the government and for Congress to have an easier time vetoing reorganization moves. January 27 – The Senate confirms Harold Stassen for Director of the Mutual Security Agency. January 27 – Secretary of State Dulles predicts the Soviet Union regime would collapse from human rights violations during an evening address in Washington. April 16 – Chance for Peace speech May 4 - President Eisenhower meets with governors of U.S. states and territories along with other federal officials behind closed doors at the State Department for what is called by Eisenhower a discussion on the peace and security of the United States. May 4 - Secretary of State Dulles warns that other countries will be pushed toward trade with Communist regions in the event of U.S. tariff barriers against imports being tightened and advocated for the bill by Representative Richard M. Simpson intended to bolster tariff protection for American industries in a countering of competition from less costly foreign goods. May 4 - The United States nominates Pakistan as the neutral