Which president was a five-star general before his presidency?

• A. Dwight D. Eisenhower
• B. George Washington
• C. Ulysses S. Grant
• D. Douglas MacArthur

Answer: (A)

The highest U.S. Army rank, a five-star General of the Army, was created during World War II to recognize top wartime leaders. Dwight D. Eisenhower earned this rank while serving as Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, and he held it before entering the presidency in 1953. That combination—holding a five-star rank prior to becoming president—fits him uniquely among the names listed. George Washington led troops before there was any five-star rank, so he never held it. Ulysses S. Grant was a pivotal Civil War general and later president, but the five-star designation did not exist in his era. Douglas MacArthur did achieve five-star status, but he did not become president.