Dwight Eisenhower was the first president born in Texas and the first president to hold a pilot’s license. Although best known for being Commander in Chief and for his leadership in World War II as the Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in Europe, Eisenhower learned to fly in 1935 while serving in the Philippines. He soloed there in a PT-17 Stearman. As president, he realized the value of aerospace and signed legislation to create NASA in 1958, placing America firmly in the space race.