History of Long Branch Farm & Trails

Dwight Eisenhower and Neil McElroy

McElroy's Long Branch Farm

A strong belief in the importance of education characterized Neil McElroy's life. The son of school teachers, he grew up in a Cincinnati suburb. After earning a degree in economics from Harvard in 1925, McElroy accepted a job in the Procter & Gamble mail room. In 1948, at the age of 48, McElroy became the president of Procter & Gamble. He was elected Chairman of the Board in 1959. McElroy served on the boards of numerous local and national organizations, many of which promoted and supported education. In 1954, at the request of President Dwight Eisenhower, he chaired an 18-month White House Conference on Education. From 1957-59, McElroy served as Eisenhower's Secretary of Defense.

After moving back to Cincinnati, the McElroy's bought Long Branch Farm in Goshen Township, Clermont County. When the McElroys donated their farm in 1972, it was their wish that it be maintained as a working farm "in connection with educational activities" and be "kept intact in order to preserve wooded areas, flowers and its natural beauty."