Jes Wilhelm Schlaikjer

The son of German immigrants, Jes Schlaikjer served in the Signal Corps during World War I. He later studied art in France and at the Chicago Art Institute. During the 1920s and 1930s his illustrations appeared in national magazines. He also taught at the National Academy of Design. In 1942, Schlaikjer was appointed as the War Department’s official artist. In his studio at the Pentagon he created poster art for the armed services, the Red Cross, and the Treasury Department. He also painted portraits of Dwight Eisenhower, Douglas MacArthur, and other military leaders.