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Finally, the conferees agreed on the general profile of their nominee: he must be young, liberal, forceful, and from either the East or West Coast—with West preferred. Only one man filled the outlines. Brownell picked up the telephone and talked to Ike, across the street. Candidate Eisenhower approved the conferees' choice. That evening Dick Nixon was formally nominated by acclamation.
* The abrasive name of Dirksen, who had insulted Tom Dewey in a convention speech, was brought up under a curious circumstance but never seriously considered. Shortly after the meeting began, Senator Frank Carlson got a message that Robert Taft would like to talk to him. Carlson left the conference, and Taft told him that, although he had no right to ask it, he had promised immediately prior to the convention that Dirksen's name would be considered for the vice-presidency. Would Carlson, as a favor, nominate Dirksen so that Taft could honor his promise? Carlson would and did.