Former President Dwight D. Eisenhower was a more effective leader than most contemporary observers believed, Ernest R. May, professor of History, said this week, concurring with participants at a recent, highly publicized conference on the late president.

Eisenhower's tendency to delegate authority, perceived by the public as a sign of weakness, was actually an indication of his ability to maintain control over his administration, May said.

"In his close circles, he was a tough manager and people were afraid of him," May added.

Eisenhower was also more shrewd in dealing with the media than most contemporary critics realized, May said, adding, "His was a deliberate and clear style. We know now he was one of the few presidents who wrote their own speeches."

Members of the Eisenhower administration and other experts on the late president met last week in Seneca Falls, N.Y., for a three-day conference on Eisenhower's changing image.

Release of Eisenhower's private papers since his death and comparisons of his administration with his successors' have led recently to reevaluation of his presidency, Robert A. Divine, a professor at the University of Texas, who attended the conference, said this week.