Today, August 4th, the First-Day-of-Issue dedication ceremonies take place at all of the nation’s 12 Presidential Libraries and Museums. This release date coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Presidential Libraries Act of 1955.
In 1939 President Franklin D. Roosevelt donated his personal and Presidential papers to the Federal government. Later in 1955 Congress formalized an arrangement that FDR made for his library in ’39. Presidential Libraries would be built with private funds, but the National Archives would be responsible for operations and maintenance of their holdings.
Since that time only President Nixon has been denied an official library, though that was overturned in 2004 by the efforts of the Nixon family, Congress, and President Bush. Today, fifty years after Congress’ arrangement, there are 12 Presidential Libraries containing materials from Hoover, Roosevelt, Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush, and Clinton administrations.
Each library is a working archive and each also has a museum offering public programs. The location of each library is in the home state of that particular President. Although, it is to be noted that Roosevelt established his in Hyde Park, New York. You could say that FDR had “first dibs”, since he started the ball rolling.
Presidential Libraries with dates established and location are:
· Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum; West branch, Iowa
· Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum; Hyde Park, New York
· Harry S. Truman Library & Museum; Independence, MO
· Dwight D. Eisenhower Library & Museum; Abilene, KS
· John F. Kennedy Library & Museum; Boston, Massachusetts
· Lyndon Baines Johnson Library & Museum; Austin, TX
· Richard Nixon Library & Birthplace; Yorba Linda, CA
· Gerald R. Ford Library & Museum; Ann Arbor, MI 48109
· Jimmy Carter Library & Museum; Atlanta, Georgia 30307-1498
· Ronald W. Reagan Library & Museum; Simi Valley, CA 93065
· George Bush Presidential Library & Museum; College Station, Texas 77845
· William J. Clinton Presidential Library & Museum; Little Rock, Arkansas 72201
