Prologue: Pieces of History

Today’s blog post comes from Susan Donius, Director of the Office of Presidential Libraries at the National Archives.

It’s not often that several Presidents are together at one time, but on April 25, the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum will be dedicated to the American public. Although many dignitaries from around the world will attend, all eyes will likely focus on the gathering of men who have called the White House home. In addition to George W. Bush, guests of honor will include current Commander-in-Chief Barack Obama, and former Presidents William J. Clinton, George Bush, and Jimmy Carter.

The first Presidential Library and Museum was conceived and built under President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s direction from 1939 to 1940 in Hyde Park, NY. The official FDR Library dedication was a small, quiet affair, with close friends and family attending the ceremony. Over the years, the ceremonies have grown larger, and dedications have become notable for the atmosphere of nonpartisan goodwill and respect among former Presidents.

The Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum was dedicated on July 6, 1957, in Independence, MO. During Truman’s Presidency, Herbert Hoover offered his services to help with post–World War II humanitarian efforts. Despite being Presidents from opposing parties, the two forged a working relationship that eventually grew into a strong friendship. At the Truman Library dedication, Herbert Hoover delivered remarks … [ Read all ]

On Monday, January 21, President Obama will be sworn in for a second term. It will be the 57th Presidential Inauguration. Beginning at 11:30 a.m., the President’s swearing-in ceremony will be shown live in the William G. McGowan Theater at the National Archives.

If you are in Washington, DC, don’t miss this chance to see several Presidential Inaugurations! We will be screening historic footage of previous Presidential Inaugurations from our holdings. The films will highlight different Presidential Inaugurations every day, starting with FDR and ending with Clinton.  Check the schedule below to decide which historic Inauguration you want to see.

January 16, 17 & 18, at noon
William G. McGowan Theater

Screening schedule (subject to change)

January 16 at noon

First and Last Inaugurations of Franklin Delano Roosevelt (March 4, 1933, and January 20, 1945)

Inauguration of Harry S. Truman (January 20, 1949)

Inauguration of Dwight D. Eisenhower (January 20, 1955)

Inauguration of John F. Kennedy (January 20, 1961)

January 17 at noon

Inauguration of Lyndon Baines Johnson (January 20, 1965)

Inauguration of Richard M. Nixon (January 20, 1969)

Swearing-In Ceremony of Gerald R. Ford (August 9, 1974)

Inauguration of Jimmy Carter (January 20, 1977)

January 18 at noon

Inauguration of Ronald W. Reagan (January 20, 1981)

Inauguration of George H.W. Bush (January 20, 1989)

Inauguration of William J. Clinton (January 20, 1993)

On January … [ Read all ]

Our featured cat is Socks, who was photographed at the White House in December of 1993. So we asked Terri Garner, director of the Clinton Presidential Library, to be our guest judge. There was a lot of debate and discussion in Little Rock, but she emailed us a winner today.

Congratulations to Jean West! Terri chose your caption on Facebook as the winner for the special LOL cat edition. Please email us at public.affairs@nara.gov to receive your 15% discount in our eStore.

And if you would like to see more of Socks, check out the full set of photographs on Flickr from the William J. Clinton Presidential Library.

The Thursday Photo Caption Contest will return in January 2012 with more humorous images from our holdings.

Happy Holidays!… [ Read all ]