FDR with his dog Fala, by sculptor Neil Estern

Located along the famous Cherry Tree Walk on the Tidal Basin near the National Mall, the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial is a memorial not only to President of the United States Franklin Delano Roosevelt, but also to the era he represents. The monument traces twelve years of the History of the United States through a sequence of four outdoor rooms, each one devoted to one of FDR's terms of office. Sculptures inspired by photographs depict the 32nd President. Some examples include a 10-foot statue showing him in a wheeled chair and a bas-relief depicting him riding in a car during his first inaugural. At the very beginning of the memorial is a statue with FDR seated in a wheelchair much like the one he actually used. Other sculptures depict scenes from the Great Depression, such as listening to a Fireside Chat on the radio and waiting in a bread line.

In his 1941 State of the Union Address, as the nation contemplated the increasingly more inevitable prospect of being drawn into the war, President Roosevelt spelled out "Four Freedoms" as a reminder of what America must stand for. From the days of his first Presidential campaign during the depths of the Great Depression, Roosevelt spoke directly to the people. "I pledge you, I pledge myself," he said in his 1932 acceptance speech, "to a new deal for the American people." Four years later, he proclaimed that "this generation of Americans has a rendezvous with destiny." Throughout his Presidency, 1933 - 1945, he addressed America by radio in what came to be known as fireside chats. Each idea, each phrase was underscored by courage and optimism that inspired no less in the people he served.

More than 50 years after Roosevelt's death, his own words call out from the walls of his memorial as if he were somehow present. Those of us who know FDR only as an historical figure will recognize these words by their association with great and catastrophic events. For the many Americans who lived through the Roosevelt years, the words recall personal struggles and triumphs during 12 years that seemed like a lifetime.

The memorial was designed by Lawrence Halprin, and includes sculptures and works by Leonard Baskin , Neil Estern , Robert Graham, Thomas Hardy , and George Segal

Original Memorial

The new memorial on the Tidal Basin was almost 50 years in the making. When plans for the memorial stalled in the 1960's, a simple memorial was placed according to Roosevelt's expressed wishes:

[P]laced in the center of that green plot [in front of the National Archives in Washington D.C. should be] ... a block about the size of this (putting his hand on his desk). I don't care what it is made of, whether limestone or granite or what not, but I want it to be plain, without any ornamentation, with the simple carving "In memory of...."

Indeed, this simple memorial still rests at the North West corner of the National Archives grounds on Pennsylvania Ave.

See also

Roosevelt Island, New York City, planned site of an another, as-yet unbuilt, memorial.

External links

• Article from the National Park Service

• The President's Two Bodies