Get A Custom Quote
Back to all Blog posts

Rededication of the FDR Presidential Library and Museum Bronze Plaque

December 9, 2013 Plaques

Earlier this year, we were proud to help the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum in Hyde Park, NY enter a brand new era. After three years of renovations and additions, the library finally completed the work in time for its rededication on June 30th, 2013, the 72nd anniversary of the original dedication.

Impact Signs was hired to make a bronze plaque to honor the ceremony and date, which you can see here:

fdr presidential library plaque

Franklin D Roosevelt Presidential library bronze plaque at the site

Here’s the transcription:

Rededication of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum

June 30, 2013

On this date, the Roosevelt Library – part of the National Archives and Records Administration, David S. Ferriero, Archivist of the United States – celebrates the completion of the 2010-2013 renovation of the library building.

The library’s new museum exhibits were made possible by the generosity of the Roosevelt Institute, Anna Eleanor Roosevelt, Chair; the contributions of donors to the Remembering Greatness Campaign; and the leadership and vision of William J. Vanden Heuvel, Chair Emeritus.

It seems to me that the dedication of a library is in itself an act of faith.”

Franklin D. Roosevelt, Hyde Park, June 30, 1941

Why was this such a storied event? To understand, let’s take a look at the library’s history.

Building of the Library

The year is 1939. Franklin D. Roosevelt, nearing the end of his second term of his Presidency, realized his collection of historical papers, books, films, and other items were severely becoming cumbersome to keep track of. Not only that, they were historically valuable, and should be shared with the American people.

Roosevelt’s solution was to build a library on land donated by the President and his mother Sara. Here he would store and display memorabilia he collected during his terms as Senator, governor, and President, as well as items he found and bought privately.

The Library was thus well-stocked with items when it opened, with over 16,000 books, 15,000 photos, and 300 sound recordings. In total, there were about 50 million items. The collection has grown with each subsequent President. Knowing this would happen, Roosevelt sketched plans for wings to be added when the time came.

Renovations

At the dedication ceremony in 1941, Roosevelt said “…a Nation must believe in three things. It must believe in the past. It must believe in the future. It must, above all, believe in the capacity of its own people so to learn from the past that they can gain in judgment in creating their own future.” To honor this legacy, a full scale renovation began operations in 2010.

This was the first renovation done on the building, though the aforementioned wings were added in 1972 to adjust for growth. For the next three years, work was done to update the interior to not only better represent the modern era but to also increase the educational possibilities for guests.

A new exhibit walks visitors through Roosevelt’s presidency, from the early years of the Depression through the New Deal and World War 2. It’s fully interactive with and even includes touch screens to help those interested truly understand what they’re looking at.

Luckily, work was also done to restore the exterior of the building, keeping its “historic” look intact. The project is truly a tribute to the ideals Roosevelt had in mind when he came up with the idea for the Library. We’re glad Impact Signs had the opportunity to be a part of such a historic event!

FDR Library Plaque, a set on Flickr.

Written by: Shabbir Moosabhoy

Get a custom Quote