Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial
| Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial (proposed) | |
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IUCN Category V (Protected Landscape/Seascape)
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| Location | District of Columbia, USA |
| Nearest city | Washington, D.C. |
| Coordinates | 38°53′14″N 77°1′10″W / 38.88722°N 77.01944°WCoordinates: 38°53′14″N 77°1′10″W / 38.88722°N 77.01944°W |
| Established | pending |
| Governing body | Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission |
The Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial is a proposed United States presidential memorial to be constructed for Dwight D. Eisenhower the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Europe during World War II and the 34th President of the United States.
The National Eisenhower Memorial will reflect his unique contributions to America as patriot and hero, lifelong public servant, outstanding military officer, and beloved president. The world regards him as a hero for his brilliant generalship in World War II. His achievements in establishing the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and implementing the National Interstate Highway System are well-known. His fierce integrity, warm smile, and unselfish service to the country and the world made him one of the most popular public figures of all time. But a complete assessment of Eisenhower’s legacy reveals that it is more comprehensive than these preliminary distinctions.
In the field of international relations, Eisenhower’s presidency was one of the most successful in protecting America’s national security and preventing nuclear war during the difficult years of the Cold War. Domestically, he was an incredibly effective president whose appreciation of the roles of Congress and the Supreme Court earned him respect from both political parties. The National Eisenhower Memorial will honor the many achievements and contributions of the president and general, but beyond that, it will inspire remembrance of the qualities that made him an exceptional leader, hero, and American icon.
On October 25, 1999, the United States Congress created the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission under Public Law 106-79. The law states that “… an appropriate permanent memorial to Dwight D. Eisenhower should be created to perpetuate his memory and his contributions to the United States.” No president who has lived this far west has been nationally memorialized in Washington, D.C.
The Commission
The commission consists of 12 appointed commissioners.
Four members appointed by the President of the United States:
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- Alfred Geduldig (New York, NY)
- Susan Banes Harris (Potomac, MD)
- Rocco C. Siciliano (Beverly Hills, CA) - Chairman
- One Appointment Pending
Four members appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the United States Senate:
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- Daniel K. Inouye (D/Hawaii) – Vice Chairman
- Jerry Moran (R/Kansas)
- Jack Reed (D/Rhode Island)
- Pat Roberts (R/Kansas)
Four members appointed by the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives:
Chairman Rocco Siciliano is a World War II combat-decorated infantry veteran who served as Special Assistant to President Eisenhower for Personnel Management. Vice Chairman Senator Inouye is a World War II Medal of Honor recipient for valor, and has continuously represented Hawaii in the United States Congress since President Eisenhower signed its statehood into law in 1959.
The Commission employs a small, dedicated staff led by Executive Director Carl W. Reddel, Brig. Gen., USAF (Ret.). In 2005, Executive Architect Daniel J. Feil, FAIA, joined the Commission to oversee development of the physical memorial. They are supported by full-time staff members, as well as part-time and ad hoc staff members, consultants and interns. The staff works closely with the U.S. National Park Service and the U.S. General Services Administration.
Site Selection
Public Law 107-117 (January 10, 2002) authorized the commission to establish the memorial on lands under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of the Interior. Once established the Eisenhower Memorial will fall under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service. The Eisenhower Memorial will be only the seventh national presidential memorial in U.S. history.[1]
A total of 26 sites were identified to the Eisenhower Memorial Commission (EMC) and reviewed during its three-year site selection process. The criteria for choosing a site for the memorial include:
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- 1) Prominence, public access, and availability.
- 2) Thematic appropriateness to Eisenhower’s memory.
- 3) Feasibility of use and avoidance of undue controversy.
The Commission selected a preferred site, Eisenhower Square, at the base of Capitol Hill, across Independence Avenue from the National Air and Space Museum and north of the United States Department of Education. Eisenhower Square is surrounded by institutions connected to Eisenhower’s legacy including the United States Department of Education, the United States Department of Health and Human Services, the Federal Aviation Administration, Voice of America, and the National Air and Space Museum.
On November 8, 2005, the National Capital Memorial Advisory Commission approved the Eisenhower Memorial Commission's request that the Eisenhower Memorial be located across the street from the National Air and Space Museum just a few blocks from the United States Capitol.
Design Competition
The Eisenhower Memorial Commission (EMC) contracts for professional architectural and engineering design services through the General Services Administration (GSA). Their nationally recognized Design Excellence Program procurement process was used to select the designer for the Eisenhower Memorial. Over the years, GSA developed and elaborated procedures to ensure fairness and transparency in competitively selecting the best vendors and resources for cost-effective use of the taxpayers’ money in federal design and construction projects. Objectivity and impartiality are hallmarks for the overall process and the specific procedures.
The memorial designer selection process had three stages. In Stage I, forty-four submittals were evaluated and reduced to an initial short list of seven designers. In Stage II, a final short list of four designers and the related teams were selected. Stage III resulted in the selection of the architect to design the presidential memorial.
- Commencement of Design Search: August 15, 2008
- Stage I: October 14-15, 2008
- Stage II: December 10, 2008
- Stage III: Selection of Memorial Designer: March 25, 2009
On March 31, 2009, celebrity architect Frank Gehry was announced as the lead designer of the Eisenhower Memorial after a closed competition that solicited 44 entries.[2]
Design Development
On March 25, 2010, the Eisenhower Memorial Commission unanimously selected the preferred design concept created by Frank O. Gehry and the Commission and design team completed its first round of meetings with federal review agencies.
Maryland Avenue currently runs through the site with a vista that focuses on the U.S. Capitol Building. From the site, visitors experience a dramatic view of the American seat of government. As an original street from the 1792 Pierre L'Enfant Plan for Washington, D.C., the views along the avenue require special consideration. The Memorial design reinforces this historic view corridor and enhances the presence of the Capitol views from and to the site.
The setting for the memorial will be framed by transparent woven metal tapestries. Harkening back to ancient memorial tapestries, this modern interpretation will be made of woven metal and supported by 80-foot-tall columns. The images on the tapestry depict the plains of the American Midwest. Elements of Eisenhower’s home in Abilene, Kansas are included. This imagery represents not only Eisenhower’s humble beginnings, but also speaks to the values he carried with him throughout his life. As Eisenhower did, the tapestry brings a bit of the heartland to our nation’s capital. The story of Eisenhower runs as a parallel to the story of America in that time -— a young, isolated country making a rapid ascension on the world stage. Eisenhower, like America, rose to the occasion with courage and integrity.
Two 10 x 15 ft. tapestry mock-ups hung outside the U.S. Department of Education (DoEd) Building in late August/early September received very high praise.
Gehry’s tapestry design received unanimous approval from United States Commission of Fine Arts [CFA] on September 15, 2011, including affirmation that the scale and artistry are appropriate. The Department of Education originally questioned the tapestries. However, following revisions and meetings including the review of tapestry mock-ups, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan wrote that the U.S. Department of Education is “…supportive of the memorial design as it now stands”. The National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) also expressed support for the design. And the Architect of the Capitol has endorsed Gehry’s design revision, and “applauds the decision, courage, and commitment of time” that the design team has given to the Section 106 Consultation Meeting process, noting that there are no negative impacts on the view and vista of the U.S. Capitol.
The Commission's preferred design concept approved in March 2010, which included Commissioner David Eisenhower's approval (Dwight Eisenhower's grandson), represents Eisenhower as President and General through heroic-sized stone bas reliefs and expansive use of text, similar to the Lincoln Memorial. Although final images are still under consideration, the leading alternative image representing the General is General Eisenhower with 101st Airborne troops prior to the D-Day invasion in June 1944. The leading alternative image representing the President is by photographer Yousuf Karsh, titled "“The Elder Statesman”" (1966), featuring President Eisenhower at his Gettysburg farm.
The planned statue of President Eisenhower depicts him a life-size barefoot boy seated on a plank. The statue is being advised by Charles Ray, the avant-garde sculptor known for such works as Oh! Charley, Charley, Charley... and Family Romance.
The Commission seeks preliminary design approval from NCPC in early 2012. The design phase will conclude with the preparation of construction documents, which will be put out for public bidding in mid-2012. The Commission will proceed with groundbreaking in Fall of 2012.
E-Memorial
The National Eisenhower Memorial will be the first national presidential memorial of the 21st Century and the first to incorporate an electronic companion memorial. The Commission has selected New York City-based, award-winning media design firm Local Projects to design the E-Memorial. The E-Memorial will serve as a fully integrated, interactive tool to bring Eisenhower’s dynamic and diverse legacy to both visitors and non-visitors alike. Through dramatic storytelling, nuanced interactivity, ties to contemporary figures, and social learning experiences, the E-Memorial will engage visitors of all ages in the Eisenhower story, demonstrating why his memory and legacy require a memorial.
The E-Memorial consists of an on-site component and an off-site (website) component. The on-site E-Memorial uses wireless technology and personal mobile devices to provide interactive enhancement for the physical memorial and the electronic interpretation of the memorial’s themes. A downloadable mobile device application will enable visitors to view historical footage, speeches, and events in the context of the physical memorial through augmented reality. The off-site component is web-based and provides further information on and interpretation of Eisenhower’s legacy, including links to the six legacy organizations and information about their programs. Both components are flexible enough to be updated as the Eisenhower legacy continues to be interpreted.
The E-Memorial provides an innovative and technologically advanced way for a contemporary audience to understand a memorial dedicated to a president whose legacy will reach far into the future. As the population continues to change, an E-Memorial provides a necessary electronic context to a man who should remain in the public consciousness. Components such as the Virtual Memorial and 5-Star Games for children will entice visitors keyed into technology, while the Legacy Story Benches and park ranger commentary will include those who do not have smart phones or tablets. Combined with the website, this array of interpretive devices will provide context and explain why Dwight D. Eisenhower’s legacy deserves such a brilliant physical and electronic memorial.
The E-Memorial will be completed and dedicated with the physical memorial on Memorial Day 2015.
Funding
As with previous Presidential memorials, the Eisenhower Memorial Commission received federal funding to begin the construction in 2012.
The Eisenhower Memorial Commission is working with fundraising firms Odell, Simms, and Lynch (OSL) and The Webster Group to engage with the public to obtain donations for memorial construction.
The Commission plans to open the Memorial on Memorial Day, May 25, 2015, the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II.
Recent News
In response to public criticism of Frank Gehry's concept, the National Civic Art Society, of Washington, D.C., launched a counterproposal competition in the spring of 2011.[3]
In December 2011, David Eisenhower resigned from the Eisenhower Memorial Commission.[4] As the family's representative, Commissioner Eisenhower voted three times in favor of the preferred design concept, including most recently at the July 2011 Commission meeting [5].
In January 2012, the National Civic Art Society launched a website called "The Truth About the Eisenhower Memorial," where it published a book-length report critical of the planning and design of the memorial.[6]
[edit] References
- ^ "Eisenhower National Memorial Homepage". Eisenhower Memorial Commission. 2010-03-25. http://www.eisenhowermemorial.org. Retrieved 2010-04-12.
- ^ "Frank Gehry Selected to Design Eisenhower National Memorial". Eisenhower Memorial Commission. 2009-03-31. http://www.eisenhowermemorial.org/20090331PressRelease.htm. Retrieved 2009-04-06.
- ^ "Honoring Ike — and adding appropriately to the nation’s capital". New Urban News Network. 2011-03-10. http://newurbannetwork.com/article/honoring-ike-%E2%80%94-and-adding-appropriately-nation%E2%80%99s-capital-14282. Retrieved 2011-03-11.
- ^ "Eisenhower’s granddaughters critical of Gehry’s memorial design". The Washington Post. 2011-12-16. http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/eisenhowers-granddaughters-critical-of-gehrys-memorial-design/2011/12/13/gIQAPhSayO_story.html. Retrieved 2011-01-24.
- ^ "Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission Meeting Minutes July 12, 2011". 2011-07-12. http://www.eisenhowermemorial.org/userfiles/file/110718_EMC%20Draft%20Minutes%20July%202011_Draft%207_110728.pdf. Retrieved 2012-01-27.
- ^ [http://dailycaller.com/2012/01/24/eisenhower-family-objects-to-expensive-garish-dc-monument/ "January 24, 2012 Eisenhower family objects to expensive, garish DC monument"]. Daily Caller. 2012-01-24. http://dailycaller.com/2012/01/24/eisenhower-family-objects-to-expensive-garish-dc-monument/. Retrieved 2012-01-24.
[edit] External links
- Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission
- Public Law 106-79
- Public Law 107-117
- The Truth About the Eisenhower Memorial
