United States Presidential Libraries & Museums
Documents of U.S. Presidents Preserved by Presidential Records Act
Nov 13, 2009
The first Presidential Library was created by Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1941, just a few years after the National Archives was established. Roosevelt’s Library at Hyde Park , New York set the standard for what was to become the model for future Presidential Libraries under the Presidential Libraries Act.
In 1955, Congress passed the Presidential Libraries Act to house presidential records by establishing libraries, created from private funds, that will be donated and maintained by the federal government. This act did not require presidents to do this, but encouraged donation of official records of former and future presidents for preservation and for access by the citizens of the United States.
Where are the Presidential Libraries & Museums
Presidential Libraries and Museums are usually located in a city in the home state of the president. Exceptions to this are President Nixon's two library locations, in Maryland and in California; and President Ford’s Museum and Library located in two different cities in Michigan.
The following list of Presidential Libraries and Museums is in chronological order by the president’s term in office:
- Herbert Hoover Library & Museum (1929-1933), 210 Parkside Drive, P.O. Box 488, West Branch, IA 52358-0488
- Franklin D. Roosevelt Library & Museum (1933-1945), 4079 Albany Post Road, Hyde Park, NY 12538
- Harry S. Truman Library & Museum (1945-1953), 500 West U.S. Highway 24, Independence, MO, 64050-1798
- Dwight D. Eisenhower Library & Museum (1953-1961), 200 SE 4th Street, Abilene, KS 67410-2900
- John F. Kennedy Library & Museum (1961-1963), Columbia Point, Boston, MA 02125
- Lyndon B. Johnson Library & Museum (1963-1969), 2313 Red River Street, Austin, TX 78705-5702
- Richard Nixon Library (1969-1974), 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD 20740-6001
- Richard Nixon Library (1969-1974), 18001 Yorba Linda Boulevard, Yorba Linda, CA 92886
- Gerald R. Ford Library (1974-1977), 1000 Beal Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2114
- Gerald R. Ford Museum (1974-1977), 303 Pearl Street, NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504-5353
- Jimmy Carter Library & Museum (1977-1981), 441 Freedom Parkway, Atlanta, GA 30307-1498
- Ronald Reagan Library & Museum (1981-1989), 40 Presidential Drive, Simi Valley, CA 93065-0600
- George H. W. Bush Library & Museum (1989-1993), 1000 George Bush Drive, West College Station, TX 77845
- William J. Clinton Library & Museum (1993-2001), 1200 President Clinton Avenue, Little Rock, Arkansas 72201
- George W. Bush Library & Museum (2001-2009), 1725 Lakepointe Drive, Lewisville, TX 75057
Who Controls the Presidential Records
The Presidential Records Act of 1978, which became effective in 1981, gives the ownership of the official records of the president and his staff to the United States government rather than the individual president. Until this time, the records were considered the president’s personal property.
Under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), the official presidential records are available for public access five years after a president leaves office, although the president can restrict access to specific documents for up to 12 years.
At the end of a president’s time in office, the National Archivist secures the official presidential records and places them in a federal depository until they become available through the FOIA. The Presidential Records Act of 1978 does allow the review of these classified presidential records by former and incumbent presidents prior to their declassification.
When will President George W. Bush’s Records be Available
A 2001 revision by Executive Order of President George W. Bush, allows a former president to use executive privilege to keep presidential records classified. The records of George W. Bush should be available for public access under the Freedom of Information Act on January 20, 2014, unless he asserts the executive privilege to keep records classified longer.
New legislation, the Presidential Records Act Amendments of 2009, introduced and passed in the House of Representatives in January 2009, could amend the existing Presidential Records Act of 1978, and the 2001 Executive Order of President Bush to assert executive privilege to keep records classified.
Although the Presidential Libraries and Museums are created by the individual presidents after leaving office and are funded through private sources, they become the property of the United States government for historical preservation and public access. The former presidents' records are overseen by the Office of Presidential Libraries at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) located in College Park, Maryland.
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