F R A N K L I N   D E L A N O   R O O S E V E L T   M E M O R I A L

Washington, D.C.

Wednesday, October 27, 2004

Memorial: #7

Dedicated: May 2, 1997

Design Architect: Lawrence Halprin

Highlights: 7.5 acres of space, 4,000 granite blocks, a multitude of inspirational sculptures, a myriad of famous quotes, chronicles the life and times of the FDR as America's only four-term President.

Lowlights: Existing controversy between the builders of the memorial and certain handicap advocacy groups surrounding the memorial's attempt to reconcile the history of FDR hiding his disability from public view.

Location: West Potomac Park, Washington, D.C, west of the Tidal Basin.

Hours: Open daily, 8am to midnight, closed December 25.

Admission: Free!

Link: Official Website

Rating:

(5 max)

At the entrance to the memorial I immediately encounter a bronze statue of FDR sitting in a wheelchair. This exhibit, called the Prologue, was added a little more than 3 years after the memorial was dedicated. Its addition attempted to calm the critics who felt the memorial didn't do enough to raise awareness of FDR's prevailing handicapped condition. In other words, FDR wasn't portrayed as a champion for the handicapped.

The long inscription mounted on the stone wall behind the FDR statue, a quote from First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, is impossible to read from the pictures because it's just too darn long. It reads: "Franklin's illness gave him strength and courage he had not had before. He had to think out the fundamentals of living and learn the greatest of all lessons -- infinite patience and never-ending persistence."