Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, Washington, DC

Franklin Delano Roosevelt: National Memorial Controversy

Kiera Brennan
ENG180
Composition II
10 December 2016

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National memorials are meant to symbolize and remember an important event or person
in history. Significant presidents of history typically end up being memorialized. Being
memorialized in Washington D.C. is historical and will ensure people will remember previous
presidents legacies. One of the most memorable and discussed presidents of American history is
the 32nd president, Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Roosevelt came into office during the post Great
Depression era. He continuously attempted to make New Deal Programs that would eventually
help the economy. He was the only president to ever serve four terms in office. But, at the same
time, people today still argue if he was either one of the worst or best presidents this country has
ever had. Previous presidencies have not been able to stir up debate and conversation the way
FDRs presidency still does. Franklin D. Roosevelt is one of the most memorable Presidents in
history for his infinite devotion to fix the country in a time of crisis, which earned him such a
detailed, significant memorial after all that he accomplished in his four terms. But, at the same
time, he did some unadmirable actions during his presidency that were somehow failed to be
mentioned in his picture perfect memorial.

Franklin D. Roosevelt did not want an extravagant national monument in Washington

D.C. According to John G. Parsons, FDR stated, If any memorial is to be erected to me, I
should like it to consist of a block about the size of this [putting his hand on his desk] and placed
in the center of that green plot in from of the Archives building. I dont care what it is made of,
whether it is limestone or granite of what-not, but I want it plain without any ornamentation, with
simple carving In memory of (pp. 146). However, creating this extravagant memorial was a

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long, detailed process. Several competitions took place to choose a designer with the winning
design for the memorial. This design then had to be approved by the Commission of Fine Arts
and Congress before it could be built. The Commission of Fine Arts wanted an extraordinary,
modern design, which was controversial because both FDR and his family did not want that for
him. The first model caused debate because the popular press criticized the design for its
obnoxiously large size. The design quality caused controversy amongst critics. Critics said there
was too much going on at once in the memorial, therefore it was over stimulating, making it hard
to get clear points across. They decided to choose another entirely new designer with different
ideas. The next designer was architect Marcel Breuer. According to Isabelle Hyman, Marcel
Breuer, already having participated in a successful partnership of government and architecture,
seemed an excellent choice (pp. 447). Breuer, however, was quickly rejected after new
members joined the Commission of Fine Arts. Even architects with plenty of experience had a
difficult time being approved to help create this monument. The Commission of Fine Arts finally
approved of Lawrence Halprin being the final architect and designer or the monument. Congress
also had to approve of every detail of the memorial to ensure was appropriate for what it is
representing, especially because it would be in Washington D.C. So, both Congress and
Roosevelts family naturally did not approve of the suggestion of a modern memorial for the
design because they didnt believe modernism belonged in the nations capital.
Franklin D. Roosevelts daughter was against building a memorial for him so close to his
death because he wouldnt be considered a historical figure yet. According to Isabelle Hyman,
Within the Roosevelt family there was a difference of opinion, not only about this design for a
monument but about an FDR monument in general (pp. 446). The Roosevelt family wanted to
wait until he wasnt considered a recently former president and for when people wouldnt feel as
strongly opinionated on his presidency. So, his family did not agree with the timing or the design
of the monument. The memorial caused controversy between the late presidents family and
Congress because they had different opinions on how to represent his presidency.
People are still arguing if FDR was a remarkable or terrible president. Franklin D.
Roosevelt did not have the most morally upright presidency. For example, FDR issued Japanese
internment camps in 1942, forcing anyone with Japanese ancestry to be incarcerated in camps.

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This happened after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, and people were fearful that Japanese
spies were invading the country. But, over half of the people imprisoned were already U.S.
citizens. This was a very controversial decision for FDR to make, especially when this happened
at the same time as the Holocaust. FDR also opposed helping to end the Holocaust or to take
Jewish refugees into the country. Roosevelt was also accused by both parties of being a fascist
for his economic policies. FDR was often accused of being racist. For example, he appointed a
member of The Ku Klux Klan into the Supreme Court. Another example is refusing to make
lynching considered a federal crime because he was too worried that southern senators will not
allow him to pass any future bills if he were to do that. Overall, many people from both the left
and the right had major issues with FDRs presidency. People will argue that Roosevelt did not
deserve the memorial he received, or any memorial at all. Franklin D. Roosevelts presidency
was extremely controversial. Turning a blind eye on a president who has had many controversial
moments in office should not have a picture perfect monument because it will not feel
historically accurate. Therefore, memorializing him in such a flawless way is also going to cause
controversy.

Franklin D. Roosevelt used a wheelchair during his presidency due to having polio
starting at the age of thirty nine years old. However, the public had no idea that he was disabled.
He had to hide his wheelchair whenever he was in the public eye. During the time of his
presidency, disabilities were not openly talked about or well understood. Being open about
having disabilities was a foreign concept. So, Roosevelt had to avoid people finding out that he
used a wheelchair because it was feared that he would come off as dependent, weak, and unfit to
run the country. Since no one was aware of Roosevelts wheelchair, the memorial put in a

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sculpture of him sitting down in a really big coat that looks like its covering what could be a
wheelchair. This caused controversy because not everyone agreed with this decision. According
to C. Todd Stephenson, some people agreed with the decision because they argued, FDR should
be memorialized in the manner that he was primarily perceived by the public during his lifetime
(pp. 300). They wanted to keep the image of his presidency, and not show the parts that people
werent aware of. They also thought this would turn Roosevelt into a poster child for
disability, and take away from the main points of the monument. Other people argued that its
crucial to show his wheelchair in the monument. They state that this was clearly an important
aspect of him that needs to be historically recognized in order to move away from the bad
connotations connected to the word disabled. Disability activists are not asking for it to be a
main aspect of the memorial, but it should still be portrayed in some regards. According to Kim
E. Nielsen, the wheelchair is a reminder of Roosevelts embodiment, that he was a real person
who lived with the complications that being a real person involves (pp.25-26). Monuments
should show all details of what it is representing, not just what the public was aware of at the
time. This idea goes back to the debate of if the monument should portray the negative actions
FDR did when he was in office. Showing that the memorials causing so much controversy over
the representation of disability proves that the nation still has a poor understanding of how
people with disabilities live and function. The debate of acknowledging Roosevelts wheelchair
in his memorial shows how people were strongly opinionated on both the memorial and how to
respect his presidency is a historical matter.
One would not typically assume that memorials are so heavily debated on. It is
understandable that it would cause controversy when the idea of a presidential memorial is being
developed, but it is interesting to see how a monument can continue to cause such discussion
even years after it was built. There were many parts of FDRs presidency that were not added
into the monument. Franklin Delano Roosevelt had a very significant presidency. He was the
only president to ever serve four terms. Just within the first few months of his presidency, he had
passed several reform programs in order to help improve the crippling economy after the Great
Depression era. FDR was also the only president to enter office with a physical disability. It is
evident that he holds a significant presidency in american history, and it should get a form of

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recognition. However, FDR himself stated that the most he wanted nothing more dedicated to
him than a plain block of stone the size of his desk. His family that was alive when the memorial
was being discussed knew that the designs being proposed were way more than what FDR would
have been comfortable with. His daughter claimed that they began developing a monument in
her fathers honor way to early, and that it should have waited until his became a more historical
figure. This memorial has brought up several different controversial arguments such as how it
should be designed, and what aspects of FDRs presidency should be memorialized.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt is unarguably one of the most memorable presidents of
American history. People to this day have strong opinions on how he served in office. He was
the first and last president to ever serve four terms because there is now a set two-term limit set.
He was the only president with a physical disability and to use a wheelchair, but the public was
unaware of this part of his life. However, there were negative parts of his presidency as well. the
absence of portraying these flaws speaks lengths about how we use monuments to portray false
images and remember history the way we want to, rather than acknowledge the bad parts. We
can not being biased or fake while creating monuments, especially for historical figures as
significant as a president in Washington D.C. Franklin D. Roosevelts presidential monument
should show both good and bad aspects of what his presidency represented. Although he was not
nearly as perfect as he is historically portrayed to be, it is important to memorialize him.
Memorializing him sparks discussion and debate over his presidency. His presidency was
undoubtedly memorable, and should not be forgotten, regardless of what ones opinions on his
work in office may be. People should continue to reflect on what he did in office and form an
opinion on if he should be labeled as a good or bad president. Many people do not know enough
about why he is so historically significant, or are even aware of the fact that he used a
wheelchair. This alone shows he is not acknowledged enough or discussed enough in depth. A
presidency as controversial as Franklin D. Roosevelts needs to be remembered for the future of
the nation. Therefore, people can reflect on his decisions, both good and bad, and see how this
affects the nation today.

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Works Cited

Hyman, Isabelle. "Marcel Breuer and the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial."Journal of the
Society of Architectural Historians 54.4, 1995, pp. 446-58.
Nielsen, Kim E. Memorializing FDR. OAH Magazine of History, vol. 27, no. 1, Jan. 2013, pp.
2326. doi:10.1093/oahmag/oas049.

Parsons, John G. The Public Struggle to Erect the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial.
Landscape Journal, vol. 31, no. 1-2, Jan. 2012, pp. 145159.

Rainey, Reuben M. The Choreography of Memory: Lawrence Halprin's Franklin Delano

Roosevelt Memorial. The University of Wisconsin Press, 2012, pp. 161-81.
Stephenson, C. Todd. Depicting Disability: The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial in
Washington D.C. Depicting Disability: The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial in
Washington D.C., vol. 60, no. 5, Sept. 1996, p. 299.