Presidential library system
Although recognized as having historical significance, before the mid-20th century presidential papers and effects were generally understood to be the private property of the president.
Franklin D. Roosevelt (32nd president, 1933–1945) proposed to leave his papers to the public in a building donated by him on his Hyde Park, New York, estate.
When a president leaves office, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) establishes a presidential materials project to house and index the documents until a they are required by law to make them available to the public, either in a library building or digitally.
In January 2004, Congress passed legislation that provided for the establishment of a federally operated Richard Nixon Presidential Library in Yorba Linda, California.
[4] On October 16, 2006, Dr. Timothy Naftali began his tenure as the first federal director of the Richard Nixon Library and Birthplace, and in the winter of 2006 NARA began to transfer the 30,000 presidential gifts from the Nixon Presidential Materials Staff in College Park, Maryland, to the Yorba Linda facility.
[9] On April 30, 2013, both chambers of the North Dakota Legislative Assembly passed a bill appropriating $12 million to Dickinson State University to award a grant to the Theodore Roosevelt Center for construction of a building to be named the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library.
The culmination of the work, was scheduled to be completed by the spring of 2020, to coincide with the 100th anniversary of Harding's election to the presidency.
At the same time, Roosevelt pledged part of his estate at Hyde Park, New York, to the United States, and friends of the president formed a non-profit corporation to raise funds for the construction of the library and museum building.
Roosevelt's decision stemmed from his belief that presidential papers were an important part of the national heritage and should be accessible to the public.
[19] In 1950, Harry S. Truman decided that he, too, would build a library to house his presidential papers and helped to galvanize congressional action.
The Act encouraged other presidents to donate their historical materials to the government and ensured the preservation of presidential papers and their availability to the people of the United States.
Generally, once completed the private organization turned over the libraries to the National Archives and Records Administration to operate and maintain.
The library and museum founded for Richard Nixon remained privately owned and managed for many years, but his heirs ultimately reached an agreement for it to become a NARA facility.
According to NARA, not only are the digital nature of modern records changing the needs, plans, and lessening space requirements of physical storage, but the significantly increased endowment requirement may lessen the likelihood that present and future presidents will continue to build NARA facilities.
Other significant holdings include the personal papers and historical materials donated by individuals associated with the president.
These individuals may include Cabinet officials, envoys to foreign governments, political party associates, and the president's family and personal friends.
Such collections include documents relating to Theodore Roosevelt's tenure as Governor of New York and Dwight D. Eisenhower's long military career.
With the exception of John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Jimmy Carter, every American president since Hoover is or has chosen to be buried at his presidential library.
Grover Cleveland and Woodrow Wilson left their papers to Princeton University where they may be found at the Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library.
[34] Until the Obama Administration's library is ready for service, its papers are being held in a facility in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, and except for classified materials are available through FOIA since 2023.
