ROOSEVELT INSTITUTE 2019 ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM America’s First Presidential Library, fostering research and education on the life, times, and incredible, enduring legacy of Franklin and Eleanor. 2019 YEAR IN REVIEW The museum is a treasure. A Message from the Roosevelt Library and Museum 150,781 Incredibly well organized and Trustee Chair Nancy Roosevelt Ireland Visitors beautifully done. Even if you It is with great pleasure that I share with you the Roosevelt Institute’s are not a huge fan of FDR you 2019 Annual Report for the FDR Presidential Library and Museum. 26,208 will recognize and appreciate Student visitors from 8 states When we celebrated FDR’s 137th birthday last year, on January 30, I his accomplishments. You took a moment to reflect on how much we have accomplished together. and as far away as France, Who could have imagined that this Library and Museum would be as China, and Mexico actually feel like you know meaningful and important today as it was back in 1941 when it opened? him when you leave. As we continue our leadership as a world-class Presidential Library and Museum, we are more committed than ever to creating impactful FDR LIBRARY AND MUSEUM VISITOR REVIEW ON TRIPADVISOR special exhibits, public programs, and educational opportunities. 56 Public programs with... Our 2019 special exhibit proved especially poignant. D-DAY: FDR and Churchill’s “Mighty Endeavor” marked the 75th anniversary of the Allies’ greatest military achievement, the June 6, 1944, invasion of Normandy. 15,382 The exhibit highlighted the relationship between FDR and Churchill and Attendees how that changed the direction of the Second World War. Visitor comments marveled at how “this is a priceless place to visit” and “the museum is a treasure and a must-see when in the Hudson Valley.” CONNECTING WITH SUPPORTING RESEARCH ON Bringing the Roosevelt legacy to life—and sharing it with visitors and PEOPLE AROUND THE ROOSEVELT LEGACY: students from across the globe—is important to our future. We have THE WORLD: much to thank the Roosevelts for, and their vision for a more equitable nation remains vital today. We want you to visit the Library and 975,029 789 Museum often and so appreciate your partnership in lifting up the YouTube views In-person research visits and... Roosevelt legacy, as a member, visitor, and donor. On behalf of the Trustees of the FDR Library and Museum, thank you 50,361 Tumblr followers for your support. We could not continue to offer such rich, relevant 1,565 programs and resources without you. Remote reference inquiries 32,617 Sincerely, Twitter followers 22,359 10 Nancy Roosevelt Ireland Facebook likes Scholars awarded financial support Chair, FDR Library Trustees 1 2 ELEANOR PUBLIC PROGRAMS ROOSEVELT HUMAN RIGHTS DAY LUNCHEON In December, we celebrated Eleanor Roosevelt’s legacy in advancing human rights with our first annual Human Rights Day Luncheon. In her work with the UN, Eleanor played a pivotal role in defining and advancing the importance Mark Barden, Vinay Mehra, Lonnie Bunch, It was a full house when Krista Tippett and Franklin Thomas of human rights—work that Katrina vanden Heuvel, remains critical today. Editorial Director and Publisher The Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms of The Nation, interviewed her Addressing a room of Awards honored luminous leaders who father, Ambassador William J. supporters and students exemplify FDR’s four freedoms, including: Jared Cohen, founder and CEO of Jigsaw at Google and vanden Heuvel about his new from the Roosevelt FREEDOM MEDAL | Lonnie Bunch author of Accidental Presidents: Eight Men Who Changed book Hope and History: A Network and the Sadie Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution America joined Fareed Zakaria, acclaimed host of CNN’s Memoir of Tumultuous Times. Nash Leadership Project, Fareed Zakaria GPS, for a conversation about history luncheon special guest FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND EXPRESSION | The Boston Globe and leadership. Secretary Hillary Rodham FREEDOM OF WORSHIP | Krista Tippett Clinton spoke about how President and CEO of the On Being Project Eleanor Roosevelt changed the world, continues to FREEDOM FROM WANT | Franklin Thomas former President of the Ford Foundation inspire us today, and left a human rights legacy that FREEDOM FROM FEAR | Sandy Hook Promise motivates us to continue her work. In December, 1,000 people Other public programs have featured: joined us for our annual Holiday Open House & Michael Beschloss Susan Dunn Author and Presidential Author, professor and historian Children’s Reading Festival to historian see FDR’s study decorated for Edwina Sandys In June, we welcomed 3,520 people to our day-long annual the season, enjoy live music, Douglas Brinkley Artist and granddaughter of Library Trustee, Winston Churchill Family Fun Festival. Alongside free museum admission, and participate in festive bestselling author, attendees enjoyed circus performances, a raptor show, face activities, including making Bret Baier professor and Presidential Author and FOX News anchor painting, a musical performance, and more. holiday cards for the troops. Historian for CNN 3 4 REACHING SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM THE NEXT Each year the FDR Library partners with the Catharine Street Community Center to award GENERATION two Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarships to high-achieving young people in the community. Students of all ages participate in FDR We congratulate the 2019 honorees, Richmond Library programs—from field trips at Addea (Cornell University) and Sashawna Isaacs the Museum to engaging on social (Vassar College). media to learning from the Library’s ever-growing online database of digitized photos and documents from the Roosevelt era. Nancy Roosevelt Ireland, Sashawna Isaacs and Nina Roosevelt Anna Eleanor Roosevelt speaks to Roosevelt Network students 600 Students took part in our ROOSEVELT NETWORK innovative civics education BUILDING COMMUNITY ANNUAL LEADERSHIP programming CONFERENCE Franklin and Eleanor felt deeply Below are a few of our partners: connected to the Hudson Valley, and • Catharine Street Community Center The Roosevelt Network—the nation’s largest 205 longed to spend time here. Today, the • Eleanor Roosevelt Center at Val-Kill Requests from students and FDR Library and Museum seeks out network of diverse, emerging student leaders— teachers seeking to learn more held their 13th annual leadership summit at the community partnerships to strengthen • Friends of the Poughkeepsie Public Library District the Hudson Valley community and FDR Library and Museum in August. A total of • Marist College 105 college students and alums from across the better serve residents. By collaborating • New York State Archives 336 with other local organizations we are nation came together for a week of training, School field trips strategizing, and celebrating. Notable speakers collectively able to offer more diverse • The Jewish Federation of Dutchess County included Anna Eleanor Roosevelt, and rich experiences. granddaughter of Franklin and Eleanor 38 Roosevelt, and Darrick Hamilton, a Roosevelt Hours of distance learning We are so grateful for the wonderful team… The programs, book talks, presentations for... Fellow and Executive Director of the Kirwan and exhibits they work so hard to bring to the members and public are Institute for Race and Ethnicity. simply wonderful. And we can’t leave out the Library research team, 3,865 who make it so easy to work with the collections. After interacting Participants with many of the Presidential sites, it’s our opinion that FDR Library and Museum is second to none. LIBRARY MEMBER COMMENT 5 6 D-Day FDR & CHURCHILL’S “MIGHTY ENDEAVOR” 2019 SPECIAL EXHIBIT: D-DAY: FDR AND CHURCHILL’S “MIGHTY ENDEAVOR” The personal and political relationship an unprecedented collection of original between President Franklin Roosevelt and documents and artifacts, the exhibit British Prime Minister Winston Churchill is drew more than 84,000 visitors for this one of the most important international unrivalled “insider’s” view. partnerships in American history. D-DAY: To bring this intimate look at history to FDR and Churchill’s “Mighty Endeavor”— even more people, the FDR Library and which was featured on CBS Evening Museum also integrated exhibit content News, in the Poughkeepsie Journal, by into educational programming for Dutchess Tourism, and by Churchill students throughout the year and College Cambridge—is an intimate offered a series of international public portrait of a friendship that changed the programs featuring Churchill and course of history. Roosevelt family members and experts. Focusing on the debates and decisions To create this one-of-a-kind exhibit, the that led to the Normandy invasion, the FDR Library worked with the Churchill exhibit provided a new, behind-the- Archives at Cambridge University and scenes look into how FDR and Churchill the National Trust, which maintains experienced and made decisions in the Churchill’s home (Chartwell) as well as tense days and hours that preceded— the National Churchill Museum. and followed—D-Day, June 6, 1944. Combining a multimedia experience and 7 8 NEW AND NOTABLE WHAT’S AHEAD Message from FDR Library director Paul Sparrow Objects tell stories—carrying When I pull into the parking lot at the FDR Library and Museum I always think how lucky I am to be The Roosevelt Chair has an interesting history, coming to work at this inspirational place. Keeping the Roosevelt legacy alive and relevant is history in a way that reminds us of having been used in the White House by both creating positive change for new generations. Looking ahead, the Library is focusing on several key all the hard work, hardship, and Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt. It was gifted projects that I know will make an incredible impact. hope that have contributed to our to [President Roosevelt’s private secretary] Marguerite LeHand (Missy) by FDR, with two The FDR Library and Museum is present. The Roosevelt Chair is engraved plaques attached indicating its continuing to develop a major exhibit one such object and we are provenance.