The FDR Memorial Wheelchair Controversy and a ‘Taking Part’ Workshop Experience

At the long awaited dedication of the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial in 1996 several prominent individuals who had championed the needs and rights of disabled people for American citizens cornered President Clinton—some say nearly pinned him to one of Lawrence Halprin’s monumental stone walls—and demanded that he see to it that the fact that President Roosevelt was paralyzed and could not walk be publicly acknowledged and celebrated as part of his extraordinary life and achievement. For them, what they perceived as a continuing silence on this topic was tantamount to a deception, and unforgivable. Clinton, by nature a conciliatory and genuinely empathetic personality acceded to their request on the spot, and assured them that he would take care of it.

At the first session of Congress on January 7th of 1997 through congressional allies of the President a joint resolution was introduced and passed with the following language:

SECTION 1. ADDITION TO FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT MEMORIAL

1. a. PLAN.—The Secretary of the Interior shall plan for the design and construction of an addition of a permanent statue, bas-relief, or other permanent structure to the Franklin Delano Roosevelt in Washington D.C. to provide recognition of the fact that President Roosevelt’s leadership in the struggle by the United States, for peace, well being, and human dignity was provided while the President used a wheelchair.

2. b. COMMISSION OF FINE ARTS.—The Secretary shall obtain the approval of the Commission of Fine Arts for the design plan created under subsection (a).

3. c. REPORT.—As soon as practicable, the Secretary shall report to Congress and the President on findings and recommendations for the addition to the Memorial.

4. d. CONSTRUCTION.—Beginning on the date that is 120 days after submission of the report to Congress under subsection (c), using only private contributions, the Secretary shall construct the addition according to the plan created under subsection (a).

SEC. 2 POWERS OF THE SECRETARY.

To carry out this act the Secretary may—

1. 1. hold hearings and organize contests; and

2. 2. request the assistance of members of the disability community, the Commission of Fine Arts, and the National Capitol Planning Commission, and the Commissions shall render the assistance and advice requested.

The National Park Service was between Directors at the time, and in the manner of such things in Washington, the Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt, turned to the National Park Service Advisory Board for assistance. After discussion the Advisory Board decided the best way to find an acceptable solution of adding to a memorial that had already taken a long time and great expense to create (and was already considered a major artistic work, possibly even a great masterpiece), was to form a blue ribbon committee with impeccable credentials and design sensitivity. Its Resolution of June 10, 1997 reads:

The Committee will be chaired by a member of the Board and will be comprised of such members as may be named by the Chairman and concurred in by the acting director of the National Park Service. The committee will work closely with staff of the National Park Service, representatives of disabled Americans, and representatives of the arts community to evaluate the nature of the controversy and to identify alternative actions which might be taken to alleviate the controversy. Upon completing its work, the Committee will first report its findings and recommendations to the full Board for further action and disposition, and then be dissolved.

The task of forming and working with the committee fell upon the two veteran Park Service Employees, John Parsons,¹ Associate Regional Director for Lands and Resources and Sara (Sally) Blumenthal, Deputy Associate Superintendent for Stewardship and Partnerships. Parsons and Blumenthal had shepherded the FDR memorial through to completion, as well as others in the Capitol and on the Mall, such as the now acclaimed Vietnam Memorial. By August that summer they had contacted and assembled an advisory committee, consisting of the following members:

Chairperson

Dr. Holly A. Robinson, Atlanta; Deputy State Superintendent of Schools, Georgia Department of Education; Vice Chair, National Park System Advisory Board; previously the Chair and...