What’s the JFK Presidential Library and museum ?

During a weekend visit to Boston on October 19, 1963, President Kennedy, along with John Carl Warnecke viewed several locations offered by Harvard as a site for the library and museum. At the time there were only four other Presidential Libraries: the Hoover Presidential Library, the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library, the Truman Library, and the Dwight D. Eisenhower Library.   Kennedy had not decided on any design concept yet, but he felt that the existing Presidential Libraries were placed too far “away from scholarly resources.” 

 

After President Kennedy was assassinated in November 1963, his family and friends discussed how to construct a library that would serve as a fitting memorial. A committee was formed to advise Kennedy's widow Jaqueline, who would make the final decision.  Also by this time fourteen architects were named to serve on a design advisory committee.

Since Kennedy encouraged his Administration to save effects of both personal and official nature, the complex would not just be a collection of the President’s papers, but “a complete record of a Presidential era.” And so, the building would have the word museum appended to its name: John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.

Pei selected as architect

In 1964, Mrs. Kennedy selected him to create the vision she held for the project. Mrs. Kennedy chose Pei to design the library, based on two considerations. First, she appreciated the variety of ideas he had used for earlier projects. Ultimately, however, Kennedy made her choice based on her personal connection with Pei. Calling it "really an emotional decision", she explained: "He was so full of promise, like Jack; they were born in the same year. I decided it would be fun to take a great leap with him."

In January 1966, the Governor John A. Volpe signed a bill allowing the state to purchase the land for the site,  it was expected that the project would be complete by 1970. However the project faced many delays. 

By 1971, construction had still not begun; researchers and scholars were forced to work out of the Federal Records Center which was temporarily housing some of the 15 million documents and manuscripts. Pei said there was finally “a clear way ahead,” however, he was asked to save on construction expenses by using inexpensive materials. But in February, 1975 the plans for having the library where President Kennedy would have wanted it, were dropped.

New Location

The new location of the site was Columbia Point in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, near the University of Massachusetts Boston, described as a group of “massive, blocky structures…in sharp contrast to the mellow and urbane atmosphere of the library's original site near Harvard Square.” The site was originally a garbage dump.

12 June 1977 marked the official groundbreaking for the library with construction following in August. The materials chosen kept the costs within budget, in total costing $20.8 million.

Dedication

The official dedication was held on October 20, 1979. It's Caroline Kennedy, the Kennedy's daughter, who began the ceremony.

Critics generally liked the finished building, but the architect himself was unsatisfied. The years of conflict and compromise had changed the nature of the design, and Pei felt that the final result lacked its original passion. "I wanted to give something very special to the memory of President Kennedy," he said in 2000. "It could and should have been a great project."