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Show Hinckley Journal of Politics 2005 America's Presidential Libraries: History or Propaganda? Jay Rogers Since the 1940s, the presidential library has been an American institution. Unfortunately, these government-funded memorials often fail to fairly and accurately portray their namesakes' administrations. This paper explores the history of the presidential library system and examines biased presidential portrayals, including those encountered at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. A number of reforms to the funding and administration of presidential libraries are proposed. It is contended that these changes will eliminate political propaganda and encourage historical accuracy and fairness at presidential libraries. Introduction From the rocky shores of Boston to the desert hills of Southern California, the presidential library has become an American institution. Since the 1940s, eleven presidential libraries have been created to memorialize American presidencies. Many are spectacular buildings located in majestic settings. All lure in interested visitors and researchers from around the country. But are they worth the price? According to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), the federal government spent $67.9 million tax dollars on presidential libraries during fiscal year 2003 (NARA Annual Report 2003, 25). Arguably, federal money should be used to maintain government records produced by a presidential administration. Yet presidential libraries do more than simply facilitate research and preserve archival collections. Federal funds contribute to the upkeep of large, expensive buildings and external grounds including statues, artwork, and various artifacts. Taxpayer dollars also go to museums that commemorate, and often celebrate, the legacies of various presidents. This essay argues that in the future, the federal government should build and maintain presidential libraries. It also contends that private foundations should not be given influence over, or space within, these libraries. The reforms proposed in this paper would prevent ideologues and propagandists from unduly influencing facilities that should be devoted to impartial study of a particular administration's impact on the nation and the world. An examination of how presidential libraries came to be part of American life provides greater perspective on the current challenges and controversies facing these institutions. History of the Presidential Library System Origins United States historians rely heavily on the paper trail that the nation's government leaves behind. The papers a United States president produces and receives while in office tell scholars much about the process of executive governance. Surprisingly, during most of the country's history no set procedure existed to preserve these historically valuable documents. Instead, each president determined what would be done with his presidential papers. George Washington, as the nation's first president, set the precedent for the dissemination of presidential papers. At the end of his second and final term, Washington had his secretaries sort through his papers and collect those records that might be helpful to his successor, John Adams. Once the Washington Administration had provided those materials to Adams, the remaining papers, both those related to his service as president and his personal records, were packed into trunks and sent to Washington's home at Mount Vernon (Schick et al. 1989, 42). Future presidents followed Washington's lead and did as they wished with their presidential papers. As a result, the materials were widely dispersed. During the early 20th century, the Library of Congress brought together the papers of many famous presidents. Unfortunately, numerous other collections of presidential documents had already been lost or destroyed (A Brief History 2004). The concept of the presidential library was one of the many legacies of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. In 1939, he donated his personal and presidential papers to the United States Federal Government (A Brief History 2004). He proposed that they be preserved in a repository in his hometown 67 |