presidential library museum presidential library museum presidential library museum 35th president united_states located neighborhood boston massachusetts institute united states senate designed architect building official original papers correspondence special bodies published unpublished materials books papers library museum dedicated president members kennedy family reached nearby interstate shuttle bus walk stop boston subway red line location design dedication original site weekend visit boston october president kennedy architect design president tomb arlington viewed locations offered harvard site library museum time presidential libraries franklin roosevelt library library dwight library scattered country small towns new_york iowa kennedy decided design concept felt existing presidential libraries placed far away scholarly resources kennedy chose plot land building face feet away included kennedy spent days kennedy encouraged administration save effects personal official nature complex collection president papers complete record presidential era building word museum presidential library museum initial progress president kennedy assassinated november family friends discussed construct library serve fitting memorial committee formed advise kennedy widow final decision group months visited architects world including united_states brazil italy kennedy met candidates kennedy compound massachusetts visited offices committee conducted secretive process architects voted anonymously capable colleagues progress building began shortly death january attorney general announced taped oral history project undertaken inclusion library project feature administration staff friends family politicians home abroad attorney general announced agreed serve chairman board trustees million million goal given trust foundation death president fresh hearts minds american public march year million pledged including donations public large donations came hispanic world venezuela governor offering oral history project began recording starting originally projected consist interviews people agreed participate total number expected participants doubled person agent declining time fourteen architects named serve design advisory committee following months continued funnel building architects notable donations include handed general july sum campaign encompassing federal agencies said federal employee contributions form period years day indian ambassador united_states presented black check ceremony said indian people hit sad blow president died held highest regard esteem affection desired indian students abroad united_states use library planned construction harvard banks selected architect december kennedy family announced unanimously chosen architect library relatively unknown list candidates kennedy viewed filled promise imagination spending months architects offices creations selected create vision held project design idea described stimulate interest politics suggestion harvard suitable site library begun asked start scratch said case encouraging simply wished good luck kennedy chose design library based considerations appreciated variety ideas earlier projects didn way solve problem said approach commission thinking develop way beautiful ultimately kennedy choice based personal connection calling emotional decision explained promise like jack born year decided fun great leap long selected million goal set black reached fundraising suspended contributions reached million years setbacks january massachusetts governor signed bill allowing state purchase land site old train yard belonging expected project complete original design large complex comprising john kennedy library museum project faced delays agree remove heavy machinery land time construction costs risen million prepare month study site soil said money years ago today barely pay percent original plans senator new_york serving president john kennedy library corporation assassinated weeks donated library series installments expected total million came profits book death president caused bitter feud manchester kennedy remarked think beautiful manchester glad senator kennedy knew died youngest kennedy brothers senator step vice president corporation fill newly vacant position construction begun researchers scholars forced work temporarily housing million documents manuscripts said finally clear way ahead asked save construction expenses inexpensive materials translate working concrete instead preferred stone president succeeded kennedy president saw dedication museum austin texas campus austin beat kennedy team building presidential library served place scholarly research live work begin predecessor cambridge community fierce opposition having library built cambridge originally welcomed library seen great million annual tourists change neighborhood tourists automobiles fast food franchises shops cause negative environmental impact neighborhood group filed lawsuit federal court demanding study found great number visitors adverse effect area kennedy law heads john kennedy library corporation decided want kennedy library happy place keeping nature memorial open atmosphere controversy february plans having library president kennedy wanted dropped new location new plan new location site columbia point neighborhood boston near described group massive structures sharp contrast mellow atmosphere library original site near harvard square site originally garbage dump recalls finding old soil seriousness asserted toss lit match earth watch ground soil emitted gas thing site going community opposed area house library june marked official groundbreaking library construction following august site boston ocean area covered feet earth particularly proud landscaping results design simple geometric structure large glass pavilion concrete tower stands feet tall houses offices archives circular section contains theaters connected tower foot grey glass pavilion concrete finish building directly reflects budget money building stone believes offers finish detail materials chosen kept costs budget total costing million million people contributed cost construction construction workers complete end dedication official dedication held october outside building green blue stage bank yellow sat kennedy family close president company ceremony began president kennedy daughter introducing brother read stephen poem think continually president carter said embodied ideals generation public figures history earth spoke openly hearing death kennedy father died years accepted library behalf american people senator said brother life voyage discovery quest excellence inspired universal trust faith brief unfinished journey believe great historic purpose land filled america pride nation young critics generally liked finished building architect years conflict compromise changed nature design felt final result lacked original passion wanted special memory president kennedy said great project important consequence kennedy project elevation public consciousness architect note considered library important commission life exhibits collection library floor features museum containing video monitors family photographs political memorabilia visitors museum begin visit watching film narrated president kennedy cinemas orientation film shows documentary cuban missile crisis seven permanent exhibits presidential campaign featuring memorabilia replica kennedy campaign office kennedy speeches press conferences space race exhibit space race space program features mercury freedom space capsule astronaut american space capsule displayed came library return washington attorney general attorney general president kennedy brother closest political advisor features information role fighting organized crime chief counsel role time attorney general centerpiece exhibit items office include documents personal items bust winston_churchill features information kennedy presidency items kennedy kept oval office lady exhibit life lady features footage lady artifacts life include pieces clothing kennedy family exhibit famous kennedy family features number artifacts including red_cross uniform jacket commemorative cup walking stick replica great ireland library art collection portrait sketch painting white_house painted given gift husband hung oval office child bust sculpted kennedy foot display grounds library october acquired family kennedy played important role sibling bonds president death continued sailed members family especially race brother library variety temporary special exhibits archives archives contain photographs taken million feet film shot audio recordings oral history project begun oral history project unique undertaking document preserve interviews associated kennedy initially expected participants today contains interviews continues day modelled program worlds oldest began conception serving attorney general speculated interviews ones relating cuban missile crisis sealed containing highly classified material said emphasis releasing soon possible items remain closed years allowed review interviews released use scholars audio differ written record interviewing misunderstanding speech clear written form artifacts library keeps wide range artifacts found respective exhibits original rescue message inscribed kennedy rescue crew delivered natives library home collection documents belongings collection established following exchange letters widow mary confirmed papers archived despite travel ban cuba president kennedy arranged allow claim recently deceased husband documents belongings room collection dedicated july spans career includes ninety percent existing manuscript materials making kennedy library world principal center research life work includes manuscripts varying lengths including hand written drafts dozens hand drafted alternate endings farewell arms research material background death afternoon dangerous summer thousands letters written included correspondence fellow writers actress cardinal publisher editor lawyer photographs press books private library including rare copy fire april fire occurred library initial reports stated fire appears started mechanical room official communication library stated fire investigated fire unrelated bombings occurred simultaneously
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum