Defense Secretary Robert Gates Breaks Ground for George Washington Presidential Library
The First Art Newspaper on the Net    Established in 1996 Saturday, October 12, 2024


Defense Secretary Robert Gates Breaks Ground for George Washington Presidential Library
The 45,000-square-foot National Library, sited on 15 acres within walking distance of George Washington’s home, that will serve as both a safe haven for his books and letters, and a center for education about his leadership. The father of our country is on track to get a new $47 million presidential library, with a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday. AP Photo/Mount Vernon Ladies' Association.

By: Matthew Barakat, Associated Press



MOUNT VERNON, VA (AP)- It was one of the few things George Washington wanted to do but never got around to: build a library to hold his official and personal papers.

On Thursday, more than 200 years after Washington wrote of the idea, dignitaries broke ground at his Mount Vernon estate on a $47 million presidential library of sorts that they hope will evolve into a "think tank" promoting scholarship about one of the nation's Founding Fathers.

The estate hopes the library will be a home to a centralized collection of Washington's his papers. The president wrote in a 1797 letter — two years before his death — about a library, saying his papers were "voluminous and may be interesting."

Defense Secretary Robert Gates said at Thursday's ceremonies that no one deserves a presidential library more than Washington. His leadership as president provides guidance even today, Gates said.

The defense secretary compared Washington's guidance during the French Revolution to the modern dilemma about how America should support democratic-leaning upheavals in the Middle East.

Washington, Gates said, was caught between Francophiles like Thomas Jefferson who saw a kindred spirit between French, and American revolutionaries and federalists like John Adams and Alexander Hamilton who were shocked by the French revolution's excesses.

Ultimately, Washington embarked on a cautious, pragmatic strategy that included a declaration of neutrality toward France and struck a peace treaty with the British, leading some to conclude Washington was "selling out the spirit of 1776," Gates said.

"From our earliest days American leaders have struggled with realistic versus idealistic approaches" to foreign policy, Gates said.

The lesson from Washington, he said, is that "we are compelled to defend our security and interests in ways that in the long run lead to the spread of democratic institutions."

The building will be called the Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington.

Mount Vernon Director James Rees said the term "presidential library" could mislead people into believing that the Mount Vernon library will receive federal funding, as modern presidential libraries do through their association with the National Archives. The Mount Vernon Ladies' Association, which has run the estate since purchasing it from the Washington family in 1858, has never accepted government funds.

The biggest chunk of money for the library came from the Las Vegas-based Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, which contributed $38 million.

Fred W. Smith, the foundation's chairman, has been a Mount Vernon supporter since 2001, after becoming involved in efforts to keep a famous portrait of Washington from being sold at private auction.

Rees said the library will allow the estate to expand its existing teacher-training programs and host seminars for government and business groups on topics like Washington's vision of leadership.

The estate has not completed its fundraising. It has so far raised about $70 million of the $100 million that will be needed to build and endow the library, Rees said.

Completion is scheduled for 2013.


Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.










Today's News

April 15, 2011

Selected Paintings by Lucas Cranach the Elder on View at Alte Pinakothek in Munich

Ethel Carrick & E Phillips Fox's Artistic Marriage Celebrated at the Queensland Art Gallery

The Pace Gallery Presents an Exhibition of Sculptures from 1982 to 2008 by John Chamberlain

Sotheby's London to Sell Important Scottish Skating Scene on Duddingston Loch

Property from a Distinguished East Coast Collection to Be Auctioned at Sotheby's

Defense Secretary Robert Gates Breaks Ground for George Washington Presidential Library

Rarely Seen Paintings by Eva Hesse to be Presented at the Brooklyn Museum     

Copy of 14th-Century Hebrew Manuscript Acquired by Nelson-Atkins Museum

Addicted to Highs and Lows Curated by Richard Aldrich on View at Bortolami Gallery

Art Gallery of New South Wales Announces Ben Quilty's Portrait Wins Archibald Prize 2011

Galileo Honored by Vatican and American Academy in Rome, on Anniversary

John Lennon's "Lucy in the Sky" Lyrics Up for Auction at Profiles in History Auction House

High Museum of Art Names Sarah Schleuning New Curator of Decorative Arts and Design

Kunsthaus Zürich Postpones Exhibition of Work by Haris Epaminonda

Pink Diamond Expected to Fetch Up to $15 Million Fails to Sell at Christie's Auction

A Glittering Result: Bonhams Jewellery Sale Tops £3.2 Million

Sotheby's Sale of Important Watches this May Presents Five Centuries of Watch History

Wen Wei Po Newspaper Says China Accuses Famed Artist Ai Weiwei of Tax Evasion

Sotheby's to Sell Collection of Old Master Paintings Assembled by Saam and Lily Nijstad

First Major Retrospective in 50 Years of Spanish Artist Joan Miró Opens at Tate Modern

Gagosian Gallery in New York Presents Picasso and Marie-Therese: L'amour fou

First Batch of Korean Royal Books Looted by French Military 145 Years Ago Return Home

The Getty Museum's Rebecca Taylor Appointed Communications Director at MoMA PS1

World Record for Cuneiform Clay Document at Bonhams Antiquities Sale in London

LiveAuctioneers.com Ceases Business with GoDaddy to Protest Shooting of Elephant

Rare Franck Muller, Historic Patek Philippe Highlight New York Fine Timepiece Event at Heritage Auctions

Sands, Not Lights, Cover Gaza Archaeology Sites

Newseum Gets Japan Quake Handwritten Newspapers




Museums, Exhibits, Artists, Milestones, Digital Art, Architecture, Photography,
Photographers, Special Photos, Special Reports, Featured Stories, Auctions, Art Fairs,
Anecdotes, Art Quiz, Education, Mythology, 3D Images, Last Week, .

 



Founder:
Ignacio Villarreal
(1941 - 2019)
Editor & Publisher: Jose Villarreal
Art Director: Juan José Sepúlveda Ramírez
Writer: Ofelia Zurbia Betancourt

Royalville Communications, Inc
produces:

ignaciovillarreal.org juncodelavega.com facundocabral-elfinal.org
Founder's Site. Hommage
to a Mexican poet.
Hommage
       

The First Art Newspaper on the Net. The Best Versions Of Ave Maria Song Junco de la Vega Site Ignacio Villarreal Site
Tell a Friend
Dear User, please complete the form below in order to recommend the Artdaily newsletter to someone you know.
Please complete all fields marked *.
Sending Mail
Sending Successful