Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial

Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, national memorial authorized in 1955. Located in Washington, D.C., the memorial honors Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the 32nd president of the United States (1933-1945). The outdoor memorial overlooking the Tidal Basin features bronze statues and bronze bas-relief sculptures by American artists. The works are arranged in a setting that includes walls of red South Dakota granite, waterfalls, pools, and gardens. Designed by American landscape architect Lawrence Halprin, the memorial consists of four outdoor rooms, one for each of Roosevelt’s terms. Quotes from Roosevelt are etched into the granite stone in each of the rooms. The first room features a bas-relief sculpture of the presidential seal by Tom Hardy and a bas-relief of Roosevelt’s first inaugural parade by Robert Graham. Images from the Great Depression and World War II (1939-1945) in the second room include three statues by George Segal: one of people standing in a breadline, one of a weary rural couple, and one depicting a man listening to a Roosevelt “fireside chat” on the radio. Also in this room by Graham are five carved columns and a bas-relief commemorating Roosevelt's New Deal legislation. The main sculpture of Roosevelt is located in the third room. Created by Neil Estern, the 2.7-m (9.0-ft) statue depicts a seated Roosevelt with his pet dog, Fala, at his feet. The fourth room contains a bas-relief, 9 m (30 ft) long of Roosevelt’s funeral procession, by Leonard Baskin. The room also features a sculpture of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt in front of the seal of the United Nations (UN), honoring her role as the first U.S. delegate to the UN. This statue, also created by Estern, is the first representation of a first lady at a presidential memorial. Although the idea for a memorial to Roosevelt developed shortly after his death in 1945, it took more than 40 years to come to fruition. The Congress of the United States authorized the memorial in 1955, but construction did not begin until 1994. The memorial cost $48 million in private and federal monies. Administered by the National Park Service. Area, 3.0 hectares (7.5 acres).