We're not done hearing about cuts to NARA. But here's why we won't see this kind of story about each presidential library: The governing and operating structures for the 13 (yes, 13, despite what others claim) federal presidential library-museums are a mix of "public-private partnerships." 🧵 - ThreadSky

anthonyclark.bsky.social • 4 days ago

We're not done hearing about cuts to NARA. But here's why we won't see this kind of story about each presidential library:

The governing and operating structures for the 13 (yes, 13, despite what others claim) federal presidential library-museums are a mix of "public-private partnerships." 🧵

Reposted from Tony Clark

UPDATE: The JFK Library will reopen tomorrow, February 19.

Good news. But this obviously isn't over.

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southernersays.bsky.social•4 days ago

Thank you for sharing all that information

anthonyclark.bsky.social•4 days ago

For 12* of the 13, the president or his family created a foundation to raise the money, acquire land, and build it.

*Carter didn't form one, but had his attorney organize the fundraising. The library was secondary for him and Rosalynn to the much-more important and consequential Carter Center. 2/

anthonyclark.bsky.social•4 days ago

For the first—the FDR—once the library was open, there wasn't much reason for the foundation, and the president wasn't around to use the institution.

But Truman wanted to continue shaping his legacy, and use the library to help do that. So he kept the foundation, to host conferences, encourage 3/

anthonyclark.bsky.social•4 days ago

research, and advance his goals.

This became the norm—especially after the foundations for JFK, formed just weeks after his assassination, and LBJ (which built his library while he was still in office) transformed presidential libraries into monumental, well... monuments.

Some, like FDR's, were 4/

anthonyclark.bsky.social•4 days ago

donated to the people, and NARA owns & operates them. Others have MOUs or other instruments detailing what portions NARA is responsible for and which the foundations (or, in the case of the LBJ, the university) own and/or operate.

For 12 of the 13, NARA operates the archives and museums; the 5/

anthonyclark.bsky.social•4 days ago

agency recently transferred control of the George W. Bush Museum to his foundation.

And some foundations run the gift shops, docents, and educational programs while NARA runs others.

Some foundations are modest operations with relatively small budgets. Others, such as the Reagan, raise millions 6/

anthonyclark.bsky.social•4 days ago

of dollars a year, yet spend almost none of it on anything to do with the core mission: preserving and making available the records of the presidency.

But arguably none of the 12 foundations could survive without NARA, since it covers operations and maintenance, and repairs and restoration. And 7/

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