Summer 2026 Newsletter from the FDR Memorial Foundation
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New Name Announced: FDR Memorial Foundation
We are proud to announce our new name: FDR Memorial Foundation.
We remain an IRS-designated 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization with the mission to protect, preserve and promote the FDR Memorial in Washington, D.C. Our Board of Directors selected “Foundation” to reflect permanence, leadership and our long-term commitment to supporting the Memorial for generations to come.
Why the change?
To more strongly reflect our organization’s commitment to the entire Memorial – not just its illustrious past, but the present, its future and our dedication to consistent, ongoing efforts to support and collaborate with the National Park Service’s stewardship of the Memorial.
Has anything changed at the organization?
Not really. We remain a “public charity,” not a grant-making foundation. We will continue to rely exclusively on donations to support our work. And as we’ll discuss in this newsletter, our name change coincides with our embrace of the Memorial’s broader challenges and opportunities.
Stay tuned as we explore options for a new logo. While we will be retiring the “legacy” terminology, we remain committed to honoring our past as we focus on the Memorial’s present and future needs.
FDR Memorial Artwork Cleaning and Restoration
In a first for our organization, we financed the recent cleaning and restoration of three art pieces at the Memorial – the Presidential Seal from 1933, FDR’s first inaugural; the FDR wheelchair statue and the Eleanor Roosevelt text panel.
We hired fine art object conservator Russell Bernabo for the job. He cleaned and stabilized the patina—the colored surface of a bronze sculpture that is part of the artists’ visions. Robert Graham sculpted the wheelchair statue and designed the text panel featuring Eleanor’s quote on FDR’s disability. Tom Hardy sculpted the presidential seal. Bernabo performed the work in April and May.
The Foundation’s financing of these works represent a new step for the Foundation – helping the National Park Service on needed fixes. As you may have seen in our Instagram posts on this cleaning and restoration project, these art pieces have been in need of attention for some time. We offered to help get the work done, reflecting the historic public-private cooperation that has built and maintained America’s national parks and memorials. We aim to dedicate additional resources in the future to support the Memorial’s upkeep and fund maintenance and preservation work.
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The FDR wheelchair statue after cleaning.
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The Presidential Seal after cleaning.
Anniversary Events Celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Completion of the FDR Memorial and FDR Wheelchair Statue
The Foundation hosted events in D.C. to mark the 25th anniversary of the completion of the FDR Memorial and the FDR wheelchair statue.
We held a panel discussion on March 31, 2026 at American University titled: Disability Representation in America, FDR, the Fight for the Wheelchair Statue, and the Politics of Commemoration. The event also featured a screening of a 20-minute documentary, FDR: Great Abilities. To learn more about the event, watch the video, read the transcript visit this article from our website. To watch the documentary click here.
The second event took place May 12 – another panel discussion, this one titled: A Landscape of Memory: Art and Design at the FDR Memorial and the Art of a Seamless Collaboration. View the video and read the transcript visit this article from our website.
The third event on May 13 was a celebration of the 25th anniversary of the dedication of the FDR wheelchair statue, which at its dedication on January 10, 2001, was called by President Bill Clinton - a “monument to freedom.” To view the event and read the transcript visit this article from our website.
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Left: Anniversary Co-Chair, U.S. Senator Tom Harkin (retired).
Right: Anna Eleanor Fierst, Board Chair, the Eleanor Roosevelt Center at Val-Kill; great-granddaughter of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt.
Left: Lachi, Author of I Identify as Blind, CEO of RAMPD, Recording Academy National Trustee, Disability Culture Icon, and Producer of a GRAMMY-Nominated Album.
Right: Master of Ceremonies, Jonathan Darman, Historian and Author of Becoming FDR.
Left: Alexandra Reeve Givens, CEO, Center of Democracy and Technology; Member, Board of Directors, Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation.
Right: Regan Linton, Actor, writer, filmmaker, artistic creator, playwright and star of the theatrical production FDR’s Very Happy Hour.
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Left: William Raimondo – Firefighter, City of Hackensack, NJ; Advisory Board, FDR Memorial Foundation.
Right: Jen Epstein, Education Specialist, National Mall & Memorial Parks, National Park Service.
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Left: Noriko Fujinami, Administrator of the Estate of Robert Graham.
Right: Theo Braddy, Executive Director, National Council on Independent Living.
Below: Presentation of Colors by the U.S. Navy Color Guard
Welcome Dr. Brian Coyne to the Board of Directors
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We are excited to share that Dr. Brian Coyne has joined the Board of Directors of the FDR Memorial Foundation.
Dr. Coyne has had a distinguished career in the public and private sector including as chief of staff of the Social Security Administration and leading federal affairs for healthcare companies in Washington, DC. Dr. Coyne holds a Doctorate in Law and Policy from Northeastern University, a Master in Public Administration degree from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and a Bachelor of Arts from Cornell University.
He’s passionate about FDR and his legacy.
“I grow more and more convinced of FDR’s wisdom in creating Social Security. For so many, it is the difference between poverty and a comfortable retirement. It’s all because of FDR’s long-term vision. I’m honored to help perpetuate his legacy through the Foundation and the FDR Memorial” Dr. Coyne said.
Proposed Garden of Heroes
While the reflecting pool is getting a lot of attention these days, another project on the White House agenda is closer than the pool to the FDR Memorial – the proposed Garden of Heroes.
The Washington Post reported on June 15 that the administration’s planned “National Garden of American Heroes” would feature life-size statues of roughly 250 Americans and be built in West Potomac Park.
The Post went on to say six preservation and cultural heritage organizations have filed suit against the administration. They want work to stop on the project until Congress authorizes it. While the FDR Memorial is commonly described as being near the Tidal Basin, it is indeed part of West Potomac Park.
As our mission makes clear, we are dedicated to protecting, preserving, and promoting the FDR Memorial. We will be monitoring this issue and provide updates as warranted.
The 4th of July, our great nation’s 250th anniversary, approaches as we prepare this quarterly edition of our Foundation’s newsletter.
It is fitting to share some of what FDR said about the nation’s founding – commentary that is as relevant today as it was in his day:
On the Declaration of Independence: He stated that in 1776, the description of right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness was "the first time in the history of the world" that a nation explicitly founded its entire existence on the premise of universal human rights.
A Pledge of Unity: He called the Declaration a "passionate pledge of all the people" to support each other in maintaining a free and equal society.
The Vision of a Unified Nation: He frequently quoted George Washington and Thomas Jefferson to emphasize that the true legacy of 1776 was the creation of a single national identity out of thirteen separate colonies, famously using the phrase "One country, one constitution, one destiny" to reinforce national solidarity.
We wish you all a safe and happy celebration of our nation’s 250th anniversary.