When Memories Became Museums
Rea,
Today we’re visiting the LBJ Presidential Library. It made me think about how Ammi keeps memory boxes filled with old photos, letters, and journals. Each box holds pieces of your family’s story—moments you might want to remember years from now. Presidents need to save their memories too, but their “memory boxes” are so big they become entire buildings.
A long time ago, presidents didn’t always keep their papers safe. Some important letters and diaries were lost, sold, or even burned. Abraham Lincoln’s papers were locked away for more than twenty years after he died. It wasn’t until Franklin Roosevelt became president that things changed. In 1939, he decided that his letters, speeches, and photos belonged to everyone, not just his family. He built the first presidential library in Hyde Park, New York, and invited the public to visit.
After Roosevelt, every president has created a library to hold their records. Congress even passed a law in 1955 to make sure these collections would be preserved for future generations. Now, there are fifteen presidential libraries across the country, each one a kind of national memory box.
The LBJ Library is special because President Johnson chose to put it at The University of Texas at Austin. He grew up in Texas and wanted his library to be close to home. Inside, there are more than 45 million pages of documents, a replica of the Oval Office, and exhibits about the 1960s. When the library opened in 1971, Johnson himself was there to welcome visitors.
Not every presidential library is at a university, but many are. George H.W. Bush’s library is at Texas A&M, and George W. Bush’s is at Southern Methodist University. Some presidents pick a university because it’s where they studied or because they want students and researchers to use their archives. Others choose a place that meant a lot to them growing up.
I’ve always been interested in presidential libraries. I’ve visited Nixon’s in California, Kennedy’s in Boston, both Bush libraries in Texas, and now LBJ’s here in Austin. I’d love to see Obama’s in Chicago and Clinton’s in Little Rock someday. Each library feels different—like a window into the world of that president and the times they lived in.
Presidential libraries are like giant memory boxes for the whole country. They help us remember not just what happened, but how it felt to live through those moments. Just like your mom’s boxes help you remember family stories, these libraries help us understand our national story.
Love, Abba
P.S. While we’re at the LBJ Library today, see if you can find something unusual or surprising. I’d love to hear what stands out to you!
