This Artifact-of-the-Month selection was originally posted on January 7th, 2025 (shortly after President Jimmy Carter’s death on 12/29/2024).

First off, I want to admit that this blog post was a pivot as I had originally chosen a different Artifact of the Month. But then, when I heard that former President Jimmy Carter had passed away, my thoughts immediately went to a different collections item.

When the former home of Ansley Wilcox was acquired by the National Park Service (NPS) in 1966, it was purchased with the understanding that the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site Foundation would be responsible for the day to day operations of the Site through a cooperative agreement with the NPS. However, the legislation that established the TR Inaugural Site also had a clause that explicitly prohibited the Foundation from receiving any operating support from the federal government, leaving the Foundation with the enormous task of raising all of the money needed to operate and maintain the Site.

In the late 1970’s, Foundation representatives worked with local Congressman Henry J. Nowak to first amend the legislation that prohibited federal support for the Site and then authorize the Site to receive up two-thirds of its annual budget from the NPS (spoiler alert: the Foundation has never received that much and currently receives less than one-third;  the Foundation raises the remaining two-thirds through donations, tours and events, and gift shop sales). This piece of legislation was signed into law by President Jimmy Carter on December 28, 1980. The Site received a copy of the legislation along with the pen that President Carter used to sign it and that is the Artifact of the Month. This artifact represents a significant moment in the Site’s history, as it assured its long-term viability and began an era of substantial growth. Without this act, the Site would definitely not be what it is today.

Thank you, President Carter!

– Amy Sanderson, Collections Manager