Commemorative Works in the District of Columbia: Categorization of Proposed and Enacted Memorials, 1973-2020

Commemorative Works in the District of Columbia: Categorization of Proposed and Enacted Memorials, 1973-2020

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May 17, 2021
Commemorative Works in the District of Columbia:
Categorization of Proposed and Enacted Memorials, 1973-2020
In 1783, the Continental Congress authorized the nation’s
University on the introduction and consideration of
first memorial, an equestrian statute to honor General
commemorative legislation, including commemorative
George Washington. Since that time, Members of Congress
works. Overall, CRS and the Bush School students
have introduced hundreds of measures to authorize new
identified 384 measures, honoring 108 subjects, introduced
commemorative works, and Congress has authorized more
between 1973 and 2020 to authorize commemorative works
than 100 new memorials in Washington, DC, and its
in the District of Columbia. Of the 108 subjects of
vicinity.
introduced bills, 59 (54%) were eventually authorized for
commemoration in bills enacted into law.
The design of Washington, D.C. has created
Proposed and enacted commemorative works can be
outstanding areas which have been or may yet be used
categorized based on their major themes. Using past
to honor those who have made lasting contributions
categorization efforts including the NPS’s thematic
to the history of our Nation. During the last century,
framework and the National Capital Planning
111 memorials, monuments and plaques have been
Commission’s (NCPC’s) Commemorative Works Catalog
erected on Federal land in the District of Columbia
as a guide, CRS developed seven categories for memorials
and its environs. These commemorative works honor
introduced since 1973. While some memorials might fit
U.S. Presidents, military units, those who served in the
into more than one category, CRS placed them into the
Vietnam War, heroes of the Revolutionary, Civil and
predominant category, so that the categories are mutually
World Wars, U.S. citizens, individuals from foreign
exclusive. Figure 1 lists these category themes and their
countries and various significant events.
definitions.
— S.Rept. 99-241 (p. 4)
Figure 1. Commemorative Work Category Themes

Congressional Role in Memorialization
In 1986, Congress enacted the Commemorative Works Act
(CWA; 40 U.S.C. §§8901-8909) to govern the
consideration, siting, design, and building of memorials in
areas administrated by the National Park Service (NPS) and
the General Services Administration (GSA) in the District
of Columbia and its environs.
Prior to the CWA, Congress approved memorials, but a
dedicated process for planning and approval of site
locations and designs did not exist. Between 1973, when
the Congress.gov database’s coverage begins, and the
enactment of the CWA in 1986, Congress authorized 17
memorials. Since the enactment of the CWA, Congress has
authorized an additional 42 memorials on federal lands in
the District of Columbia or its environs.
Congress continues to be an arbiter of what subjects are
worthy of a national commemoration in Washington, DC,
through the introduction, consideration, and enactment of
legislation.
Categorizing Commemorative Works
To understand the individuals, groups, and events that
Congress has considered honoring with a memorial in the
District of Columbia, the Congressional Research Service

(CRS) collected data in cooperation with the Bush School
Source: CRS.
of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M
https://crsreports.congress.gov

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Commemorative Works in the District of Columbia: Categorization of Proposed and Enacted Memorials, 1973-2020
To categorize each measure to establish a commemorative
figures (e.g., Francis Marion and George C. Marshall),
work, CRS examined the bill title and text to determine its
military groups (e.g., Disabled Veterans and Native
primary type of memorialization and then coded them by
American Veterans), military units (e.g., 101st Airborne and
theme. Each theme is represented once in Figure 2, which
the 1st Infantry Division), military branches (e.g., Air Force
also includes the number and percentage in each category.
and Navy), and wars (e.g., World War I and World War II).
Figure 2. Categorization by Theme of Introduced
Arts, Science, and Culture
Legislation, 1973-2020
Arts, Science, and Culture are the second-most-popular
memorial theme, representing 24% of the subjects of
proposed commemorative works. Memorials in this
category included the Albert Einstein Memorial, Justice
William O. Douglas Memorial, and the Emergency Medical
Services (EMS) Memorial.
American Symbols and Politics
American symbols and politics are the third-most-popular
proposed theme of the subjects of commemorative works
(15%) These included commemorations such as those for
Francis Scott Key; Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.; Senator
Robert Dole; and the Peace Corps.
International
Memorials to honor international themes represented 6% of
the subjects of proposed commemorative works, making it

the fourth-most-popular category. Proposed international
Source: CRS analysis of commemorative works legislation.
memorials include memorials to Mahatma Gandhi,
Note: A total of 108 different subjects for proposed commemorative
Moroccan-American Friendship, Thomas Masaryk, and the
works legislation, and though some subjects were proposed in
Ukrainian Famine.
multiple measures, each subject is counted only once for this figure.
Founders of the Nation
Overall, a plurality (45%) of the subjects of introduced
Founders of the Nation represent 5% of the subjects of
memorials honored some aspect of the military. The next
proposed commemorative works, making this the fifth-
most common theme was arts, science, and culture (24%);
most-popular category. Proposed memorials to the founders
followed by American symbols and politics (15%);
include those for George Mason, Thomas Paine, James
international (5%); founders of the nation (5%), Presidents
Madison, and John Adams and his family.
(5%); and local (1%).
Presidential
Of the introduced themes, nearly two-thirds (64%)
Presidential memorials represented 5% of the subjects of
proposed to depict groups, including military service units
proposed commemorative works. This category includes
(e.g., the 2nd Armored Division). Approximately 6%
memorials to honor Franklin D. Roosevelt, Lyndon B.
proposed to honor women (e.g., Gold Star Mothers;
Johnson, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Ronald Reagan.
Women in Military Service) and 19% proposed to honor
minority groups (e.g., Black Revolutionary War Veterans;
Local
Native American Veterans).
One local memorial was proposed between 1973 and 2020.
This was a marker placed at the spot of the former
Overall, 54% of proposed memorial themes were enacted
Providence Hospital, which was located on Capitol Hill at
into law. For enacted memorials, on average 4.13 measures
D Street and 2nd Street, SE, in Providence Park.
were introduced before a commemorative work was
enacted, with a minimum of 1 bill (5 measures: Adams
For more information on memorials in the District of
Family Memorial, Eisenhower Memorial, Joseph Rosenthal
Columbia, see CRS Report R41658, Commemorative
Memorial, Providence Hospital marker, Senator Robert
Works in the District of Columbia: Background and
Dole Plaque, and Union Soldiers Memorial) and a
Practice; CRS Report R43743, Monuments and Memorials
maximum of 14 (Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial). For
Authorized and Completed Under the Commemorative
memorial themes that were not enacted, the average number
Works Act in the District of Columbia; CRS Report
of bills introduced was 2.9, with a minimum of 1 (21
R43744, Monuments and Memorials Authorized Under the
proposed memorials) and a maximum of 34 (General Draza
Commemorative Works Act in the District of Columbia:
Mihailovich of Yugoslavia).
Current Development of In-Progress and Lapsed Works;
and CRS Report R43241, Monuments and Memorials in the
Military
District of Columbia: Analysis and Options for Proposed
Military memorials have been the most frequent subjects of
Exemptions to the Commemorative Works Act.
introduced bills for commemorative works. Since 1973,
military-themed memorials represent 45% of the subjects of
Jacob R. Straus, Specialist on the Congress
proposed commemorative works. The proposed military
Jared C. Nagel, Senior Research Librarian
themes included the memorialization of individual military
IF11833
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Commemorative Works in the District of Columbia: Categorization of Proposed and Enacted Memorials, 1973-2020

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