Northeast News
December 31, 2014

KANSAS CITY, Missouri — United States President Barack Obama signed legislation passed by both houses of Congress providing the National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial with its second official recognition from Congress. The bill effectively designates the Museum as the National World War I Museum and Memorial.

The legislation passed the House of Representatives in May and passed the Senate on Friday, Dec. 12, as part of the National Defense Authorization Act. President Obama then signed three pieces of legislation Friday, Dec. 20, including the National Defense Authorization Act, which contains the provision with designation for the Museum.

The bill recognizes Liberty Memorial as a World War I memorial in a similar fashion to other nationally recognized memorials such as the National World War II Memorial and the Korean War Veterans Memorial on the National Mall in Washington D.C. The legislation provides an additional designation for the Museum, which was deemed as “America’s National World War I Museum” by Congress after President George W. Bush signed the legislation in 2004. The National World War I Museum holds the most diverse collection of World War I objects and documents in the world and is the second-oldest public museum dedicated to preserving the objects, history and personal experiences of the war. The museum was ranked as one of the top 25 museums in the United States by TripAdvisor in 2014 and was recently recognized by USA Today as one of the top 10 museums that “bring military history to life.”

The legislation also re-designates Pershing Park in Washington D.C. as a World War I Memorial and authorizes enhancements or creation of additional commemorative works within the area. Enhancements would be spearheaded by the United States World War I Centennial Commission using privately raised funds.

In a press release, Dr. Matthew Naylor, National World War I Museum President and CEO, said the recognition from Congress is a tribute to the foresight and dedication of the 80,000 plus Kansas City area residents who took the initiative to establish and build the Liberty Memorial and Museum shortly after the end of World War I. He added he’s grateful to each of the members of Congress, including local Senators Claire McCaskill and Roy Blunt and Representatives Emanuel Cleaver, Sam Graves and Kevin Yoder, for leading this effort to officially recognize Liberty Memorial.

“Having two United States presidents sign legislation to recognize the National World War I Museum and Liberty Memorial is incredibly special,” Naylor said.

The Senate bill was introduced by Missouri Senators Roy Blunt and Claire McCaskill and West Virginia Senator John Rockefeller. The U.S. House of Representatives legislation passed in May was introduced by Missouri Representatives Emanuel Cleaver and Sam Graves, Wisconsin Representative Gwen Moore, Washington D.C. Representative Eleanor Holmes Norton, Texas Representative Ted Poe, Illinois Representative Bobby Rush, Virginia Representative Rob Wittman, Kansas Representative Kevin Yoder and Alaska Representative Don Young.

The Museum is in the midst of the Centennial commemoration of World War I (2014-19) and will offer special exhibitions, guest lectures, programs and other events during the next five years. Currently, the Museum’s special exhibitions include Over By Christmas: August-December 1914, an examination of the first months of World War I, War and Art. Destruction and Protection of Italian Cultural Heritage During World War I, an exhibition of photographs documenting the Italian effort to preserve significant works of art during the Great War, and Letters and Artworks From War: Renefer: 1914-18, a bilingual exhibition featuring works from the French artist Renefer. The Museum also recently launched its latest online exhibition, The Christmas Truce, Winter 1914, which examines the remarkable event celebrating its Centennial this month.