The assassination of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy is the most significant event in the history of Dallas, Texas. This horrible, shocking occurrence on November 22, 1963, changed Dallas-and the world-forever. The Kennedy Memorial, which was dedicated on June 24, 1970 to honor the fallen president, is an integral part of the city's urban landscape and cultural heritage.

   Almost immediately following the president's death, Dallas civic leaders began visualizing a fitting memorial. Two days after the assassination, Dallas County Judge Lew Sterrett proposed a monument to symbolize the city's respect for President Kennedy. Within a month, Sterrett and Mayor Earle Cabell formally appointed the John F. Kennedy Citizens Memorial Committee to determine the form and location of an appropriate monument.

national memorial in Washington, D.C., would extend the gesture

   The John F. Kennedy Citizens Memorial Committee was composed of two dozen of the most powerful and influential community leaders in Dallas. The Memorial Committee first suggested the assassination site in Dealey Plaza with an elegant wall as a monument. That idea evaporated under scrutiny. Representing the Memorial Committee, Stanley Marcus secured the noted American architect Philip Johnson to take on the challenge of designing the Kennedy Memorial. The New York architect held national prominence and was well known for his work in Texas, and was a social acquaintance of the Kennedy family.

   With Johnson's designs under way, the Memorial Committee recommended a new location one block east of Dealey Plaza between Main and Commerce. Dallas County donated the land, a city block adjacent to the Old Red courthouse and across from the new courthouse.

   Just as momentum for the project increased, another obstacle presented itself. Construction schedules became mired in political decisions surrounding the construction of a parking garage under the memorial site. Months passed, then years passed. Finally, after years of consensus building and fundraising, the Kennedy Memorial was completed and dedicated in 1970-almost seven years after the assassination.

   Johnson's design, a cenotaph, or open tomb, symbolizes the freedom of John F. Kennedy's spirit. While aesthetically simple, the intent of the Kennedy Memorial is often misunderstood. A thoughtful piece of art, the Kennedy Memorial originally had no interpretive features and was never intended to address the assassination. However, as more people came to Dealey Plaza seeking answers, it became clear that an exhibit was needed to explore the topic. Upon that realization, The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza had its beginnings.

   In the three decades since its dedication, the John F. Kennedy Memorial Plaza knew no champion. Neglected and taken for granted, the plaza and its structures had become targets for vandalism and graffiti. By the turn of the new millennium, the Kennedy Memorial was in need of cleaning and conservation-and attention.

   In the summer of 1999, The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza undertook management of the memorial, rallying the support of the City of Dallas and Dallas County. The Museum became caretaker of the monument and launched a full-scale restoration project aimed at preserving of both the memorial and its history. Philip Johnson, the architect of record, directed the restoration process with Corgan Associates, Inc. The project was implemented in large part by Phoenix I Restoration and Construction, Ltd. Numerous local suppliers donated all the labor, materials, and equipment required to return the memorial to its original beauty.

   Today the John F. Kennedy Memorial Plaza reopens with a fresh new look. To commemorate the monument's renewed vitality, The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza is honored to host a Rededication Ceremony on the thirtieth anniversary of the memorial's original dedication.

By Ruth Ann Rugg, Director of Interpretation