Special Message to the Congress Transmitting Reorganization Plan Relating to the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library

To the Congress of the United States:

I transmit herewith Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1963, prepared in accordance with the Reorganization Act of 1949, as amended, and providing for the reorganization of certain functions relating to the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library.

The Library project was built under authority of the Joint Resolution of July 1939. It is located on a site in the town of Hyde Park, Dutchess County, New York, donated by the late Franklin D. Roosevelt. The Library contains historical material donated by him, and other related historical material.

At the present time responsibility for the Library is divided as follows:

(1) The Secretary of the Interior is responsible for the care, maintenance, and protection of the buildings and grounds of the Library and for the collection of fees for the privilege of visiting and viewing the exhibit rooms or museum portion of the Library, exclusive, however, of the function of fixing the amounts of fees charged.

(2) Responsibility for the contents and professional services of the Library, and all other responsibility for the Library except as indicated above, are vested in the Administrator of General Services.

When the transfer of functions with respect to the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library from the Secretary of the Interior to the Administrator of General Services, as provided for in the reorganization plan transmitted herewith, becomes effective, the Administrator will have complete responsibility for the library, including its buildings, grounds, contents, and services.

Three other Presidential libraries are now entirely under the jurisdiction of the Administrator of General Services (in pursuance of section 507(g) of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949, as amended): the Harry S. Truman Library at Independence, Missouri, the Herbert Hoover Library at West Branch, Iowa, and the Dwight D. Eisenhower Library at Abilene, Kansas. The taking effect of the provisions of the accompanying reorganization plan will place the administration of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library fully on a common footing with the administration of these three other Presidential libraries.

I am persuaded that the present division of responsibility between the Secretary of the Interior and the Administrator of General Services is not conducive to the most efficient administration of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library. Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1963 will apply to this library the preferable pattern of organization existing with respect to other Presidential libraries.

After investigation I have found and hereby declare that each reorganization included in Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1963 is necessary to accomplish one or more of the purposes set forth in section 2(a) of the Reorganization Act of 1949, as amended.

The taking effect of reorganizations included in the reorganization plan will provide improved organizational arrangements with respect to the administration of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library. While such arrangements will further the convenient and efficient carrying out of the purposes of the Library, it is impracticable to specify or itemize at this time the reductions of expenditures which it is probable will be brought about by such taking effect.

I recommend that the Congress allow the reorganization plan to become effective.

JOHN F. KENNEDY