The Commission Process

A memorial's commission is often a complex and controversial affair. Both commissions outlined here seek to commemorate a great loss to the country: the assassination of a president and the war dead of a surprise attack that brought the United States into World War II. In each case, the initiative for commemoration began at the local level while addressing an event of national significance.

The William McKinley Memorial Monument Commission

The movement to commemorate the life of William McKinley was initiated immediately following his death. Competing local efforts coalesced in a committee led by members of the Columbus Board of Trade and representatives of the city's six leading newspapers. The committee recommended raising a minimum of $25,000 to a maximum of $100,000 for the completion of a memorial statue or monument and established a subscription fund whose first contributions were received on October 2, 1901. Various commemorative forms were considered, among them a memorial industrial institute at the Ohio State University. The Grand Army of the Republic and the Union Veteran's League proposed a Memorial Hall for the use of veterans of all wars. Ultimately the committee decided to erect a heroic monument as a tribute to the respect which the citizens of Columbus held for their former governor and fallen president.

Receipts in the subscription fund were disappointing. The State of Ohio offered support by providing use of the Capitol Square site at the High Street entrance to the State Capitol Building. The state agreed to match donations to the fund if a $25,000 goal could be raised. The goal was met on January 7, 1903.

In 1902, sculptor Hermon Atkins MacNeil visited Columbus at the request of the memorial committee and offered suggestions for the location and style of a suitable memorial to McKinley. While newspaper accounts indicate that other artists were invited to submit proposals, there is no evidence that any other sculptor was seriously considered. MacNeil was awarded the commission on January 9, 1903.

PT, May 1998

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USS Arizona Memorial Commission

In 1943, only two years after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, Tony Todaro proposed building a "Shrine of Pearl Harbor." Although his design was quite different from the current USS Arizona Memorial, it nevertheless illustrated the country's desire to "Remember Pearl Harbor." A year later, another memorial was proposed by Herbert Knowles. These memorials never came to fruition.

Reacting to local desires, the state of Hawaii established the Pacific War Memorial Commission (PWMC) in 1949 to plan war memorials in Hawaii. The commission planned to construct a platform over the wreckage of the sunken battleship USS Arizona. On nearby Ford Island, the PWMC also planned an observation deck and museum. A platform was built over the ship in March of 1950, due to the efforts of Admiral Arthur Radford, Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific Naval fleet. He also petitioned and received permission to install a flagpole on the ship's wreckage for a flag to be raised and lowered every day at the site.

The reality of establishing a permanent memorial seemed apparent when members of the Navy unofficially allied with the PWMC in May of 1956. Before both parties could act, they required Congressional Legislation to secure the legal aspects of the project. Congress passed Public Law 85-344 on March 15, 1958, however this bill did not include any federal funding. The $150,000 in federal appropriation was granted on September 6, 1961. The memorial cost over $500,000; the remainder of the funding arrived in various forms. The Hawaiian legislature allocated $50,000 to the PWMC in hopes of bolstering Hawaiian tourism. On March 25, 1961 Elvis Presley played to a soldout crowd at Bloch Arena at Pearl Harbor and raised $65,696.73 for the PWMC. Targeting a national audience, the PWMC worked with the popular show, "This Is Your Life" to solicit public subscription. The show aired on December 3, 1958, a date very close to the anniversary of the Arizona's sinking, and raised $95,000 dollars in the month of December. The remainder of the money arrived in the form of public subscription.

GM, May 1998

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