Joseph R. Biden Jr. Presidential Library

Last updated

Joseph R. Biden Jr. Presidential Library
Joseph R. Biden Jr. Presidential library logo.png
Biden Presidential Library website screenshot.png
Available inEnglish
Headquarters
TBD
Country of originUnited States
Owner National Archives and Records Administration
Created byArchival Operations Division – Biden Presidential Library
Key people Joe Biden
URL bidenlibrary.gov
CommercialNo
LaunchedJanuary 20, 2025;13 days ago (2025-01-20)
Content license
Public domain

The Joseph R. Biden Jr. Presidential Library is an archive of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in which state papers related to the presidency of Joe Biden have been deposited following his term as President of the United States, as well as a proposed presidential center on Joe Biden.

Contents

Background

Presidential Libraries are archives and museums, bringing together the documents and artifacts of a U.S. president and his administration. [1] While libraries and their contents are maintained by NARA, other costs have traditionally been borne by private donors. [2] According to NARA, each former president selects the architect for the library and is "solely responsible for choice of the final location for the Library building and for the construction costs". [1]

Location

The library is located in Room 1510 of 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, Maryland, a U.S. government office building in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. [3] [4]

Following the second inauguration of Donald Trump, on January 20, 2025, NARA announced it had "assumed custody of the records and artifacts of the Biden administration". [5] According to NARA, Biden had not — as of that date — formally "indicated his intentions with regard to a Presidential Library". [5]

History

According to Joe Biden, in a story related by him to Robert Hur during Hur's investigation of the Joe Biden classified documents incident, the topic of his presidential library was first broached by Jill Biden in July 2023 following remarks he gave at the Harry Truman Presidential Library, after which he began thinking about it more closely. [6] Annie Tomasini and Anthony Bernal were subsequently designated by Biden to organize fundraising for the library's construction. [7]

The University of Delaware in Wilmington, Delaware, and Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York, were both initially cited by Biden as possible locations for the library facility. As of July 2024, however, the University of Delaware reported it was "unaware of any conversations on this topic" while a spokesperson for Syracuse said at the same time that "there have been no conversations to date on this". [8] [9]

In November 2024, The Wall Street Journal reported that some donors were putting up "resistance" to giving funds for the library. [10] The next month, following Biden's pardon of Hunter Biden, several major Democratic Party donors reportedly signaled their intent to withhold donations for the proposed library facility altogether. [2] [7]

As of December 2024, NARA was recruiting staff to prepare the Biden library document collections. [11] In January 2025, Philadelphia mayor Cherelle Parker expressed interest in lobbying for the library to be built in her city. [12]

Design

One unsolicited plan advanced by civic leaders in Wilmington involved repurposing the Daniel L. Herrmann Courthouse to serve as the Biden library. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Archives and Records Administration</span> United States government agency

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an independent agency of the United States government within the executive branch, charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. It is also tasked with increasing public access to those documents that make up the National Archives. NARA is officially responsible for maintaining and publishing the legally authentic and authoritative copies of acts of Congress, presidential directives, and federal regulations. NARA also transmits votes of the Electoral College to Congress. It also examines Electoral College and constitutional amendment ratification documents for prima facie legal sufficiency and an authenticating signature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Biden</span> President of the United States from 2021 to 2025

Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. is an American politician who served as the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice president from 2009 to 2017 under President Barack Obama, and represented Delaware in the U.S. Senate from 1973 to 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Presidential library system</span> Research library with the collection of a U.S. presidents papers

In the United States, the presidential library system is a nationwide network of 16 libraries administered by the Office of Presidential Libraries, which is part of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). These are repositories for preserving and making available the papers, records, collections and other historical materials of every president of the United States since Herbert Hoover, the 31st president from 1929–1933. In addition to the library services, museum exhibitions concerning the presidency are displayed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beau Biden</span> American politician and lawyer (1969–2015)

Joseph Robinette "Beau" Biden III was an American politician, lawyer, and officer in the Army Judge Advocate General's Corps from Wilmington, Delaware. He was the eldest child of 46th U.S. president, Joe Biden and Neilia Hunter Biden, served as the 44th attorney general of Delaware from 2007 to 2015, and was a major in the Delaware Army National Guard in the Iraq War. He died of glioblastoma at the age of 46 in 2015, at which time he was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for governor of Delaware in the 2016 gubernatorial election. A portion of the 21st Century Cures Act was named the Beau Biden Cancer Moonshot initiative after him.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jill Biden</span> First Lady of the United States from 2021 to 2025

Jill Tracy Jacobs Biden is an American educator who served as the first lady of the United States from 2021 to 2025 as the wife of President Joe Biden. She previously served as second lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017 when her husband was vice president. Since 2009, she has been a professor of English at Northern Virginia Community College. She is believed to be the first wife of a vice president or president to hold a salaried job during the majority of her husband's tenure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hunter Biden</span> American businessman and lobbyist (born 1970)

Robert Hunter Biden is an American attorney and businessman. He is the second son of former president Joe Biden and his first wife, Neilia Hunter Biden. Hunter Biden was a founding board member of BHR Partners, a Chinese investment company, in 2013, and later served on the board of Burisma Holdings, one of the largest private natural gas producers in Ukraine, from 2014 until his term expired in April 2019. He has worked as a lobbyist and legal representative for lobbying firms, a hedge fund principal, and a venture capital and private equity fund investor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Family of Joe Biden</span> American presidential family

The family of Joe Biden, the 46th president of the United States, includes members prominent in law, education, activism and politics. Biden's immediate family was the first family of the United States from 2021 to 2025. They were also the second family of the United States from 2009 to 2017 during Biden's vice presidency under Barack Obama. Biden's family is mostly descended from the British Isles, with most of their ancestors coming from Ireland and England, and a smaller number descending from the French.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lisa Blunt Rochester</span> American politician (born 1962)

Lisa LaTrelle Blunt Rochester is an American politician serving since 2025 as the junior United States senator from Delaware. From 2017 to 2025, she served as the U.S. representative for Delaware's at-large congressional district. A member of the Democratic Party, she is the first woman and first African American to represent Delaware in both chambers of Congress.

Federal pardons in the United States are granted only by the U.S. president, pursuant to their authority under the U.S. Constitution to grant "reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States". Pardons extend to all federal criminal offenses, except in cases of impeachment, and entail various forms of clemency, including commuting or postponing a sentence, remitting a fine or restitution, delaying the imposition of a punishment, and providing amnesty to an entire group or class of individuals. The pardon power extends to cases involving courts-martial against members of the United States Armed Forces, including the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, the Marine Corps, the Coast Guard, and the Space Force.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David C. Weiss</span> American attorney (born 1956)

David Charles Weiss is an American attorney. He was nominated by President Donald Trump to be United States Attorney for the United States District Court for the District of Delaware, and was retained by President Joe Biden. He has served in that office since February 22, 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 United States presidential election in Delaware</span>

The 2020 United States presidential election in Delaware was held on Tuesday, November 3, 2020, as part of the 2020 United States presidential election in which all 50 states plus the District of Columbia participated. Delaware voters chose electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote, pitting the Republican Party's nominee, incumbent President Donald Trump from Florida, and running mate Vice President Mike Pence from Indiana against Democratic Party nominee, former Vice President Joe Biden, and his running mate California Senator Kamala Harris. Delaware has three electoral votes in the Electoral College.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neilia Hunter Biden</span> First wife of President Joe Biden (1942–1972)

Neilia Hunter Biden was an American teacher. She was the first wife of Joe Biden, who would later become the 46th president of the United States. She died in a 1972 car crash with their one-year-old daughter, Naomi; their two sons, Beau and Hunter, were injured but survived the incident. Her death occurred six weeks after her husband's election to the U.S. Senate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Valerie Biden Owens</span> American political strategist (born 1945)

Valerie Biden Owens is an American political strategist, campaign manager and former educator. She is the younger sister of Joe Biden, the 46th president of the United States. In 2016, President Barack Obama nominated her as alternate representative of the United States to the 71st Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement</span> University of Pennsylvania think tank

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References

  1. 1 2 "Frequently Asked Questions". National Archives and Records Administration . Archived from the original on December 30, 2024. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  2. 1 2 Baio, Ariana (December 5, 2024). "Furious Dems threaten to withhold donations to Biden's presidential library after Hunter's pardon". The Independent . ISSN   1741-9743. OCLC   185201487. Archived from the original on January 2, 2025. Retrieved January 1, 2025.
  3. "Contact Us". bidenlibrary.gov. National Archives and Records Administration.
  4. "The National Archives at College Park, Maryland". archives.gov. National Archives and Records Administration . Retrieved January 20, 2025.
  5. 1 2 "Frequently Asked Questions". nara.gov. National Archives and Records Administration . Retrieved January 20, 2025.
  6. Misiaszek, Emma (March 13, 2024). "Syracuse University vies to become home to President Joe Biden's presidential library". WSTM-TV . Archived from the original on January 2, 2025. Retrieved January 1, 2025.
  7. 1 2 VandeHei, Jim; Allen, Mike (December 5, 2024). "Behind the Curtain: Biden's haunting twin sins". Axios . Cox Enterprises. Archived from the original on January 2, 2025. Retrieved January 1, 2025.
  8. Powers, Kelly (July 30, 2024). "Where will President Joe Biden build his presidential library?". The News Journal . Gannett. Archived from the original on January 2, 2025. Retrieved January 1, 2025.
  9. 1 2 Vincent, Charlie (August 27, 2024). "VIEWPOINT: Reimagining Wilmington's Future with the Biden Presidential Library". Delware Business Times. Archived from the original on January 2, 2025. Retrieved January 1, 2025.
  10. Linskey, Annie (October 30, 2024). "'Garbage' Comments Push Sidelined Biden Back Into Campaign Spotlight". Wall Street Journal . Archived from the original on October 30, 2024. Retrieved January 23, 2025. Biden's team has encountered some resistance raising the roughly $200 million to $300 million Biden's allies think will be required for it based on past presidential libraries, according to people familiar with the discussions.
  11. Dufalla, Lucas (December 3, 2024). "Clinton Center leaders tout economic and civic impact". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette . WEHCO Media. ISSN   1060-4332. OCLC   50767083. Archived from the original on January 2, 2025. Retrieved January 1, 2025.
  12. MacDonald, Tom (January 9, 2025). "Philly mayor to lobby for Biden's presidential library". WHYY-TV . Retrieved January 14, 2025.

PD-icon.svg This article incorporates public domain material from Presidential Libraries, Frequently Asked Questions. National Archives and Records Administration.