In 1955 President Eisenhower established a commission to consider a new public auditorium in Washington, D.C. Two years later, the commission proposed a center that the New York Times called “the largest in the world” with a 100,000 square foot great hall, 4,200-seat auditorium and music hall, 1,800-seat theater, and parking for 2,000 cars. The federal government would provide the land, and private donations would pay for the estimated $36 million budget. Eisenhower signed the National Cultural Center Act into law in 1958, but it would take the support of President and Mrs. Kennedy to jumpstart fundraising and move the project forward.
Creating the National Cultural Center
In 1958, President Eisenhower signed legislation establishing a national cultural center in Washington, D.C. For the first time, the federal government would support, and partially fund, a performing arts venue for the nation. Architect Edward Durell Stone was chosen to design the center. By the time Kennedy took office, private fundraising for the center had stalled. Kennedy asked Roger L. Stevens, a seasoned Broadway producer, to take over as chair of the center’s board, and enlisted the help of both Mrs. Eisenhower and Mrs. Kennedy as honorary co-chairwomen. On November 29, 1962, An American Pageant of the Arts launched a $30 million fundraising campaign.
After Kennedy’s death, in recognition of his commitment to the arts and his leadership in promoting the National Cultural Center, President Lyndon Johnson signed a bill renaming the center the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on January 23, 1964, designating it as the living memorial to the late president. The gala opening on September 8, 1971, presented the world premiere of Leonard Bernstein’s MASS: A Theater Piece for Singers, Players, and Dancers. Shortly after, Alberto Ginastera’s opera Beatrix Cenci premiered in the Opera House, Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House was presented in the Eisenhower Theater, and Antal Dorati conducted the National Symphony Orchestra in the Concert Hall.
Exhibit Highlights
- President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s call to create a National Cultural Center.
- Multi-screen video documentary of the Kennedy Center with performances and original commentary from the First Lady as well as the lead architect.
President Eisenhower viewing a model of the National Cultural Center, c. 1962.
City News Bureau, Kennedy Center Archives
To support the proposed Cultural Center, President Kennedy declared the week of November 26-December 2, 1962 “National Cultural Center Week.” During that week, a black tie audience attended the fundraiser An American Pageant of the Arts. Leonard Bernstein led a star-studded program featuring comedian Danny Kaye, ballerina Maria Tallchief, singer Marian Anderson, seven-year-old cellist Yo-Yo Ma, actor Bob Newhart, and musician Harry Belafonte with music by the United States Navy Band and the National Symphony Orchestra.
National Guard Armory during “An American Pageant of the Arts,” Washington, D.C., November 29, 1962.
Abbie Rowe. White House Photographs. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston
In his remarks at the televised fundraiser for the National Cultural Center to a live audience of 5,000 as well as closed-circuit TV viewers in over 60 communities nationwide, President Kennedy observed, “Art knows no national boundaries. Genius can speak in any tongue, and the entire world will hear it and listen…I am certain that after the dust of centuries has passed over our cities, we, too, will be remembered, not for victories or defeats in battle or in politics but for our contribution to the human spirit.”
President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy attending “An American Pageant of the Arts,” Washington, D.C., November 29, 1962.
United Press International, Kennedy Center Archives
After the assassination of President Kennedy, President Johnson shepherded bipartisan legislation renaming the center in his honor. The John F. Kennedy Center Act, signed into law on January 23, 1964, amended the original National Cultural Center Act to rename the center and committed an additional $15.5 million in federal matching funds. Nations throughout the world gifted construction materials and artwork to the center in Kennedy’s memory.
President Johnson breaks ground for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, December 2, 1964.
Abbie Rowe, Kennedy Center Archives
Construction of the center officially began in 1966. Bethlehem Steel provided materials for the structure, and Italy gifted 3,700 tons of marble, some of it from the Buffalini family’s quarry in Carrara. The Concert Hall and Eisenhower Theater reached their highest point—called a “topping out”—in 1968. Construction continued through 1971 when it was completed under the auspices of John McShain, Inc., and final touches—such as the stage curtains and chandeliers—were installed.
View of the Kennedy Center under construction from the Northeast, c. 1968.
The Washington Post, Kennedy Center Archives
Construction of the Kennedy Center was complete by 1971. Preview performances included a gala to raise money for the Center’s specially priced ticket program and a performance of La Traviata by the New York City Opera to test the acoustics of the Opera House. èßäAVofficially opened on September 8, 1971 with a performance of MASS composed by Leonard Bernstein and commissioned by Mrs. Kennedy for the occasion.
Alan Titus as the Celebrant (center) with members of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater on opening night of Bernstein’s MASS, September 8, 1971.
Fletcher Drake, Kennedy Center Archives