| Collection |
Oklahoma City National Memorial--Hillmann & Carr |
| Date |
11/18/1999 |
| Description |
This videotape includes an interview with Bob Johnson. He discusses the morning of April 19, 1995, finding out the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building had been bombed, and the discussion about the creation of a memorial at a Red Cross board meeting. He goes on to say that the first memorial occurred spontaneously at the site with the rescue workers. He recounts a request from Cathy Keating to help create the Memorial, involving the Mayor's office, organizing a committee to create the Memorial, and encouraging full participation from the community. He tells about a convention in San Diego on commemoration, preparation for the Oklahoma City memorial process, and identifying the common thread in troubled memorials as a lack of community participation. He singles out the failure of organizers to seek input from the community as a great threat to the memorial process. He discusses the memorial process, the creation of a 350 member task force, beginning the process in June 1995, and his decision to lead the task force. Bob talks about the open and inclusive nature of the memorial process and how it was democratized for the first time in American history. He also talks about aiding the healing process and initial anger from some in the community. Lastly, he discusses the mission statement, the international design competition, the involvement of the National Park Service and the legislation that created the Memorial. |
| Object ID |
3844.133 |
| Object Name |
Cassette, Videotape |
|
