John F. Kennedy Memorial Plaza

John F. Kennedy Memorial Plaza. . , President John Fitzgerald Kennedy (1917-1963) was assassinated in Dallas, two hundred yards from this location, on November 22, 1963. This event changed the city-and the world-forever. Dedicated on June 24, 1970, the John F. Kennedy Memorial is both a tribute to the life of President Kennedy and a reflection of the deep impact that his death had on the nation and the world. Hundreds of suggestions for a memorial tribute poured into Dallas within months of the assassination. Noted American architect and Kennedy-family friend Philip Johnson was selected as designer for a poignant monument for the City of Dallas. , Johnson's unique concrete structure took the form of a cenotaph, or "open tomb," meant to symbolize the freedom of President Kennedy's spirit. Though misunderstood by many visitors, the designer always envisioned "something very humble and spartan... a memorial for one whose remains lie elsewhere." , The John F. Kennedy Memorial consists of a roofless room, measuring 30-feet tall and 50-feet square. Composed of seventy-two white pre-cast concrete columns, the memorial's walls are supported by eight pillars (two in each corner) and appear to float above the ground. Narrow openings on the north and south sides provide access to a quiet enclosure, at the center of which is a simple black granite slab bearing the president's name in gold letters. , The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza coordinates maintenance of the memorial in cooperation with Dallas County and Phoenix I Restoration and Construction, Ltd. , Located three blocks away on the sixth and seventh floors of the former Texas School Book Depository at 411 Elm Street, The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza presents the social and political context of the early 1960s, chronicles President Kennedy's assassination and its aftermath, and examines his lasting impact on American culture. Learn more at jfk.org. , "A place of quiet refuge, , an enclosed place of , thought and contemplation , separated from the city around, , but near the sky and earth." , - Philip Johnson, Architect (1906-2005) , Inspired by this symbol of our hentage, Phoenix Restoration and Construction, Ltd., donated the major restoration of the John F. Kennedy Memorial Plaza, May, 2000. , John Fitzgerald Kennedy's Life , The joy and excitement of John Fitzgerald Kennedy's life belonged to all men. , So did the pain and sorrow of his death. , When he died on November 22, 1963, shock and agony touched human conscience throughout the world. , In Dallas, Texas, there was a special sorrow. , The young President died in Dallas. The death bullets were fired 200 yards west of this site. , This memorial, designed by Philip Johnson, was erected by the people of Dallas. Thousands of citizens contributed support, money and effort. , It is not a memorial to the pain and sorrow of death, but stands as a permanent tribute to the joy and excitement of one man's life. , John Fitzgerald Kennedy's life.