October 31, 1941
Today In History
Mount Rushmore National Memorial Opens
Getting this project underway was a challenge all by itself. Once Doane Robinson and others had found a sculptor, Gutzon Borglum, they had to get permission to do the carving. Senator Peter Norbeck and Congressman William Williamson were instrumental in getting the legislation passed to allow the carving. Williamson drafted two bills, one each to be introduced in the United States Congress and the South Dakota Legislature. The bill requesting permission to use federal land for the memorial easily passed through Congress. The bill sent to the South Dakota Legislature faced more opposition. The Mount Harney National Memorial bill was defeated twice before narrowly passing. Governor Gunderson signed the bill on March 5, 1925, and established the Mount Harney Memorial Association later that summer. With the commission organized and money in the bank, Borglum could now begin to work in earnest on the mountain. Workers were hired, machinery installed and facilities constructed. During the 1930's Senator Norbeck worked tirelessly to secure continued funding through emergency relief programs that were part of President Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal, which were also matched with funds from the original appropriation bill. In 1933, President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 6166, which drastically changed the management of the project. Mount Rushmore was now placed under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service and was supervised by engineer Julian Spotts, who began to look for ways to improve efficiency and working conditions. Gutzon Borglum, always uneasy with outside control over his projects, became resentful of being under "the watchful eye of the government. Borglum successfully returned control of the project to an appointed commission, mostly of his choosing, in 1938. The new commission allowed Borglum nearly complete control over most aspects of the project. During this time of increased freedom, Borglum began construction of a large repository, called the Hall of Records, in a valley behind the sculpture. This repository was intended to tell the story of Mount Rushmore and of the United States . After the United States Congress threatened to cut off all funding for the project unless used specifically to finish the sculpture itself, Borglum reluctantly stopped work on the hall in 1939. Due to later events, the Hall of Records was never finished. Gutzon Borglum spent much of the last two years of the project traveling and working to secure additional funding. While he was away his son, Lincoln Borglum, supervised the work on Mount Rushmore. In March, 1941, as a final dedication was being planned, Gutzon Borglum died. This fact, along with the impending American involvement in World War II, led to the end of the work on the mountain. On October 31, 1941, Mount Rushmore National Memorial was declared a completed project.
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