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Dedication Clip 1 Dedication Clip 2 Dedication Clip 3Download the Full Podcast (14mb)
Although the official establishment date of Great Smoky Mountains National Park is June 15, 1934, when the US Congress approved 400,000 acres of park land as an official unit of the National park System, the Smokies would be made to do without official celebration of this accomplishment until 6 years later. Although plans for Franklin Delano Roosevelt to officially dedicate the park had been going on for many years after the parks establishment date, a large-scale dedication including a presidential visit proved difficult to pull together.
Although FDR had already provided the Smokies with great support in the way of his creation of the Civilian Conservation Corps (members of which had built much of the basic infrastructure of the park including roads, trails and buildings throughout the park) and through much needed funds that allowed for purchase of some of the last park lands, the park wanted very much for the president to make an official dedication of the park. Through multiple schedulings and reschedulings, word finally came that a formal dedication would take place on September 2, 1940 and the president would indeed be present.
The day of the Dedication turned out to be quite an event, with thousands of people crowding around the newly finished Rockefeller Memorial at Newfound Gap. Cars were parked up the Clingmans Dome road and on some of Highway 441 as well. The monument was filled with dignitaries from both states along with significant members of the movement that had helped to create the park in the Smokies, such as Mrs. Anne Davis and Col. David Chapman. Although many from the group spoke about the amazing gift given to the American people in this national park, it was President FDR that many in the crowd came to see.
The current state of World politics was deeply rooted in the speech given by FDR, while standing on the first tier of the Rockefeller Memorial with one foot in each state. Although FDR does speak of the importance of preserving our natural areas, he also makes sure to reference the growing conflict in Europe as the issue of greatest concern, saying, “It is good and right that we should conserve these mountain heights of the old frontier for the benefit of the American people…But in this hour we have to safeguard a greater thing: the right of the people of this country to live as free men.”
Of course, I would not be long until the words of protecting our free will would become a reality. Only 15 months after Roosevelt gives his thoughtful and heartfelt dedication to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the attention of the nation is focused on preserving freedom as the US enters World War II in December of 1941.
