After Declining to Give Trump a Sword for King Charles, a Museum Leader Is Out
Key Takeaways
- Mr. Arrington has departed from his position at the Eisenhower library.
- His departure is set against a backdrop of reshaping relationships between the National Archives and private presidential foundations.
- Past examples of this shift include the private operation of the Obama center and the transfer of the Bush Library operations to its foundation.
- Despite operational changes, former presidents' records remain government property overseen by the National Archives.
- Arrington was a scholar who had recently joined the role after a distinguished career at the National Park Service.
The recent departure of Mr. Arrington occurs during a significant effort to reshape the dynamic between the National Archives, which oversees the 13 federal presidential library sites, and the private foundations that provide financial support. This context includes notable precedents, such as the Obama Foundation's 2017 decision to run the Chicago center entirely privately, and the 2022 agreement to transfer operations of the George W. Bush Presidential Library to its foundation, a development criticized by some scholars as undermining nonpartisan presidential history. Crucially, in both these instances, the official records of the former presidents remain government property, with preservation and access managed by the National Archives under the Presidential Records Act of 1978. Arrington, a Civil War scholar, had only recently taken the helm in August 2024 after a long career at the National Park Service, where he was recognized for successfully boosting interest in James A. Garfield using social media. Upon his appointment, he was praised by the Eisenhower Foundation chairman for his strong qualifications, though the foundation's executive director did not comment on his departure.
