The highlight of the evening was a radio address from the White House to commemorate the Museum’s anniversary. President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed, “We are dedicating this building to the cause of peace and to the pursuits of peace…. The arts cannot thrive except where men are free to be themselves and to be in charge of the discipline of their own energies and ardors. …. In encouraging the creation and enjoyment of beautiful things we are furthering democracy itself. That is why this museum is a citadel of civilization.”