Project Showcase: Gateway to U.S. Federal Reserve System centennial commemoration
01 March 2014 – editors
Dec. 23, 2013, marked the 100th anniversary of the passage of the Federal Reserve Act, which established the Federal Reserve as the central bank for the United States. Financial panics and bank runs plagued the nation during the 19th and early 20th centuries, and the Panic of 1907 prompted many Americans to call for a central bank. In response, Congress passed the Federal Reserve Act, which President Woodrow Wilson signed into law to provide our country with a more stable financial system.
The yearlong centennial commemoration is an opportunity for the Federal Reserve System to promote a greater understanding and awareness of the Fed, including its mandate, structure, and functions. To that end, all 12 Federal Reserve districts are represented on a commemorative Gateway website. Brief Fed facts, information about key economic events, details about individuals instrumental in shaping the Fed, and insights into the Fed’s purpose make up the 11,000 artifacts housed on this interactive site.
In addition to the System website, the St. Louis Fed has created its own centennial website where visitors can explore 100 years of historical materials from the Eighth District, including an interactive timeline, photos and audio clips, and historical documents.
Providing public access to economic information and data has long been an important mission for the St. Louis Fed. Anyone interested in learning more or conducting personal research about the Fed is encouraged to explore the FRASER archive, the Fed’s electronic archive, to discover more about 100 years of US central banking.
The St. Louis Fed’s Library has also assembled a Federal Reserve Centennial Information/Display Package for libraries wishing to provide a display or exhibit about the Fed. All materials are provided free and do not need to be returned. The information/display package contains brochures, posters, CDs, DVDs, teacher lesson plans, a map, bags of shredded currency, and historical postcards of Fed buildings then and now. To request a packet, contact Kathy Cosgrove at [email protected].
~ Jane M. Davis, Digital Library Projects Coordinator