Libraries

Historical Note:

The 9/11 Public Discourse Project (PDP) was formed by the ten members of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, or 9/11 Commission, to continue efforts toward implementation of the Commission recommendations after its congressional mandate expired on August 21, 2004. The PDP was established as a non-profit tax-exempt organization, with the ten members of the 9/11 Commission serving as its board of directors. Originally conceived as a one-year project, it was supported in its first year largely by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. Under the directorship of Christopher Kojm, who had served as deputy to 9/11 Commission vice-chair Lee Hamilton, the commissioners undertook extensive congressional testimony and public appearances. As it became clear that the work of implementation was going to be a great deal more complex than anticipated, they sought funding for a second year, provided by the Knight Foundation and by a grant from the Smith Richardson Foundation. Their seven public sessions on “The Unfinished Agenda” in June and July 2005 were a prelude to the intensive reports on implementation in fall 2005, culminating in December with the widely publicized “report card” sessions that graded the executive and legislative branches of government as well as relevant law enforcement agencies on their implementation of the recommendations in the 9/11 Commission’s report. The project ceased operation on December 31, 2005.

The Collection (7.5 linear feet):

The collection consists of Director Christopher Kojm’s office files; briefing books, notes, and presentation materials for The Unfinished Agenda and other public report sessions on the status of the 9/11 Commission recommendations; testimony by Lee Hamilton and others before Congress regarding implementation of the recommendations; the typescript for Lee Hamilton and Thomas Kean’s book Without Precedent; Lee Hamilton’s emails and working notes for the duration of the 9/11 Public Discourse Project from September 1, 2004 through June 2006, and tapes and props from the public sessions on The Unfinished Agenda.

Status of the Collection:

A detailed online finding aid is available.

Researcher Access:

Prior arrangement is required for access to the collection because materials must be retrieved from offsite storage. Contact congpprs@indiana.edu.