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Institutional and Private LibrariesAmerican Legion Library, National Headquarters%u2014%u2014Indianapolis, IndianaErected in 1950, and continues to serve as the National Headquarters.The American Legion was chartered on September 16, 1919, and held its first national convention that November in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where it selected Indianapolis for its National Headquarters.The Legion%u2019s first long-term home in Indianapolis was the War Memorial Building. Ground was broken on November 4, 1921, and it was occupied in 1925.On Sunday, August 20, 1950, during its four-day state convention, a brand new National Headquarters building (as shown on this postcard) was dedicated. Paul V. McNutt, a former state and national commander, gave the address for the new $2,500,000 structure on Memorial Plaza. The building was officially presented to the current national commander, George N. Craig, by Governor Henry F. Schricker. An estimated 25,000 out-of-towners joined hundreds of local members of the Legion to celebrate the occasion. President Truman had planned to attend, but had to back out because of the situation in Korea.The dedication%u2019s festivities included color guards, plus choruses, barbershop quartets, and Legion bands competing in various contests. In addition, there was a drum and bugle corps competition at Victory Field.The annual state memorial service was held at the nearby Cenotaph (which honors all Hoosiers killed in wars), and there was a parade on Monday.The National Headquarters building houses Various offices and is home to the historical archives, a library, the National Executive Committee room, an art gallery, a museum, finance operations, and editorial offices for Legion publications.In 1999, a second Legion building, the John H. Geiger Operations Center, was built at Fort Benjamin Harrison. That 64,000-square-foot facility has four divisions: Membership Services, Emblem Sales, Information Technology, and Fund Raising. The Legion also maintains a third facility in Washington, DC, which sits just three blocks from the White House.