Dean Van Lengen saw the conclusion of six years of planning, designing and evaluating this morning as she attended the dedication ceremony for the Pentagon Memorial to the victims of 9/11, lead by President George Bush.

Dean Van Lengen served as a member of the jury which represented three groups: the family members of those who perished in the Pentagon on 9/11/01, members of the U.S. military, and persons in the artistic community. The jury carefully whittled down the 1,200 design submissions to a group of six finalists in October, 2002. Alumnus Jeff Lee, FASLA (BLA'78) served as a consultant to the jury as well as worked closely with the eventual winners to help shape the final design. A short time later, the final selection was made: Keith Kaseman and Julie Beckman of KBAS, Philadelphia, Pa.

I was so pleased to be a part of the opening ceremonies of the Pentagon Memorial Opening Celebration. The Project that our Jury selected 5 years ago is a truly powerful memorial that invites individual personal remembrance while also giving hope to a collective future.

— Dean Karen Van Lengen

Please follow the link below for images of the Pentagon Memorial design and statements by the family members and architects.