Nowhere but the Hilltop
Let’s face it, it belongs in my hometown Dallas, and it belongs at SMU, my alma mater. What is it?
It’s the Bush Library. As I am a budding presidential historian with an undying quest for presidential resources, the proposed Bush Library would be a veritable treasure trove of information. The new library, if it is awarded to Dallas, would be a short trip from my home to a place I know well. The hilltop of SMU.
The rumor mill says it’s a done deal. Didn’t SMU buy the Mrs. Baird’s factory site for this purpose? If so, what a wonderful site. a place with easy access from downtown Dallas. I can envision motorists speeding along Central Expressway-passing the freshly minted George W. Bush Library. Speeding down Central Expressway is a stretch, but they will at least pass the Library. The Bush connection to the Dallas area is strong. The Bush family raised their children in Dallas and participated in local events. This would be a homecoming of sorts, as President Bush last owned a home in the Park Cities. The rest we know is history, a local good boy done good, subsequently elected governor, and then onto the White House. President Bush’s last private sector job before going into politics was a general partner for the Texas Rangers baseball organization. The Bush Library would be an added gemstone to the rejuvenation of Dallas.
The site of the library should be, without a doubt, Dallas, with SMU as the repository of the Bush legacy. Presidential historians would flock to the library much like they do to the Clinton Library in Little Rock. Scholars would study and debate the policies and life of the man who became President Bush. SMU is a natural fit; top Bush advisers Karen Hughes and Harriet Miers graduated from SMU. The ultimate Bush adviser, Laura Bush is also an SMU graduate.
It is a matter of civic pride that Dallas should become the site of the Bush Library. For me, it is also a matter of personal pride that the SMU campus is chosen. My city and my alma mater should be the host to the president’s legacy. Nowhere but in Texas, and no place but SMU.
Ed Gray is a freelance writer from Dallas, Texas. Gray is an alumnus of Southern Methodist University, graduating in the class of 1989. One of his daughters Tiffanie Gray will be graduating from SMU this spring.
