With the groundbreaking of the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum Tuesday, SMU’s administration eagerly awaits its completion in 2013. The administration believes that the library will not only be a great resource to the University, but will also promote worldwide recognition for the school.
“The library is a tremendous positive for both SMU and the greater Dallas community,” said Paul Ludden, the SMU provost and vice president of academic affairs.
The George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum will be the 13th Presidential Library in the United States.
“A presidential library is a great resource for faculty, students and the community to access a storehouse of history,” Vice President for Development and External Affairs Brad Cheves said.
Director of the Tower Center for Political Studies James Hollifield said, “The library adds another dimension to the University because it is an institution that will serve the whole population.”
Each presidential library is an outpost of the National Archives Record Administration (NARA), meaning that the library contains more than just documents.
Students, faculty and administration, as well as the public, can access programs and specific information regarding President Bush’s presidency.
“[President Bush’s presidency] was a remarkable period in our history, and SMU will have access to those resources in a way others won’t be able to,” Ludden said.
Hollifield agrees that these resources will be a benefit to the visitors of the Center’s library.
“People will come, over time, to study the former president and his presidency,” Hollifield said. “There are a lot of resources that scholars and students will want to work with.”
Although there was controversy about building the library on SMU’s campus, many members of the faculty and administration consider the library to be a benefit, rather than a detriment.
Cheves clarified that while early controversy revolved around politics, the decision to bring the Bush Center to SMU was based upon history and resources.
“Since the decision has been made, the Bush Center has proven to be an entity that is open to convening programs and people for ideas in a non-partisan environment,” Cheves said. “It will allow people to engage, discuss, debate and research about those eight crucial and pivotal years in our history.”
In a New York Times article, Hollifield said, “Whether one supports or opposes the Bush polices, there isIn a New York Times article, Hollifield said, “Whether one supports or opposes the Bush policies, there is no question that they have been momentous for the century and the world…The library will be a gold mine for scholars, and its location on a university campus symbolizes the need for study.”
Ludden agrees.
“An [overwhelming] majority associated with SMU feel we have attracted a major resource to this campus,” said Ludden, who has always viewed the library as a benefit.
Vice President of Student Affairs Dr. Lori White, who has visited the Lyndon B. Johnson and William J. Clinton Libraries, as well as the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, thinks that the library will elevate the profile of SMU.
“There will be individuals who did not know much about SMU before the library, who will learn more about SMU and about our outstanding faculty and student body as a result of the library being at SMU,” White said.
The administration and faculty members believe that having the opportunity to house a Presidential Center on SMU’s campus will allow the University to be highly recognized worldwide.
“Any time you have a Presidential Center, you bring the eyes of literally the world to the location,” Cheves said. “It’s from this location that people will learn about SMU in a regard that elevates the profile of our University and will introduce it to literally millions around the world.”
