Latest Bush Library Article- Houston Chronicle

[Water Pony]

Sept. 12, 2005, 8:30AM

Vying for the presidential library
Texas schools hurry to finish bids touting why they should house Bush's archives
By MATTHEW TRESAUGUE
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle
RESOURCES
ECONOMIC BOOST

Baylor University economics teacher Tom Kelly studied the issue for the university's proposal:
• $367 million: Amount Bill Clinton's presidential library helped generate for downtown Little Rock, Ark.


His academic sensibilities tell Tom Kelly that Baylor University should be the home of George W. Bush's presidential library and museum, and all of the reasons have to do with location.

Baylor has purchased more than 100 acres on the banks of the Brazos River near downtown Waco and Interstate 35 as a potential site for the library. The spot also is close to the president's ranch in Crawford, and is centrally located between Dallas and Austin.

"We've got a chance on location alone," said Kelly, who teaches economics at Baylor.

But location may not be enough. No doubt money, politics and prestige also will come into play as cities and universities across Texas scramble to complete bids for the library before Thursday's deadline.

In addition to Baylor, institutions competing for the library may include Midland College, Southern Methodist University, Texas A&M University, Texas Tech University, the University of Dallas and the University of Texas System.

The city of Arlington also is offering land beside the home of the Texas Rangers baseball team, for which Bush served as managing partner in the early 1990s.

Not since the demise of the Southwest Conference have so many Texas universities vied for the same prize.

"I haven't seen anything like we're involved in now," said Peter Flawn, former president of UT-Austin and co-chairman of the committee that drafted the UT System's proposal.

The universities want the library because of its potential for attracting top scholars, tourists and national and international political figures. Plus, it could be an economic catalyst for a community.

As the deadline nears, most substantive details are closely guarded secrets.

The UT System's governing board signed off on a proposal last week without saying much beyond the claim that no property would be taken by eminent domain for the library — an indirect shot at landlocked SMU, which is the perceived favorite.


'Pursuing it with vigor'
However, officials at SMU, which is located in affluent University Park near Dallas, said land is available. The university also counts first lady Laura Bush as an alumna and trustee. What's more, the Bushes are Methodist and are expected to buy a home in Dallas after leaving the White House.

But SMU, which began developing its proposal shortly after Bush's inauguration in 2001, does not consider itself the team to beat.

"We have never chosen to assume anything," said Brad Cheves, vice president for development and external affairs at SMU. "We consider this to be a serious process, and we're pursuing it with vigor."

As for details, SMU is mum, much like its rivals. But there are some obvious strengths and weaknesses to each bid. Texas A&M, for example, already houses the first President Bush's library, which university officials consider an asset. But would the son want his library next door to his father's?

Would Bush prefer to split his library among several locations, like Gerald Ford did and the UT System is proposing?

The public universities probably could raise the estimated $200 million to build and endow the library at a faster pace than the private schools, but would those dollars be worth the extra red tape?

Would the library be more visible as the centerpiece of a small town or as a piece of a metropolis?

Adding to the intrigue are the players involved. Donald Evans, who will help the president and his wife evaluate the proposals, is a former chairman of the UT System's governing board.

Baylor hired the former director of the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library Center and the former director of the Presidential Library System at the National Archives to shepherd its proposal.


Many good options

And then there are the ties that SMU has to the first lady, and Texas A&M to the president's father.

The wooers have not been told what to expect after Thursday's deadline. A decision could come as early as January, but with more than three years remaining in Bush's presidency, there is time.

"The thing that is clear is that President Bush and the first lady will have excellent proposals to consider," said Larry Brumley, associate vice president for external affairs at Baylor. "This is a highly treasured asset."

[email protected]

[SoCal_Pony]

"We've got a chance on location alone," said Kelly, who teaches economics at Baylor. But location may not be enough.

Talk about being in a fog….one of the biggest things going against Baylor is its LOCATION….same goes for Midland and Lubbock.

As President Clinton himself has stated, a key for presidential libraries is to attract international figures years after the initial shine has worn off. You think Blair and Berlusconi want to spend a weekend in Waco?

[Dooby]

Exactly. This is what the Baylor folks fail to grasp. All things being equal, what makes Waco more attractive for a presidential library than for a company looking to relocate? There isn't anything I can think of.

[Bergermeister]

No contest... it's a done deal.

[MrMustang1965]

from the Austin American-Statesman...

AUSTIN, Texas — A parcel along Austin's Town Lake and two sites in Dallas were offered Wednesday by the University of Texas System as possible locations for a library, museum and public policy institute honoring President Bush.

UT System officials also pledged to raise $260 million to $300 million from a variety of donors and other sources to build and endow the complex.

"We've offered three sites because we are in a unique position to do so," said Steve Collins, the system's associate vice chancellor for governmental relations.

The local site — 21acres along Lake Austin Boulevard, just west of MoPac Boulevard (Loop 1) — is currently occupied by the Colorado Apartments, which house UT students and family members. The other sites are the campus of UT-Dallas and a 23-acre tract adjacent to the UT Southwestern Medical Center near downtown Dallas.

System officials did not recommend any of the sites over the others. But in addition to a main site, they proposed a secondary site at UT-San Antonio to serve as a high-security conference center for world leaders and scholars.

The Texas A&M University System and Southern Methodist University also submitted proposals Wednesday to host the Bush library. A&M offered three sites on its flagship campus in College Station, including one adjacent to the presidential library of Bush's father. SMU, located in Dallas, did not reveal the details of its proposal.

Several other colleges and universities in Texas, along with the City of Arlington, are also in the running. Donald Evans, a former commerce secretary, and Marvin Bush, the president's brother, sought the proposals in behalf of the president and first lady Laura Bush. Todayis the deadline for submissions.

Like many political observers, Bruce Buchanan, a professor of government at UT-Austin, says SMU and Baylor University in Waco probably have an edge — SMU because the first lady earned her bachelor's degree there and serves on the governing board, and Baylor because of its location near the first family's Crawford ranch.

"My guess is they (the president and first lady) are discussing tradeoffs between SMU and Baylor but that they remain open, officially and personally, if there's something striking enough to catch their fancy," Buchanan said.

The UT System's proposal strives to be distinctive, said James Huffines, chairman of its governing board, in a letter accompanying the document. Among other things, it calls for a "highly interactive children's museum" in addition to the primary museum, with a "World Wall" of children from many countries expressing hopes for freedom. The UT System suggests naming the public policy institute the Bush Center for Freedom and Democracy.

The proposal describes the Town Lake site, part of UT-Austin's 340-acre Brackenridge tract, as one that offers convenient access as well as the scenic beauty conducive to a think-tank environment. About 190 students, plus family members, live in the Colorado Apartments, and the university would probably consider building replacement housing at the nearby Brackenridge Apartments, said Doug Garrard, associate director of housing and food service.

[SWC2010]

I still think Pres Bush has a long memory--
and UT Law denied his application to law school.

[EastStang]

One of his daughters went there and when their idiots also known as their band were in the Inaugural Parade he flashed the Hook 'em sign at them. Maybe he was just being polite, but I won't be comfortable until they put a shovel in the dirt.

[Dooby]

Unless you lived in Midland in the late 70's I voted for Bush more times than just about anybody-8 times. But I have just one question: Will the 'I have to go potty?' note be in the Library?

[Otto]

I still think Pres Bush has a long memory-- ....

You give him a lot of credit.

[bubba pony]

put it in New Orleans. right next to lake pontchartrain. it would be a fitting shrine to his leadership.

[Hoop Fan]

I'd say the UT Southwestern Medical Center site is a threat to SMU's bid. Would be a strange location for it, but I can see the City of Dallas jumping all over that redevelopment opportunity. Watch Laura Miller drop her support of our bid as fast as she shooed the Cowboys to Arlington.

[jtstang]

But I have just one question: Will the 'I have to go potty?' note be in the Library?

That's a good question. Is the Japanese minister his daddy vomited on commemorated down in college station?

[Samurai Stang]

But I have just one question: Will the 'I have to go potty?' note be in the Library?

That's a good question. Is the Japanese minister his daddy vomited on commemorated down in college station?

The Emperor should be commemorated everywhere.

[couch 'em]

Sept. 12, 2005, 8:30AM

Vying for the presidential library
Texas schools hurry to finish bids touting why they should house Bush's archives

We win!

[jtstang]

But I have just one question: Will the 'I have to go potty?' note be in the Library?

That's a good question. Is the Japanese minister his daddy vomited on commemorated down in college station?

The Emperor should be commemorated everywhere.

My sincerest apologies for any insult to the royal family. That was written before you enlightened me in the purer way of the samurai.