SMU president addresses concerns regarding Bush Library

January 5, 2007

To: The Faculty, Staff and Students of SMU

From: R. Gerald Turner, President

Subject: The George W. Bush Presidential Library

As you know, SMU has been competing to be the site of the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum since 2001, and for the past several months has been one of three finalists. On December 21, we were notified that the Library Selection Committee has decided to focus on SMU for further discussions as the potential site. I would like to extend my thanks to the faculty on the Academic Planning Committee and the staff members who assisted with our proposal over these years, and who will continue to contribute to our efforts. In addition, the students and faculty who have served on the Board of Trustees these past few years have provided valuable input on this project.

Because the Library Selection Committee's announcement occurred after the close of the fall semester, I wanted to start the new year by communicating directly with you, based on some common questions arising about this project. Although details of the project will be worked out in the weeks ahead with the Selection Committee, I'd like to provide some general information that may be of interest at this time.

* Presidential Library projects usually consist of two major components: a library, which serves as the repository of historic documents of the presidential administration, and a museum, which houses permanent and rotating exhibits of documents and artifacts. For example, the George H.W. Bush Library at Texas A&M University houses 38 million pages of official records and papers, more than one million photographs and 10,000 videotapes.

* Some presidential libraries are associated with academic schools created in conjunction with each library, such as the George Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M and the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at UT-Austin. Instead of a new school at SMU, under discussion is the establishment of a George W. Bush Institute. Although some comparisons have been made between this entity and the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, a key difference would be that the Hoover Institution reports to Stanford University, while the proposed Bush Institute would report to the Bush Foundation.

* Assuming a successful conclusion to our further discussions with the Selection Committee, there will be opportunities for collaborative programs, shared scholars, and visiting professors between SMU and the Bush Presidential Library, Museum and Institute. Through these facilities and resources, visiting scholars and dignitaries will be available for interaction who otherwise would not be in residence and accessible to our campus community. SMU academic initiatives and appointments related to the Bush Library, Museum and Institute would be considered through the University's standard academic procedures.

* Presidential libraries and museums are operated by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), which catalogs materials and implements procedures for access. There are currently eleven presidential libraries administered by NARA, with materials documenting presidencies from Hoover through Clinton, with one exception. The documents of Richard Nixon have been housed in the Washington area with NARA rather than in the privately operated Nixon Library and Birthplace in Yorba Linda, California, but in 2004 Congress authorized establishment of a NARA-operated presidential library for these materials in Yorba Linda.

If SMU is chosen as the location of the George W. Bush Presidential Library, it would be part of a historic triumvirate of presidential resources in Texas, with the LBJ Library at UT-Austin and the George H.W. Bush Library at Texas A&M. The existence and proximity of three libraries in Texas would present unparalleled opportunities for researchers, scholars, and the public to gain a better understanding of U.S. history during these presidencies. To be one of only 13 such sites in the nation would place SMU at the center of scholarly interest nationally and internationally. For SMU to be associated with the repository of historical documents on a pivotal presidency and era in U.S. history would be a service to the nation transcending political interests. Universities, like the scholars they nurture, must take the long view in assessing their potential for impact.

Thank you for the interest you have shown in this project over these past six years. I look forward to providing you with updates as we continue our discussions with the Library Selection Committee.

Happy New Year and have a productive and fulfilling spring semester.