400 mayors endorse Baylor as Bush library site

Associated Press ^ | March 25, 2004

[Dog Gone]

WACO -- Some 400 Texas mayors want the George W. Bush presidential library to be built at Baylor University, school officials said today.

Baylor is one of several institutions seeking to be the site of the library, a decision Bush is expected to make after leaving office.

Other contenders are the city of Arlington, where Bush was managing partner of the Texas Rangers baseball team before he was elected governor; the University of Texas at Austin; SMU in Dallas, the first lady's alma mater; Texas A&M and Texas Tech universities.

In October, 100 mayors said they endorsed Baylor as the library site. A month later, Baylor formed a 50-person national steering committee for planning and fund-raising in hopes that the library will locate there.

Waco is about 20 miles from Bush's ranch in Crawford, and 80 percent of the state's population is within 200 miles of Baylor, the state's oldest university and the world's largest Baptist university with nearly 14,000 students.

Baylor also has political archives, including papers of 12 U.S. congressmen and former Texas Lt. Gov. Bob Bullock, the mayors said in their letter asking Bush to choose Baylor.

With Bush's father's library at Texas A&M in College Station and the Lyndon B. Johnson Library in Austin, a George W. Bush library at Baylor would create a triangle of presidential libraries within 90 miles of each other, the mayors said.

[hoosiermama]

Sounds like a well thought out plan.

[shield]

bmp

[shield]

I bet he picks SMU. Dallas is what he calls home, when Bush and Laura move back to Texas, they'll also have a home in Dallas. I will be very surprised if he picks Baylor. Another choice would be Rice University in Houston, but I doubt that. Baylor is a small university compared to SMU.

[hoosiermama]

SMU is where he donated the library walk in honor of Laura's birthday isn't it? Teared up reading that one.
You may be right there seems to be some sentimental connection there.

[deport]

Laura is a graduate of SMU ...... Look for SMU to be one of the top contenders, imo.

[Cicero]

Waco never fully recovered from that big twister. I don't know the town well but visited Baylor last year to give a lecture there. The town could certainly use an economic infusion. What the probabilities are, I don't know.

[rogueleader]

GWB's from West Texas. What about Texas Tech?

[SendShaqtoIraq]

Only on the condition they get rid of Bobby Skank Knight

[TexasGunLover]

I bet he picks SMU. Dallas is what he calls home, when Bush and Laura move back to Texas, they'll also have a home in Dallas. I will be very surprised if he picks Baylor. Another choice would be Rice University in Houston, but I doubt that. Baylor is a small university compared to SMU.

Better check your facts. Baylor is more than twice the size of SMU.

[McLynnan]

Dallas is what he calls home, when Bush and Laura move back to Texas, they'll also have a home in Dallas

Is this a known fact, or are you guessing? They have more ties to Houston than Dallas, but my money is on the ranch!

[shield]

No I'm not guessing. Laura Bush talked about this. When they live the WH, they will also have a home in Dallas. GWB is much more tied to Dallas over Houston, probably because of Laura. GWB has always, in his later adult years, made Dallas his home.

[McLynnan]

That's interesting. The ranch is isolated, and the Bush's have stayed clear of the Waco social scene. Thanks!

[shield]

stayed clear of the Waco social scene.

Ha! Ha! What Waco social scene? Not much going on there, ever. Well, maybe a few cook outs.

[mgstarr]

Considering GWB's religious leanings, I seriously doubt he picks SMU, Rice or even TCU. With any luck, the Baylor regents will have dismissed the idiot Sloan by then.

Still think Abner McCall was their best president - apart from my great-great grandfather anyway.

[shield]

Really doesn't matter to me one way or the other, as long as it is in Texas. However, Laura is a great influence on him, that's her school (SMU), so I'm leaning in that direction. Time will tell.

Since a large portion of my family are Aggies, we were happy when Bush 41, put his library in College Station.

[McLynnan]

LOL, we do have a circle of self appointed social "elites" here. They are very important people, you know!