Posted on 02/11/2005 6:42:57 AM PST by Max Combined
AUSTIN - The University of Texas has just one message for its rivals in the fight for President Bush's presidential library.
"We intend to win. I want to make that perfectly clear," said James Huffines, chairman of the UT System Board of Regents. "We are committed to putting any resources we have available to making a creative, innovative proposal that will win this competition."
Huffines, along with UT System Chancellor Mark Yudof and UT-Austin President Larry Faulkner, announced Thursday that UT will join several other universities, including Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Southern Methodist and Baylor, in lobbying to be the site for Bush's library. The city of Arlington, where Bush used to own part of the Texas Rangers, is also in the hunt.
"Our campus greatly parallels the life of George W. Bush," Yudof said. "If you look at Midland, Odessa, Austin, Arlington and Dallas, we have tremendous faculty resources, tremendous library resources and great programming, and that is particularly true when you consider us in the aggregate and not just any one campus. I think we have a lot to offer."
Meanwhile, former U.S. Rep Tom Loeffler, a former regents chairman, and Peter Flawn, UT-Austin president emeritus, will chair a committee to work on a proposal for the Bush library. The group is expected to present a final plan to the board by midsummer.
Huffines said he expects the committee to think outside the box to form something that is different from the 11 other presidential libraries around the country.
"In no way would it be smart or prudent for me or us to talk about some of our strategic advantages," he said.
'It would be an honor' The Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum is on the UT campus in Austin, while the George H.W. Library and Museum resides at Texas A&M University in College Station.
"Texans are very proud of President Bush and want to honor him," Yudof said. "It would be an honor for us to have this on one or more of our campuses."
Neither Huffines nor Yudof would comment on whether the committee will focus on bringing the library to just one of UT's 15 campuses. All UT institutions are being encouraged to participate and contribute ideas to the committee.
Huffines said that while the UT System is entering the race later than others, that doesn't put them at a disadvantage.
"You don't always play your cards early on," he said. "The other universities have already made public their proposals, and so we feel we have plenty of time to make a very innovative, unique, creative proposal."
Tuition might rise UT has many attributes that make it appealing, Huffines said, including about 180,000 students systemwide. There also is one other advantage they may use, he said.
"Even Bevo, if it takes Bevo," Huffines said, referring to the longhorn mascot. "We may have Bevo deliver the proposal."
Also Thursday, Yudof said raising tuition again could be an option if the Legislature continues to tighten the budget. He said he wants funding to reflect the system's enrollment growth, as well as inflation over the past few years.
"My feeling is that we are just going to have to wait and see," he said. "We hit tuition pretty hard last time. We will assess all our options. Tuition is always way down on the list."
Given Austin's voting record I don't see this happening.
Isn't UT the most liberal area of Texas?
They should level several city blocks in San Francisco and put it there.
There may never be another chance for Father/Son Presidential Libraries. Side by side they are something unique. Seperate they are just two more depositories.
So9
So the Aggies have the dad and now the Longhorns want the son.
Where in the world would they put it? Texas has no room for something like that around campus. There just isn't much free space around downtown Austin.
I had heard the the Waco area or Baylor was the most likely possibility due to it's proximity to Crawford, but we'll see.
I'd love to see it at A&M, and since President Bush has won a second term, the thought of being overshadowed by his father (since his dad's library is there at A&M) is diminished.
I wonder if there is a university with more than one Presidential library.
OBTW, Austin was the place I cast my first vote for candidate Reagan for president in Austin!
Me too! I was a freshman, living in Jester, voting the first time on my life! Those were the days.
Ditto
Yes, and is NOT very likely to get Bush's support for his library.
Maybe we could kick out the UN and put it there, right in the middle of NY, for all the liberals to worship! (I know, I know, off topic but,,,)
I'm sure CNN will have live coverage when his library opens. /sarcasm
While SMU may be "Christian" in name only, the majority of the students voted for W, at least according to a campus periodical I happened to read just after the election. We live close to campus some of the restaurants close to campus that we frequent carry the SMU papers.
Unfortunately, I can't recall the name of the paper or article.
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