Posted on 08/22/2005 9:59:06 PM PDT by Ranald S. MacKenzie
BY ELLIOTT BLACKBURN
AVALANCHE-JOURNAL
Midland College regents abandoned their pursuit of the George W. Bush Presidential Library in a unanimous vote Tuesday, pledging to join Lubbock's effort to bring the library to West Texas.
The two-year school will instead pursue a $10 million to $15 million literacy center honoring first lady Laura Bush and support a presidential library based at Texas Tech.
Midland College President David Daniel said regents realized that a pitch for the full presidential library would have been daunting, and they were pleased with the opportunity to host a center that matched the community college's adult education missions.
"It became apparent to us that as much as we would want to do it, the amount of money which would be required to be pledged to the effort would just be overwhelming," Daniel said in a telephone interview. "We are honored to have the possibility that such a center could be located on this campus, and I might also add that I think it's very appropriate for the university that thinks of itself as a flagship university in West Texas to be inclusive of all of West Texas in this effort."
The Lubbock-based West Texas Coalition for the George W. Bush Presidential Library is seeking support across the region for its bid. The backing of Midland city and college administrators was a great boost to the proposal, said David Miller, chairman of the coalition steering committee.
"We certainly had great credibility with Texas Tech, Lubbock and West Texas, but to get Midland, the hometown of both the president and the first lady, is monumental, in my eyes, to our effort," Miller said.
The coalition has less than a month to submit a proposal for museum and archive facilities, as well as a public policy institute, to a site selection committee in Virginia. Lubbock is competing with sites in Dallas, Waco, and Austin, some of which have worked for years on their proposals. Several prospective sites, including Tech and Midland, received letters in July inviting bids.
The coalition will now court Abilene, Amarillo and Odessa, Miller said. He has received more than 2,000 messages of support since launching a Web site for the coalition - www.wlibrary.com - and the finance committee has received several million dollars in pledges since its members were announced Monday, Miller said.
"For 24 hours, that's not a bad start," he said.
My money's on SMU (Dallas).
Well, stranger things have happened. Who would have guessed that Lubbock would be home to the largest archive of material on the Vietnam War outside the federal government; in fact, the National Archives have requested material from the Vietnam Archives to fill gaps in the federal collection.
OH DAILY DOSERSSSSS
I didn't know that about the Vietnam War arhives, AAC! Wouldn't it be awesome if it came to Lubbock. I come to Lubbock several times a year. As you know it's right up the road from me! :o)
The best thing about Lubbock is the Llano Estacado winery. Not the best in the world, but after driving through dry county after dry county, it is quite a relief.
The link wouldn't work for me. :o(
So I see it beginning of Bush Dynasty you know George late sister Robin then Jeb and rest of it
Yep.....started right here in good ole Odessa! Of course, GW was born in Mass--but we won't go in to that! LOL! Here's where his legacy lies. And Lubbock is close enough to the heart of where his roots are! His MIL still lives in Midland.
Oh how sweet Jenna Welch still live in same crib that she raise Laura
My fav story is about when George Barbara SR first move to Midland Dorothy Bush send them package of Ivory soup LOL!
That sound like what they do in that family LOL!
Bushies great sense of humor LOL!
Thank you for those links, AAC! Are folks already getting excited about the prospect? Our preacher lives in Lubbock and he was mentioning it to us this weekend.
What, in hell, would they put in it?
The excitement is building especially since there are some influencial folks voicing their support. Tech does have a lot more land available for such a project than do its competitors.
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