400 Texas Mayors Endorse Baylor Proposal For Bush Library
Related stories about Baylor's proposal for the George W. Bush Presidential Library are below.
The number of Texas mayors endorsing Baylor University's proposal for the George W. Bush Presidential Library has grown to 400. Last October, 100 Central Texas mayors endorsed Baylor's bid for the library.
"Baylor's central location and proximity to the President's home in Crawford make the university an ideal location for the Bush library," said Baylor President Robert B. Sloan Jr. "Mayors from Texarkana to Del Rio are helping us make our case in a very compelling way, and we greatly appreciate their support."
Representing communities in 127 counties, the mayors noted that more than 80 percent of the state's population lives within a 200-mile radius of the Baylor campus and the city of Waco, making the site accessible from various regions of Texas. The mayors also emphasized the cultural and educational importance of having three presidential libraries in the state.
"Thousands of young people will have a firsthand opportunity to be inspired and challenged to leadership by the library and associated facilities," the mayors wrote. "Designating Baylor as the library site will establish a 'triangle' of presidential libraries, along with the George H.W. Bush Library in College Station and the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library in Austin, and make Texas the most important area for presidential research in the country."
Baylor's expertise in political archives also was cited in the mayors' letter. Baylor currently houses the papers of 12 U.S. Congressmen and former Texas Lt. Gov. Bob Bullock.
Baylor is adjacent to Interstate 35 and has several potential tracts for the library along the scenic Brazos River. Initial estimates indicate that a Bush library in Waco would draw between 300-500,000 people annually. The economic impact of the construction phase alone would be more than $200 million, with an ongoing economic impact of $21-28 million.
The mayors concluded, "As the oldest university in Texas, Baylor has a strong tradition of preparing young leaders of character who have a deep understanding of their discipline and a broader awareness of their responsibility to serve their community and nation. The location of your presidential library at Baylor will further this heritage in a truly unique fashion, and we urge you to give careful consideration to the university's proposal."
NOTE TO MEDIA: The following mayors are available for interviews:
Dora Alcala, Del Rio, (830)) 774-8558
Byron Black, Burleson, (817) 447-5400
James Bramlett, Texarkana, (903) 826-3071
Robert Campbell, Crawford, (254) 486-2125
Karl Davidson, Huntsville, (936) 295-5846
Linda Ethridge, Waco, (254) 750-5640
Todd Little, Red Oak, (972) 780-2975
John Manlove, Pasadena, (713) 477-1511
Joe Tison, Weatherford, (817) 598-4000
David Wallace, Sugar Land, (281) 275-2714