When the George W. Bush Presidential Center first partnered with SMU, former President George W. Bush said, “Our hope is that this will be a center of excellence not only to benefit SMU but Dallas, the United States and the rest of the world.” A decade later, the center has surpassed President Bush’s hopes to impact the community in myriad ways.
SMU welcomed the Bush Center — composed of the George W. Bush Presidential Museum, the George W. Bush Institute, and the George W. Bush Presidential Library operated by the National Archives and Records Administration — on April 25, 2013. Since then, nearly 2 million visitors have perused art and history exhibitions at the library and attended the Bush Center’s forums and programs, listening to guest speakers like Jay Leno, Jeff Bezos, Condoleezza Rice, Troy Aikman and Bono discuss issues of global importance.
Opportunities for SMU faculty and students
Collaborations between the Bush Center and SMU have strengthened and empowered Mustangs, helping establish the next generation of leaders. For example:
- Niemi fellowships at the Cox School of Business enable undergraduate and graduate students to partner with the Bush Institute and create a real-world research project over the academic year. The projects help students develop as principled leaders who drive positive change and growth in the global economy.
- Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences students work with the Bush Center through the Nexpoint Tower Scholars Program, a selective, multidisciplinary minor in public policy and international affairs that enables students from a variety of academic backgrounds to combine their interests with real-world experience in public policy. Tower Scholars intern at the Bush Institute, seeing firsthand how government policy affects communities.
- Simmons School of Education and Human Development professor Eric Bing has collaborated with the Bush Institute for 10 years to address global health concerns.
- Dedman School of Law has co-hosted several Raggio lectures with the Bush Center, including with Global Health Corps co-founder Barbara Bush and former senators Claire McCaskill and Kelly Ayotte.
- Lyle School of Engineering, Moody School of Graduate and Advanced Studies, and Meadows School of the Arts have all partnered with the Bush Center on postdoctoral fellowships and exhibits at the Bush Museum.
“SMU’s partnership with the Bush Center has transformed the Mustang experience for the better, offering unparalleled opportunities for education and engagement,” says R. Gerald Turner, SMU president.
Achieving the goals of the Bush Center
At the George W. Bush Presidential Center’s dedication, former President Bush outlined his hopes that the Bush Center would promote freedom and democracy worldwide, empower the disenfranchised, help more countries overcome poverty and disease, and stand behind those who have defended our freedoms here at home. Since its launch, the Bush Center has accomplished those goals and more.
In just the past six years, the Bush Center’s Forum on Leadership has hosted Ben Bernanke, former chair of the Federal Reserve; John Boehner, 53rd speaker of the House of Representatives; Dick Cheney, 46th vice president of the United States; and past Secretaries of State Henry Kissinger and James A. Baker III. These leaders have inspired the community to enact meaningful change.
The Presidential Leadership Scholars program, supported by the Bush Institute, brings together trailblazers from the nonprofit, military, public and private sectors. The powerful program draws on the resources of the George W. Bush, George H.W. Bush, William J. Clinton and Lyndon B. Johnson presidential centers. Midcareer professionals hone their leadership skills through interactions with former presidents, key administration officials, leading academics and business leaders.
The Bush Center launched Go Further, an innovative public-private partnership among the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the Bush Institute, UNAIDS, Merck and Roche, to implement strategies to end cervical cancer and save lives. The partnership creates a healthier future for women by reducing cervical cancer cases by 95% among women living with HIV in 12 African countries.
In the United States, the Bush Institute’s Veterans and Military Families program helps veterans, service members and their loved ones make successful transitions through programming and research-driven policy recommendations. Additionally, the Bush Institute develops the leadership skills of veterans and those who serve them and their families through the StandTo Veteran Leadership Program.
In education, the Lindsay Lloyd North Korea Freedom Scholarship helps North Korean refugees living in the United States and their children pursue higher education. The Laura Bush Foundation for America’s Libraries has provided more than $19.5 million in grants for low-income schools to expand their collections. Additionally, the Bush Institute believes that every child has the right to a quality education. Through research and recommendations, the Bush Institute drives policy that creates opportunity and advances accountability for America’s K-12 students.
“This past decade, the Bush Center has worked to make a difference for our nation and our world by promoting the timeless values of freedom, opportunity, accountability and compassion,” says Ken Hersh, president and CEO of the George W. Bush Presidential Center. “We are thrilled to continue building that work for the decades to come and honored to be part of SMU’s vibrant community.”
To learn more about the Bush Center at SMU, visit smu.edu/bushcenter.