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July 17, 2008
United Methodist Church jurisdiction approves
SMU land lease to George W. Bush Foundation
At its quadrennial meeting July 17, the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church upheld permission granted SMU to lease land to the George W. Bush Foundation for the Bush Library, Museum and Institute. In March 2007, SMU received permission for the lease from the Jurisdiction’s Mission Council, which conducts business in between quadrennial meetings. A petition presented to the conference by some delegates sought to overturn that permission, but was defeated. Under SMU’s articles of incorporation, the University must gain permission from the Jurisdiction to lease or sell campus land.
The conference passed a resolution reaffirming the values of academic freedom embraced by SMU and the South Central Jurisdiction and calling upon the independent George W. Bush Institute, which reports to the Bush Foundation, “to function in a manner that protects the integrity” of both SMU and the South Central Jurisdiction. The resolution directs SMU to report at the 2012 conference on the impact the Bush Institute is having on the University and level of compliance with agreements between the two.
SMU appreciates the thoughtful deliberations and open dialogue that characterized the conference’s actions on these matters, and respects the diversity of opinion among conference delegates. SMU looks forward to continuing progress on the library project, which will bring historic resources for research and discussion to SMU and Dallas.
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