Center for Presidential History at SMU

Only a handful of universities around the country can boast of a presidential library on their campus, and SMU is part of that elite club. Its archive offers an incomparable resource for our students, and the Bush Center frequently brings some of the country’s – indeed the world’s – great minds to campus for talks, lectures or just to work with our faculty and in our classes. Our Center for Presidential History is a fuller and more exciting place to study the past by its presence in our midst.

The Center for Presidential History at SMU, the hub of current and innovative research on the American presidency, maintains two significant collaborations with the Bush Center that advance the understanding of the history of the office and the events and issues that shape each leader.

• The “Presidential Histories and Memories” series brings noted writers and historians to campus for thought-provoking discussions. The events are free and open to the public.
• The Collective Memories Project is an ongoing effort enhancing the historical and archival record of various presidential administrations, beginning with the presidency of George W. Bush. The first live project, “The Election of 2004,” features interviews with key participants and scholars and new analysis of the issues.