No, you're not seeing double - we'd moved on to the Dallas area to see our second George Bush Presidential Library, this for the 43rd President, on the campus of SMU.
We arrived early as we worried about parking but it turned out to be quite easy and we were able to park just across the street. The front of the library was beautiful.
After months of bidding by six colleges/universities (Baylor, SMU, University of Texas System, Texas Tech University, University of Dallas, and Midland College), SMU was selected and the site was opened on April 25, 2013.
After going through security, we went to the desk to obtain our tickets. It was Sunday morning and very quiet.
As we entered the exhibits the first thing we saw was the President as a new dad.
A few interesting items as we went through. I thought this picture of George as a young baseball player was so cute.
George W. Bush, age 7
Spring, 1954
In 2001, Laura Bush said "It's no secret my husband loves baseball. If he had it his way, his baseball collection would be in our dining room.....and there'd be a game on the South Lawn once a month."
While serving as the Governor of Texas, George W. Bush ran for President in 2000.
Of course we all remember the 'drama' following the 2000 election and the hanging chads.
Hanging chads on the left
A sample ballot on the right - the holes were not lined up well to the candidates' names
But on January 20, 2001, George W. Bush was inaugurated as the President of the United States and moved into the Oval Office. As with many Presidential Libraries, there is a replica of the Oval Office on display.
President Bush used the Resolute Desk, which was created from wood salvaged from HMS Resolute and given to Rutherford B. Hayes by Queen Victoria in 1879/1880. It has a hinged front panel added to it by Franklin D. Roosevelt with many stating this was because he wanted his legs to not be visible while he was sitting at the desk. However, this is not confirmed.
The desk resided in the White House in various rooms, until Jacqueline Kennedy found it languishing in the "White House broadcast room" and she had it restored and moved into the Oval Office. After Kennedy's assassination, the desk was removed for a traveling exhibition, returning to the Oval Office under Jimmy Carter in 1977. It has been the Oval Office desk ever since with the exception of the George H.W. Bush presidential years.
The Seymour tall case clock, more commonly known as the Oval Office grandfather clock, was made between 1795 and 1805 in Boston by John and Thomas Seymour. This clock has been located in the Oval Office since 1975 and has remained one of the few constant features in the office even throughout several renovations.
It was interesting to see what President Bush was doing in the days before the terrorist attack.
One of the most iconic photos that morning was the President being notified of the attacks.
Horrific pictures...
On September 14, 2001, President Bush visited Ground Zero. He grabbed a bullhorn and started thanking the fire fighters and other first responders at the scene, telling them that they were in the country's prayers. Someone in the crowd shouted that he couldn't hear the president and President Bush replied with the words that made history.
"I can hear you!" he declared. "The rest of the world hears you! And the people - and the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon." The crowd reacted with loud, prolonged chants of "USA! USA!"
The bullhorn the president used
This is a reproduction of the nearly 3,000 names as they appear inscribed in bronze on the 9/11 Memorial.
Air Force One is one of the most identifiable symbols of the American Presidency. Although Air Force One is the call sign of any Air Force aircraft carrying the President, it has become standard practice to refer to the highly customized Boeing 747-200B series aircraft as Air Force One. It is often referred to as the flying White House.
During his eight years in office, President Bush logged 1,675 flights on Air Force One. He visited every state in the country, except Vermont. He also visited 75 countries during 49 foreign trips.
The President and First Lady had individual jackets
The White House is where the President welcomes heads of state, foreign dignitaries, and religious leaders on behalf of the American people.
Two hundred twenty four foreign leaders came to the White House for meetings or for grand state dinners with President and Mrs. Bush. In the months after September 11, 30 foreign leaders visited the White House to conduct working meetings with President Bush.
The Bushes strengthened alliances by building friendships with other heads of state and honored religious leaders at the White House.
During the 2003 Invasion of Iraq, the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency developed a set of playing cards to help troops identify the most-wanted members of Saddam Hussein's government, mostly high-ranking members of the Iraqi Regional Branch of the party or members of the Revolutionary Command Council - among them were some of Hussein's family members. As of 2021, all but four of the 52 most wanted have either died or been captured, eleven of whom have been released.
This pistol was captured with Saddam Hussein on December 13, 2003.
It was time to go outside and see the future burial site of George and Laura Bush. Originally they had selected Texas State Cemetery as their burial site but later changed course and decided they would be buried in the Rose Garden at the George W. Bush Presidential Center.
They will be buried in the grassy area in front of the rose garden. It has not been determined if Jenna and Barbara will be buried with them.
The Bushes now reside on their ranch in Crawford, Texas.
Can you believe they displayed this photo using scotch tape????
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