The Incredible Story of How a Presidential Library Came to Aggieland

A Grand Proposal

It all began in 1988, just weeks after Bush won the presidential election, when Michael Halbouty ’30 ’31, a renowned oilman and longtime friend of Bush’s, met with the president-elect to introduce the idea of placing his presidential library in Aggieland. Though Bush felt it was too early to begin thinking about the topic, Halbouty and Texas A&M leadership persisted, developing this proposal they presented in 1989.
 

Despite having no direct ties to Bush and competing proposals from several universities including Rice University and the University of Houston, Texas A&M had several things going for it: a focus on selfless service that Bush shared, the idea to create a school in conjunction with the library to support his passion for public service and, of course, a spirit can ne’er be told. “It’s the spirit of the place, the mood on this campus,” Bush later said of Texas A&M’s appeal. “It’s the Aggie Spirit.”
 

In 1991, the president officially announced his decision for Aggieland, making Texas A&M one of only four universities to ever hold the distinction of a presidential library on campus. “That decision was huge,” said Dr. Robert Holzweiss ’92 ’01, the library’s deputy director. “It brought Texas A&M to the next level among Tier 1 universities and helped make the university what it is today.”

Boxing Day

Next began the feat of transporting more than 40 million pages of documents from Washington, D.C., to College Station. Over the span of two months in late 1992 and early 1993, archivists with the National Archives and Records Administration—including Mary and Warren Finch who would later become longtime pillars of the library—packed documents into boxes like these, flew them to Texas’ Fort Hood, drove them to College Station and unloaded them in the vacant Chimney Hill bowling alley that would be their temporary home for the next four years—all while keeping them organized!

A Key Moment

After three years of construction, the much-awaited day finally arrived on Nov. 6, 1997, when U.S. archivist John Carlin accepted this ceremonial library key during the dedication event that signaled the library’s grand opening.

The ceremony brought distinguished politicians and celebrities galore to campus, including then-presidential couple Hillary and Bill Clinton; former first ladies and presidents Lady Bird Johnson, Nancy Reagan, Betty and Gerald Ford, and Rosalynn and Jimmy Carter; former foreign heads of state; and stars like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Chuck Norris and Kevin Costner.
 

“When President Bush chose Texas A&M University for his library, he made the perfect choice,” said then-Texas Gov. George W. Bush during the ceremony. “This university is a place of tradition, and George Bush is a man of tradition. This university embodies the spirit by which he lived his life: duty, honor and country.”

And a School to Boot

Just next door to his library was something Bush found equally important: the new Bush School of Government and Public Service. From its inaugural class of 19 students, the school has since grown to include 14 degree and certificate programs, more than 2,200 students currently enrolled and a branch location in the nation’s capital.

Wearing these boots was just one way the president showed his pride in the school. He became a familiar sight there, often interacting with students, lecturing in classes or inviting national and international leaders to share their experiences with Aggies. “President Bush used to say, ‘If you want to see what I did, go to the library,’” Holzweiss recalled, “‘but if you want to see the future, go to the Bush School and see how those extraordinary young people will make a major impact on our state and world.’”

Full Steam Ahead

Through the years, the Bushes deepened their Aggie ties on regular visits to College Station, where they attended football games, met with students, ate at local restaurants and walked their dogs around campus or fished in the pond by the Bush School. “Texas A&M welcomed them with open arms,” Holzweiss said. “They enjoyed it here because they could be themselves.”
 

In 2018, this Union Pacific engine brought Bush on one last trip to Aggieland, this time to his final resting place on the library grounds beside his wife and their daughter Robin. Now, the engine and a retired Marine One helicopter are part of the library’s permanent exhibit in the new Marine One/4141 Locomotive Pavilion, which opened in June in celebration of what would have been Bush’s 100th birthday.
 

But Bush’s vision still keeps the library’s focus on civic education going strong. With plans for future rotating exhibits that celebrate public service, including special celebrations for the nation’s 250th anniversary in 2026, the library will continue to honor Bush’s commitment to public service for years to come at the school he came to call his own.