Located beside the Arkansas River, the Clinton Presidential Library building was designed as a bridge to the future. Many locals think it looks more like a double-wide trailer, but it is an impressive sight as you approach the structure from downtown Little Rock. Built in a low-income section of town with numerous dilapidated warehouses, the library building contributed to the rejuvenation of Little Rock.
William Jefferson Clinton, the 42nd President of the United States, was born in Hope, Arkansas. He was raised primarily by his grandparents while his mother studied nursing after the death of Clinton’s father. He stated in his biography that he knew at an early age he would excel in public service and pursued it. Meeting President Kennedy in 1963 further spurred his interest in public service.
He attended Georgetown University and was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University. He received his law degree from Yale in 1973, where he met Hillary Rodham. They married in 1975, and he became a law professor at the University of Arkansas.
Clinton was elected to the House of Representatives from Arkansas in 1974 and was elected as Arkansas’s Attorney General in 1976. He served two terms as Arkansas’s youngest governor in 1979 and 1982. In 1993, he was elected President and served two terms, ending in 2001.
Guests can begin their library tour in the Orientation Theater, where they will view a 15-minute Clinton-narrated overview of his life and presidential terms. A guided library tour, offered at regular intervals, is the best way to get the most out of your visit. The docent-led tour provides more information than you can amass by reading about each artifact. Hank Klein, a retired banker and volunteer, was our tour guide for the hour-long journey. The three levels of the library are easily accessible by escalator or elevator. Security, ticket sales, and the gift shop are located on the first floor. The tour begins on the second floor with an overview of the area’s construction and history.
Clinton’s School of Public Service is housed adjacent to the library in the old railroad annex. Clinton did not want the building demolished, so it was repurposed for the Master’s program available through the University of Arkansas.
In the cabinet room, you are invited to sit at the 23-foot table, reproduced for the library by the same Buffalo, New York firm that constructed the table for the Nixon administration. Each chair is labeled for a cabinet position. The room contains portraits of two former presidents, Theodore Roosevelt and George Washington. Visitors then continue into the left wing of the library to view the eight-year timeline of Clinton’s Presidency. On display are boxes of letters to the President and the Presidential appointment books. Visitors learn that Clinton was the last President to have a balanced budget. The last time this was accomplished was in 1969 under President Nixon. Clinton was also the second President to be impeached, although he did not leave the office. Andrew Johnson had been the first in 1868.
Artifacts, personal items, and a replica of the Oval Office are housed on the third floor. You can see a selection of Bill’s saxophones and presidential china.
The centerpiece of the area is the Chihuly sculpture.
In the Oval Office, you can have your picture taken behind a replica of the Resolute desk.
The library was dedicated in 2004 and regularly hosts traveling exhibits. The archives house 80 million pages, making them the most extensive presidential archival collection.
The library pays a unique homage to a Southern President who continues his public service role today.
Oh I wish I had known you were coming! I could have gotten you a table at 42 as the Head Chef is a friend and fellow cyclist. AND you could have stayed with us in the Central High School District and I could have shown you Central High School and so many wonderful things here!! Dang! If you come back, holler at me!
Thanks for comments, Kathy. The trip was pretty last minute. I really enjoyed Little Rock and do want to come back and see more of the area. My father was born south of Little Rock so want to explore once I have some time to invest in a solid road trip.