Clinton in Little Rock for
Presidential Library Kickoff
Former President Bill Clinton visited the site of his future presidential library and foundation for its official groundbreaking December 5, pledging that it will advance his public policy goals. The $106-million steel structure, planned for completion in 2004, will be the nation’s 12th presidential library, holding an estimated 77 million papers, two million photographs, and 75,000 gifts and artifacts—said to be the largest archive accumulated by an American president, the Associated Press reported December 5.
“We’re going to try to build it in less time than it took to build the medieval cathedrals and the Egyptian pyramids,” Clinton quipped, “but if I can’t rein in my team it may cost as much.”
In one clear dig at President Bush’s executive order that restricts access to the records of incumbent or former presidents, Clinton remarked, “When the classification period ends—and at this library, it will end—you will be able to read the memos that went back and forth to see, for example, how we decided to get involved in Bosnia and Kosovo.”
The groundbreaking had been delayed two years by litigation over the seizure of land by city of Little Rock, Arkansas.
Posted December 10, 2001.
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