Beyond the Presidency: Historical Context and Modern Reality
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Beyond the Presidency: Historical Context and Modern Reality Presidential Sites and Libraries VI Onsite Program June 2-4, 2014 William J. Clinton Presidential Center Little Rock, Arkansas Hosted by: Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation WELCOMING THE WORLD. Since opening its doors in 2004, the William J. Clinton Presidential Center has welcomed more than three million visitors from around the world. The Clinton Center is a world- class educational and cultural venue offering a variety of special events, exhibitions, educational programs and lectures throughout the year. Most Popular Tourist Attraction in Arkansas TripAdvisor Popularity Index CLINTONPRESIDENTIALCENTER.ORG • 501-748-0419 TripAdvisor.com (2014) Forty Two Clinton Museum Store Full Service Restaurant Official Store of the Clinton Center 1200 President Clinton Ave. 610 President Clinton Ave. 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. • Mon. – Fri. 10 a.m – 5:30 p.m. • Mon. – Sat. 2 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. • Sun. OFFICE OF WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON I’m delighted to welcome you to my home state of Arkansas, the place where I was called to a life of public service and learned that every person has a story to tell. I tried my best as Attorney General, Governor, and President to help the people of Arkansas live even better life stories, and I will be forever grateful I’ve had the chance to serve the state that has given me so much. That is one important reason I decided to build my Presidential Center in Little Rock. I wanted the Center to serve, first and foremost, as a Presidential Library. But I also wanted it to be a place for people to come together to learn about the history of our country and the world, and to be inspired to take an active role in shaping our common future. We dedicated the Center in the middle of a torrential rainstorm on November 18, 2004. I was joined by President George W. Bush, President George H.W. Bush, and President Jimmy Carter, as well as nearly 30,000 people from around the world who sat through the downpour to celebrate with me. Since that rainy Thursday almost a decade ago, the Center has welcomed more than three million visitors. From elementary school students to world leaders, our visitors come from every corner of the globe and from every walk of life. Often, I take the opportunity to tour the Center and meet our visitors. And every time I visit with our guests, I am filled with confidence that the Center continues to realize my vision as a place where everyone can study the issues of today so that we can meet the challenges of tomorrow. I look forward to the ongoing creative cooperation among all the Presidential Libraries as we continue to preserve and interpret Presidential history, making the past more accessible and more meaningful. President Franklin D. Roosevelt captured the value of this study at his own Library’s dedication in 1944, when he said, “A nation must believe in three things. It must believe in the past. It must believe in the future. It must, above all, believe in the capacity of its own people so to learn from the past that they can gain in judgment in creating their own future.” 42nd President of the United States Founder, Clinton Foundation 3 On behalf of the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation, I am thrilled to welcome you to Little Rock and the Clinton Presidential Center for the 2014 Presidential Sites On& Libraries behalf of Conference. the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation, I am thrilled to welcome you to Little Rock and the Clinton Presidential Center for the 2014 Presidential Sites &The Libraries Clinton Conference. Presidential Center is a world-class educational and cultural venue offering a variety of special events, exhibits, educational programs, and lectures throughout Thethe year. Clinton The Presidential Center includes Center the is Littlea world Rock-class offices educational of the Clintonand cultural Foundation, venue offering the aClinton variety Presidential of special events, Library exhibits, and Museum, educati andonal the programs, University and of lectures Arkansas throughout Clinton School theof Public year. TheService, Center the includesnation’s firstthe Little institution Rock tooffices offer of a masterthe Clinton’s degree Foundation, in public theservice. Clinton Presidential Library and Museum, and the University of Arkansas Clinton School ofThe Public Center Service, also serves the nation as a compelling’s first institution setting to for offer highlighting a master ’thes degree global in work public of service.the Clinton Foundation. For more than a decade, the Foundation has succeeded in bringing Thepeople Center together also –serves across as sectors, a compelling continents, setting and for generations highlighting – theto turnglobal innovative work of theideas into real solutions and make Clintona measurable Foundation. impact. ForFrom more right than here a decade,in Little theRock Foundation to cities halfway has succeeded around thein bringing globe, our diverse portfolio of peopleprojects together has had –one across common sectors, mission: continents, to provide and generations people and – communities to turn innovative with the ideas tools, into resources, real solutions and and make aopportunities measurable impact.needed Fromto build right stronger here in futures. Little Rock to cities halfway around the globe, our diverse portfolio of projects has had one common mission: to provide people and communities with the tools, resources, and opportunitiesHaving this incredible needed to educational build stronger and culturalfutures. venue in Little Rock has meant so much to this city and state, and we are honored to be a part of President Clinton’s work. And we look forward to marking our 10 year anniversary onHaving November this incredible 18, 2014. educational Throughout and its cultural second venue decade, in theLittle Center Rock will has continue meant so to much make to a thismeaningful city and differencestate, and by servingwe are honored as an extension to be a partof the of classroom, President Clintona cornerstone’s work. of And the wecommunit look forwardy and ato representation marking our 10of yearthe globalanniversary work – on past, November present, and18, 2014.future Throughout of the 42nd itsPresident second ofdecade, the United the Center States. will continue to make a meaningful difference by serving as an extension of the classroom, a cornerstone of the community and a representation of the global work – Duringpast, present, the conference, and future you of’ llthe have 42nd the President opportunity of the to exploreUnited States.and experience a number of Little Rock’s premiere cultural and historical sites. Off-site tours include Little Rock Central High School, which played a pivotal Duringrole in the the civil conference, rights movement; you’ll have the the Governor opportunity’s Mansion, to explore where and Presidentexperience Clinton a number lived of for Little more Rock than’s a decade premierewhile he wascultural Governor and historical of Arkansas; sites. theOff -Historicsite tours Arkansas include LittleMuse um,Rock a stepCentral back High into School, Arkansas which’s frontier played history; a pivotal roleand thein the Ron civil Robinson rights movement; Theater, a thenew Governor performance’s Mansion, space located where inPresident the heart Clinton of the liveddynamic for moreRiver thanMarket a decade whileDistrict. he Littlewas Governor Rock has ofa richArkansas; heritage the and Historic a bright Arkansas future. IMuse hopeum, that a youstep’ llback enjoy into all Arkansasour wonderf’s frontierul city hashistory; to andoffer. the Ron Robinson Theater, a new performance space located in the heart of the dynamic River Market District. Little Rock has a rich heritage and a bright future. I hope that you’ll enjoy all our wonderful city has to offer.The Clinton Foundation is honored to host the 2014 Presidential Sites and Libraries Conference. We are looking forward to hearing from all of the outstanding speakers and panelists who have traveled from around the country to Thediscu Clintonss how weFoundation present and is honored shape presidential to host the history 2014 Presidential in this ever Sitesevolving and modernLibraries era. Conference. We are looking forward to hearing from all of the outstanding speakers and panelists who have traveled from around the country to discuSincerely,ss how we present and shape presidential history in this ever evolving modern era. Sincerely, Stephanie S. Streett Executive Director ClintonStephanie Foundation S. Streett Executive Director Clinton Foundation 4 On behalf of the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation, I am thrilled to welcome you to Little Rock and the Clinton Presidential Center for the 2014 Presidential Sites & Libraries Conference. On behalf of the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation, I am thrilled to welcome Every presidential site tells its own story. They also weave a narrative you to Little Rock and the Clinton Presidential Center for the 2014 Presidential Sites &The Libraries Clinton Conference. Presidential Center is a world-class educational and cultural venue offering of our nation’s history by exploring a president’s life and a variety of special events, exhibits, educational programs, and lectures throughout administration. I am honored to serve as the director of the Clinton Thethe year. Clinton The Presidential Center includes Center the is Littlea world Rock-class offices educational of the Clintonand cultural Foundation, venue offering the Presidential