Battle Over Bush Library

Oct. 15, 2006 — -- Even before George W. Bush began his run for the White House, Baylor University began campaigning for his presidential library.

It hired high-priced consultants, produced slick marketing materials and procured 150 acres of riverfront real estate.

"It would put us on the map -- and so it is a high stakes game," said Baylor professor Tommye Lou Davis.

Working in Baylor's favor, it is religious -- the biggest Baptist school in the world -- conservative, and close to the president's beloved ranch.

But, it's in Waco, Tex. And has no real connection to the Bushes, unlike Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

That's where Laura Bush went to college. She now serves on the university's board of trustees.

Unfortunately, the campus is too cramped for a 70,000 square-foot library, so SMU is cobbling together nearby properties.

"I think when SMU wants something, they're going to do anything and everything they can to get it," said Austin Kilgore, editor in chief of the SMU Daily.

The underdog in this fight is the University of Dallas. The little-known Catholic school is offering 300 hilltop acres with highway access and, soon, rail service as well.

"We might seem to be an unlikely candidate for this, but we are a small institution with a global mission," said university president Francis Lazarus.

In Texas, where football is king, the battle for the Bush library is just as fierce -- and potentially far more lucrative -- than a winning season.