CSU Files Official Obama Library Proposal Documents

Deborah Bayliss | As of Wednesday, June 25, 2014

"President Barack Obama is from many places. He was born in Hawaii and lived in diverse locations throughout his childhood. He was educated on the East Coast. Yet without a doubt, Barack Obama the leader was born into political action on the Far South Side of Chicago, in the very communities Chicago State University (CSU) serves each and every day." --Chicago State University President, Dr. Wayne Watson on the reasons why the Barack Obama Presidential Library and Museum should be located on the CSU campus.
"President Barack Obama is from many places. He was born in Hawaii and lived in diverse locations throughout his childhood. He was educated on the East Coast. Yet without a doubt, Barack Obama the leader was born into political action on the Far South Side of Chicago, in the very communities Chicago State University (CSU) serves each and every day." --Chicago State University President, Dr. Wayne Watson on the reasons why the Barack Obama Presidential Library and Museum should be located on the CSU campus.

Chicago State University (CSU) last week, submitted its official Request for Qualification (RFQ) proposal, the first step in the quest to become the future site of the Barack Obama Presidential Library and Museum.

"It has been said that to understand where you are going, you must understand where you are from," CSU President Dr. Wayne Watson said. "President Barack Obama is from many places. He was born in Hawaii and lived in diverse locations throughout his childhood. He was educated on the East Coast. Yet without a doubt, Barack Obama the leader, was born into political action on the Far South Side of Chicago, in the very communities Chicago State University serves each and every day."

The Barack Obama Foundation was created specifically to plan and develop a Presidential Library that reflects President Obama’s values and priorities throughout his career in public service such as expanding economic opportunity, inspiring an ethic of American citizenship, and promoting peace, justice, and dignity throughout the world. Foundation members include:

Martin Nesbitt, President Obama’s longtime friend who served as national treasurer for Obama’s presidential campaigns and co-founder and co-CEO of The Vistria Group, a private equity firm, also currently serves on the board of directors of Jones Lang LaSalle, a global real estate company based in Chicago, as well as the Board of Directors of Norfolk Southern Corporation, as a trustee of Chicago's Museum of Contemporary Art and on the board of directors of the Noble Network of Charter Schools.

J. Kevin Poorman, President and CEO of PSP Capital Partners and Executive Chairman of Vi Senior Living, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Loyola University of New Orleans, and a director of The New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, Inc. Previously, Poorman was a partner in the law firm of Johnson & Swanson, and remains a member of the American, Illinois and Texas Bar Associations.

Julianna Smoot, currently a principal and co-founder of the Smoot Tewes Group, a Washington, D.C.-based political and public affairs consulting firm, Smoot has served in senior roles in President Obama's Administration and on both of his presidential campaigns. Smoot's previous experience includes work for numerous prominent Democratic senators, including Senators Dick Durbin, Tom Daschle, and Chris Dodd.

CSU’s proposal outlines the many reasons CSU would make the best home for the Obama Library and highlights the transformative economic impact the Library would have on the surrounding communities. The University’s proposal also includes letters of support from a wide cross-section of community, education leaders, religious organizations and elected officials.

 The University of Chicago as well as the University of Illinois at Chicago also filed official proposals.

Proposals submitted to the Barack Obama Foundation are confidential, however if the group or entity decides to publicize their proposals on their own, they can do so.

The Foundation will evaluate them and is expected to make a final announcement on the selected site proposal in early 2015. Between now and June, the Foundation will identify and engage with potential locations, according to information posted on its website.

Once a final site selection has been made, however, the Foundation will release the details of the final proposal they accept.

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