Too Soon? U of C Wants To Host Obama's Presidential Library

By Marcus Gilmer in Miscellaneous on Oct 26, 2009 6:20PM

If you thought Obama's receiving this year's Nobel Peace Prize was jumping the gun, get ready for more looking ahead. The University of Chicago is already taking the first steps to try to secure the eventual Obama Presidential Library. Bloomberg reports that U of C officials have already asked the White House about plans but have been rebuffed with the reasoning being, "too soon." University of Chicago president Robert J. Zimmer told Bloomberg, “We are trying to understand the situation as best we can now. Until the president really wants to talk about it, has some kind of direction that he’s thinking about, we really feel more specific questions are premature.” Meanwhile, U of C spokesman Steven Kloehn said, “I know of no contacts on that topic."

President Clinton's library in Little Rock didn't open until November 2004, almost four years after he left office and President George W. Bush's library at SMU is still under construction. Not that there's anything wrong with planning ahead. After all, the Obamas have several ties to the school: Obama taught Constitutional Law there for 12 years and Michelle served as vice president of the school's medical center. But let's all just agree to take a deep breath and give Obama a few years into his Presidency before we start talking about plans for after he's no longer in office. [via]