Clinton Home & Presidential Library/Museum

In March 2005, I visited the Clinton Presidential Museum and Library in Little Rock, 6 months after its official dedication. In May 2005, I visited Bill Clinton's Birthplace Home in Hope, Arkansas, 30 miles from Texas.

Clinton's birthplace home was originally built by a doctor in 1917. His family acquired it in the early 1940s. When I stopped in Hope, Arkansas, I was the only visitor to his home where he lived from birth to elementary school so I had a dedicated guide. She was about 70 and knew a lot about her subject. For example, Bill Clinton's father died in an accident while he was still in the womb. His mother remarried a man named Clinton, who never adopted Bill. When Bill was 15 years old he petitioned the Court and was permited to change his last name from Blythe to Clinton.

The big surprise from the visit was Vince Foster. He was the presidential aide who also did the Clinton’s tax returns and who drove from the White House one day and committed suicide in a public park. Vince Foster lived in the house next to Clinton’s. He was Billy's main playmate. The photo of Clinton’s first grade class shows 14 or 15 children and Clinton, easily recognizable, is standing next to Vince.

The Clinton Presidential Museum and Library fits Bill Clinton's personality. Outside it is a large metal and glass box that critics call a glorified house trailer (Clinton had a good laugh at that comment), but inside it is spacious and well appointed. There is a central corridor with display cases on each side. The display cases reflect Clinton campaign themes and his knack for taking credit for all the good news in sight. In the center are large annual summaries of key events. There are a lot of TV monitors and video tape displays, but it is all low tech compared to the 3D holograms at the Lincoln Presidential Museum.

My favorite part is the faithful re-creation of the Oval Office. I have visited the White House a couple of times and, it is easier for visitors to examine the re-creation than the real one because of extra windows for viewing.

The Clinton Presidential Library and Museum is on the main highway passing thru Little Rock. It is definitely worth a stop. A better name for it might be the "Clinton Permanent Campaign Headquarters".