U-M Web page focuses on presidential visits

Updated 4:30 AM April 28, 2007

U-M Web page focuses on presidential visits

By Kevin Brown

Former president Bill Clinton's scheduled appearance here April 28 has sparked the creation of a Web site devoted to presidential visits to U-M.

"From the White House to the Big House, American presidents have been visiting the University of Michigan for more than 100 years," reads the home page for the site, www.umich.edu/whitehouse, titled, "Hail! to the Chief," which chronicles campus appearances from some of the nation's top leaders.

"Many of the presidential visits can be characterized the way Theodore Roosevelt summed up a daylong campus appearance in 1899: 'I have had a corking good time,'" the introduction continues.

"It seems they like to come here because they're going to have a receptive, educated audience," says Kim Clarke, U-M executive writer and communications counsel. "It also speaks to the stature of the University that they want to come here. It seems like a great showcase for both the speaker and the institution."

The two most striking appearances in the list of presidential visits: Candidate John Kennedy's Oct. 14, 1960, speech during which he revealed his concept for the Peace Corps, and President Lyndon Johnson's May 22, 1964, commencement address at Michigan Stadium, in which he lays out his vision for a "Great Society."

On the Web site, one can hear an audio clip of the Kennedy speech and see video of LBJ's address. The site also features numerous photos of visits through the years.

A timeline page offers a list of presidential visits and dates, starting with Grover Cleveland's 1892 appearance. "There is an account of a student literally being swept off her feet by the crowd," Clarke says.

William McKinley followed in 1892, as did William Howard Taft in 1894 and Theodore Roosevelt in 1896, his first of three visits. "I'm struck by the accounts of Teddy Roosevelt's visit here," Clarke says. "He seemed to go to a number of places on campus and huge numbers of students followed, wanting to hear him or shake his hand."

Benjamin Harrison came in 1897 and 1900 and Woodrow Wilson visited three times, in 1903, 1905 and 1912.

"President Ford came here a lot; he loved the place," says Clarke of the 1935 alumnus.

Mike Traugott, professor in the Center for Political Studies, Institute for Social Research, says, "Presidents like to come to campuses, especially if it is their alma mater, because they can expect a warm and friendly welcome and a serious, intellectual conversation about some important area of public policy in which they have an interest. Voting, campaigns, and election reform are natural topics for such events."

"It was interesting to see Jimmy Carter visited so many times in the '80s (three, all with Gerald Ford)," Clarke says, noting the one-time presidential rivals had become friends.

Those viewing the Web site are asked to share memories of past presidential visits. There also are links to a 2007 Commencement page, a Public Papers of Presidents of the United States page and more.

Clinton's scheduled appearance will be his third. He previously came to Ann Arbor as a candidate, and later as a president who spoke on the Flint campus in support of fellow Democrats.

U-M Web page focuses on presidential visits

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