Taos

The Presidency And The American West

As the director of the George W. Bush Presidential Library, Alan Lowe will draw upon his unique expertise and perspective to share how the office of the president has been highly influenced by the American West. How has the West played a part in the development of the men who have taken the presidential oath of office? Learn how George Washington’s outlook and attitudes toward the British were based on his experiences in the West. Examine the influence of the West on leaders such as Teddy Roosevelt, and see how presidential actions in the West fundamentally changed our nation. How did the West help shape the concept of political “outsiders” like Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon, who were not bound by common East Coast perspectives? By using the unique setting of Taos, you will discuss how the landscape, the people and the culture of the region have shaped our nation’s highest office.

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About the Instructors

Alan Lowe serves as the director of the George W. Bush Presidential Library. Lowe earned his B.A. and M.A. degrees in history at the University of Kentucky. In 1989, he joined the staff of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, as an archivist.  In 1992, he moved to the Office of Presidential Libraries at the National Archives and Records Administration in Washington, D.C., where he helped oversee the many presidential libraries located throughout the nation. During part of this time, Lowe also served as interim director of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library in Hyde Park, New York. From 2003 until 2006, he served as the representative of former Senate Majority Leader William Frist on the Advisory Committee on the Records of Congress. From 2003 to 2009, Lowe served as the founding executive director of the Howard H. Baker, Jr. Center for Public Policy at the University of Tennessee. Lowe is a member of the Advisory Board for the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues at the University of Kentucky.

“It is always a pleasure to be in this setting and learn something beneficial.” – Robert Cecil

For more information

Contact Allison Curran at taosci@smu.edu or call 214-768-TAOS (8267).