On Sept. 15, the University of Hawaii was announced as a finalist in the competition to host the Barack Obama Presidential Center.
The university is proud to be leading this effort, in full partnership with the governor and the state of Hawaii, the mayor and the City and County of Hono-lulu, and in close collaboration with local nonprofits, businesses and community leaders.
As Hawaii’s principal engine of innovation, UH incubates ideas every day that help create a better future for people across our islands. Thanks to the superb work of our faculty-led steering committee and many supporters, Hawaii is now well positioned to take advantage of a historic opportunity: to partner with President Obama to create an institution with local roots, global reach and meaningful impact on the world.
Presidential centers are consequential institutions. The libraries house millions of paper records and terabytes of electronic ones — the raw materials out of which the history of our time will be written. They feature world-class museum exhibits that both tell a president’s story and encourage visitors to wrestle with global challenges.
First established by Franklin Delano Roosevelt, presidential libraries over time have developed additional components: education programs, conference facilities, foundation offices, and think tanks or schools of public affairs.
The most successful presidential institutions, experts agree, are affiliated with research universities, which enhance their capabilities and augment their impact.
Hawaii’s hope is to create a uniquely vibrant institution that will help the president carry forward his work and that advances island-style solutions to some of the great problems of our time, from climate change to child wellness.
We think Hawaii is the perfect place to host the Obama Presidential Center. Known for its multiculturalism, Asia-Pacific ties, natural beauty and its island culture of aloha, Hawaii can host a presidential center that focuses on the future and engages the world.
Through the Hawaii Community Development Authority, the state has designated an amazing oceanfront site in Kakaako Makai. It features wraparound views, proximity to other UH facilities, and easy access from downtown and Waikiki.
Our hope is that a presidential center in Kakaako can enliven the waterfront park; serve as a model for smart, sustainable design; and catalyze the cultural and educational development of the entire district.
For the university, this initiative represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create an allied institution of learning and research.
The Obama Presidential Center in Honolulu will help the university attract top scholars and students, strengthen our national and international partnerships, host world-class events, reach out to local residents and visitors alike, and advance applied research that will improve the lives of people in Hawaii and beyond.
As an institution and as a state, our team is prepared to host an Obama center in full or to partner with mainland locations to create an institution with multiple campuses linked by technology to advance one mission.
President Obama has deep ties to our islands and to UH. His parents met in a UH language class. His sister and brother-in-law serve on our faculty. Obama grew up in Hawaii, and the values we share — ohana, aloha and kuleana among them — have shaped his presidency.
We look forward to partnering with the Barack Obama Foundation, not just to illuminate the president’s legacy, but to extend it for generations to come. And what a glorious way to welcome our president and his family back home.
