Clinton School of Public Service
Encyclopedia
The Clinton School of Public Service is a branch of the University of Arkansas
system and is the newest of the presidential schools. It is located on the grounds of the Clinton Presidential Center
in Little Rock. The school is housed in a former Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad
station built in 1899.
Former Senator and Governor David Pryor
was named as the school's first dean. He stepped down from his position as dean in February 2006 but retained the title and active position of Founding Dean. James Rutherford
, nicknamed "Skip," was appointed to succeed David Pryor (Rutherford's mentor) when he was named dean on April 12, 2006.
The school has made its public forums with Charles Ogletree
, Judge Robert Carter, and John Edwards
available to the Arkansas Educational Television Network, or AETN. Other guest speakers in the Clinton School's notably bipartisan and frequently apolitical speaker series have included Henry Kissinger
, Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer
, Congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis
, Senator John Danforth
, famed Republican strategist Benjamin Ginsberg
, Karl Rove
, Levy Mwanawasa
, Alan Keyes
, and Susan Ivey
among others. President Bill Clinton
is said to make regular appearances at the school during which he meets with students in a roundtable format.
The Clinton School also releases a biannual publication called Frank: Academics for the Real World
. The fall/winter 2007 inaugural issue of Frank was entitled “Has the Dream Arrived?” and focused on race relations in America. It included pieces by David Eisenhower
, President Bill Clinton
, Carlotta Walls Lanier
, Karl Rove
, The Rev. Jesse Jackson, Richard Dawkins
, Simon Cowell
, Eboo Patel
, Aneesh Raman
, Antonio Villaraigosa
, Walter Pincus, and President Paul Kagame
of Rwanda.
In the summer of 2007, the Clinton School teamed with the William J. Clinton Foundation and the Kumpuris family to establish a distinguished lecture series. The Kumpuris Lecture Series inaugural address on August 7, 2007 was given by President Clinton. Other guest lecturers include James Baker
, Sam Waterston
, and Nobel Prize winner Wangari Maathai
.
started in 1970 with 18 students and now has 312; the George Bush School of Government and Public Service began in 1997 with 19 students and now has 125.
Students who are enrolled in the Clinton School are encouraged to continue public service acts throughout the world. Many participants come from public service backgrounds and already have experience in the field. Some programs Clinton School students come from include the Peace Corps, Americorps, and some have military and medical backgrounds.
and Richard Olcott were commissioned by President Bill Clinton
to bring his vision of "a symbol of our heritage, a record of our past, and a jumping-off point for the future," to life. Built on the Arkansas River, the Center overlooks a scenic view of the river and has a bridge-like feel in the architecture. With aesthetics in mind, the builders put purpose and functionality first when it came to building the Center. One of the main purposes of the Center is as a branch of the National Archives. Therefore, the library and museum sections of The Clinton School have an obligation, according to Congress, to protect artifacts and documents found and created during the Clinton administration.
University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in...
system and is the newest of the presidential schools. It is located on the grounds of the Clinton Presidential Center
William J. Clinton Presidential Center and Park
The William J. Clinton Presidential Center and Park is the presidential library of Bill Clinton. The center was established by Clinton, the 42nd President of the United States, is located in Little Rock, Arkansas and includes the Clinton Presidential Library, the offices of the Clinton Foundation,...
in Little Rock. The school is housed in a former Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad
The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad was a Class I railroad in the United States. It was also known as the Rock Island Line, or, in its final years, The Rock.-Incorporation:...
station built in 1899.
Former Senator and Governor David Pryor
David Pryor
David Hampton Pryor is a former Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives and United States Senator from the State of Arkansas. Pryor also served as 39th Governor of Arkansas from 1975 to 1979 and was a member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from 1960 to 1966...
was named as the school's first dean. He stepped down from his position as dean in February 2006 but retained the title and active position of Founding Dean. James Rutherford
James Rutherford
James Rutherford was a transit pioneer in Australia.-Early life:Rutherford was born in Amherst, Erie County, New York, U.S.A., second son of James Rutherford and his wife Hetty, née Milligan....
, nicknamed "Skip," was appointed to succeed David Pryor (Rutherford's mentor) when he was named dean on April 12, 2006.
Master of Public Service Program
The Clinton School is a graduate school offering its students a Master of Public Service degree. The program is described as a "two-year graduate program with a 'real world' curriculum." The mission of the school is to "to educate and prepare individuals for public service, incorporating a strategic vision, an authentic voice, and a commitment to the common good." The program is unique within the presidential schools for its emphasis on practical courses, which include a practicum, summer internship, and capstone project. The school is further unique for its emphasis on leadership for social change, preparing students to become leaders in the public, private, and non-profit sectors, as well as it's emphasis on creating bridges among those sectors. The Clinton School emphasizes equity, as opposed to emphasizing efficiency in public administration schools and effectiveness in public policy schools.Public Programs and Publications
Charles Ogletree
Charles J. Ogletree is Jesse Climenko Professor at Harvard Law School, the founder of the school's Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice, and the author of numerous books on legal topics....
, Judge Robert Carter, and John Edwards
John Edwards
Johnny Reid "John" Edwards is an American politician, who served as a U.S. Senator from North Carolina. He was the Democratic nominee for Vice President in 2004, and was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004 and 2008.He defeated incumbent Republican Lauch Faircloth in...
available to the Arkansas Educational Television Network, or AETN. Other guest speakers in the Clinton School's notably bipartisan and frequently apolitical speaker series have included Henry Kissinger
Henry Kissinger
Heinz Alfred "Henry" Kissinger is a German-born American academic, political scientist, diplomat, and businessman. He is a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. He served as National Security Advisor and later concurrently as Secretary of State in the administrations of Presidents Richard Nixon and...
, Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer
Stephen Breyer
Stephen Gerald Breyer is an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Appointed by President Bill Clinton in 1994, and known for his pragmatic approach to constitutional law, Breyer is generally associated with the more liberal side of the Court....
, Congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis
John Lewis (politician)
John Robert Lewis is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1987. He was a leader in the American Civil Rights Movement and chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee , playing a key role in the struggle to end segregation...
, Senator John Danforth
John Danforth
John Claggett "Jack" Danforth is a former United States Ambassador to the United Nations and former Republican United States Senator from Missouri. He is an ordained Episcopal priest. Danforth is married to Sally D. Danforth and has five adult children.-Education and early career:Danforth was born...
, famed Republican strategist Benjamin Ginsberg
Benjamin Ginsberg
Benjamin L. Ginsberg is a partner and lobbyist for Patton Boggs LLP, where he has represented political parties, political campaigns, candidates, members of Congress and state legislatures, Governors, corporations, trade associations, businesses, and individuals participating in the political...
, Karl Rove
Karl Rove
Karl Christian Rove was Senior Advisor and Deputy Chief of Staff to former President George W. Bush until Rove's resignation on August 31, 2007. He has headed the Office of Political Affairs, the Office of Public Liaison, and the White House Office of Strategic Initiatives...
, Levy Mwanawasa
Levy Mwanawasa
Levy Patrick Mwanawasa was the third President of Zambia. He ruled the country from January 2002 until his death in August 2008. He is credited for having initiated a campaign to rid the country of corruption...
, Alan Keyes
Alan Keyes
Alan Lee Keyes is an American conservative political activist, author, former diplomat, and perennial candidate for public office. A doctoral graduate of Harvard University, Keyes began his diplomatic career in the U.S...
, and Susan Ivey
Susan Ivey
Susan M. Ivey is an American business person who is the chairman, president and CEO of Reynolds American, Inc.-Early life and education:...
among others. President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
is said to make regular appearances at the school during which he meets with students in a roundtable format.
The Clinton School also releases a biannual publication called Frank: Academics for the Real World
Frank: Academics for the Real World
Frank: Academics for the Real World is a publication of the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service. The inaugural issue was released in Fall/Winter 2007. Skip Rutherford, Dean of the Clinton School, is the Publisher. Clinton School Director of Public Programs and Policy Patrick...
. The fall/winter 2007 inaugural issue of Frank was entitled “Has the Dream Arrived?” and focused on race relations in America. It included pieces by David Eisenhower
David Eisenhower
Dwight David Eisenhower II is an American author, public policy fellow, and eponym of the U.S. Presidential retreat, Camp David. He is the grandson of the 34th President of the United States, Dwight D...
, President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
, Carlotta Walls Lanier
Carlotta Walls Lanier
Carlotta Walls LaNier was the youngest of the Little Rock Nine, a group of African-American students who, in 1957, were the first black students ever to attend classes at Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. She was the first black female to graduate from Central High School...
, Karl Rove
Karl Rove
Karl Christian Rove was Senior Advisor and Deputy Chief of Staff to former President George W. Bush until Rove's resignation on August 31, 2007. He has headed the Office of Political Affairs, the Office of Public Liaison, and the White House Office of Strategic Initiatives...
, The Rev. Jesse Jackson, Richard Dawkins
Richard Dawkins
Clinton Richard Dawkins, FRS, FRSL , known as Richard Dawkins, is a British ethologist, evolutionary biologist and author...
, Simon Cowell
Simon Cowell
Simon Phillip Cowell is an English A&R executive, television producer, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is known in the United Kingdom and United States for his role as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and American Idol...
, Eboo Patel
Eboo Patel
Eboo Patel is a member of President Barack Obama's inaugural Advisory Council on Faith-Based Neighborhood Partnerships. He is an American Muslim of Gujarati Indian heritage and founder and president of the ,...
, Aneesh Raman
Aneesh Raman
Aneesh Raman currently works at the Department of Defense.Raman was previously Speechwriter to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner. Before joining the government, Raman was an award-winning CNN reporter and the network's first ever correspondent based in the Middle East responsible for region-wide...
, Antonio Villaraigosa
Antonio Villaraigosa
Antonio Ramón Villaraigosa , born Antonio Ramón Villar, Jr., is the 41st and current Mayor of Los Angeles, California, the third Mexican American to have ever held office in the city of Los Angeles and the first in over 130 years. He is also the current president of the United States Conference of...
, Walter Pincus, and President Paul Kagame
Paul Kagame
Paul Kagame is the sixth and current President of the Republic of Rwanda. He rose to prominence as the leader of the Rwandan Patriotic Front , whose victory over the incumbent government in July 1994 effectively ended the Rwandan genocide...
of Rwanda.
In the summer of 2007, the Clinton School teamed with the William J. Clinton Foundation and the Kumpuris family to establish a distinguished lecture series. The Kumpuris Lecture Series inaugural address on August 7, 2007 was given by President Clinton. Other guest lecturers include James Baker
James Baker
James Addison Baker, III is an American attorney, politician and political advisor.Baker served as the Chief of Staff in President Ronald Reagan's first administration and in the final year of the administration of President George H. W. Bush...
, Sam Waterston
Sam Waterston
Samuel Atkinson "Sam" Waterston is an American actor and occasional producer and director. Among other roles, he is noted for his Academy Award-nominated portrayal of Sydney Schanberg in 1984's The Killing Fields, and his Golden Globe- and Screen Actors Guild Award-winning portrayal of Jack McCoy...
, and Nobel Prize winner Wangari Maathai
Wangari Maathai
Wangari Muta Mary Jo Maathai was a Kenyan environmental and political activist. She was educated in the United States at Mount St. Scholastica and the University of Pittsburgh, as well as the University of Nairobi in Kenya...
.
Enrollment
The Clinton School admitted 16 students from around the globe in its inaugural class in 2005. Now in its seventh year, the school has increased admission to 38 students and has a current enrollment of 70 students. The enrollment pattern is in keeping with the two other presidential schools that are coupled with presidential libraries. By comparison, the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public AffairsLyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs
The Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs is a graduate school at The University of Texas at Austin that was founded in 1970 to offer professional training in public policy analysis and administration for students interested in pursuing careers in government and public affairs-related areas...
started in 1970 with 18 students and now has 312; the George Bush School of Government and Public Service began in 1997 with 19 students and now has 125.
Students who are enrolled in the Clinton School are encouraged to continue public service acts throughout the world. Many participants come from public service backgrounds and already have experience in the field. Some programs Clinton School students come from include the Peace Corps, Americorps, and some have military and medical backgrounds.
Building the Center
Architects James PolshekJames Polshek
James Stewart Polshek is an American architect based in New York City. He is the founder of Polshek Partnership, the firm at which he was Principal Design Partner for more than four decades...
and Richard Olcott were commissioned by President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
to bring his vision of "a symbol of our heritage, a record of our past, and a jumping-off point for the future," to life. Built on the Arkansas River, the Center overlooks a scenic view of the river and has a bridge-like feel in the architecture. With aesthetics in mind, the builders put purpose and functionality first when it came to building the Center. One of the main purposes of the Center is as a branch of the National Archives. Therefore, the library and museum sections of The Clinton School have an obligation, according to Congress, to protect artifacts and documents found and created during the Clinton administration.