High Plains has produced 7 presidents
As our country looks to celebrate our nation’s 250th birthday, one of the best ways to learn is through presidential libraries. The High Plains has seven institutions that can make great trips to learn more about these presidents and their roots, much of which is intertwined with agriculture.
Texas leads with three—Lyndon Baines Johnson in Austin, George H.W. Bush in College Station and George W. Bush in Dallas. Four other states have one each—Herbert Hoover in West Branch, Iowa; Harry S. Truman in Independence, Missouri; Dwight D. Eisenhower in Abilene, Kansas; and Bill Clinton in Little Rock, Arkansas.
(Top photo is several books from Dave Bergmeier’s collection about the presidents. Photos of Hoover, Truman, Eisenhower, Johnson and George H.W. Bush are from the Library of Congress.)
Here is a glance at each, from oldest to newest.
President Herbert Hoover
The Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum is closed for an extensive renovation project, but there are plans to reopen summer 2026, according to hoover.archives.gov.
Hoover, an international mining engineer by trade, grew up on a family farm in West Branch, Iowa, a town of 350 people. He initiated the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River, which provided flood control, irrigation to Imperial Valley farmers and hydroelectric power for the Southwest. He also supported the Agricultural Marketing Act, which created the Federal Farm Board to help farmers by promoting agricultural cooperatives and stabilizing prices.
Famous agriculture quote
“I do have a vivid recollection that the major purpose of a farm was to produce a living right on the spot for the family.”
The Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum tells the story of the life and times of the 31st president of the United States. Located just off Interstate 80 at Exit 254, 10 miles east of Iowa City, the Presidential Library and Museum is within the Herbert Hoover National Historic Site, a 187-acre park administered by the National Park Service. There is an admission fee to tour the galleries. For more information, visit https://hoover.archives.gov.
The Herbert Hoover National Historic Site remains open, and visitors are encouraged to learn more by visiting www.nps.gov.
President Harry Truman
The Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum honors the nation’s 33rd president, who first finished the term of Franklin Delano Roosevelt after Roosevelt died in April 1945. Truman then helped end World War II and presided over the beginning of the Cold War with the Soviet Union while helping rebuild Europe. He did so with the Marshall Plan, which invested money to rebuild Western European countries. He also approved the Berlin Airlift to carry food and fuel as the Soviet Union attempted a blockade.
He was the nation’s last president who did not have a college degree. He grew up on a family farm in Grandview, Missouri.
Famous agricultural quote
“The most peaceful thing in the world is plowing a field.”
The Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum is an educational resource that inspires lifelong learning, spurs discussions about democracy and service, and supports local, national and global citizenship. The library uses Truman’s life and legacy to inform, inspire, educate and engage modern audiences about his contributions.
The library and museum is located at 500 W. U.S. Highway 24, Independence, MO 64050. For more information, visit trumanlibrary.gov.
President Dwight Eisenhower
The Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum is located in Abilene, Kansas. Eisenhower was born in Denison, Texas, but his parents, David and Ida, moved to Abilene when Ike was about 2 years old.
His work ethic was honed while working at the Belle Springs Creamery. After graduating from Abilene High School in 1909, he went to West Point.
Ike entered the global scene as a five-star general who was the architect of the successful D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944, in Normandy, France, which led to the liberation of Europe from Nazi Germany in May 1945. He became the nation’s 34th president, serving from 1953 to 1961, during eight years of national prosperity. His experience from the war led to the nation’s interstate highway system and improved relations with the Soviet Union.
Famous agriculture quote
“Farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil and you’re a thousand miles from the corn field.”
The Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home is open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday and is located at 200 S.E. Fourth Street, Abilene, KS 67410. Tickets are required to tour the museum and boyhood home.
For more information, visit eisenhowerlibrary.gov.
President Lyndon Johnson
The Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library and Museum honors the nation’s 36th president, who took office following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on Nov. 22, 1963. He is credited with the Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act and created social welfare policies that included Medicare and Medicaid.
Known as a power broker, the Texas politician grew up in Stonewall. His father grew up on a family farm.
Famous agriculture quote
“The land flourished because it was fed from so many sources—because it was nourished by so many cultures and traditions and peoples.”
Situated on a 30-acre site on The University of Texas campus in Austin, Texas, the library houses 45 million pages of historical documents, 650,000 photos and 5,000 hours of recordings from Johnson’s political career, including about 643 hours of recorded telephone conversations.
The LBJ Presidential Library and Museum is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily and is located at 2313 Red River St., Austin, TX 78705. For more information, visit lbjlibrary.org.
President George H.W. Bush
The George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum honors the nation’s 41st president. He was born in Massachusetts and educated at Yale. A World War II veteran, Bush became a successful oil executive in west Texas, a congressman, a top envoy to China and vice president for two terms under Ronald Reagan. He is credited with helping end the Cold War and building a coalition for the Persian Gulf War that ended Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait. He also made international trade a core objective in the post-Cold War era.
Famous agriculture quote
“I will not let American agriculture disarm unilaterally. Today, the trade practices of the European Community hurt American farmers.”
The George H.W. Bush Library is located at 1000 George Bush Drive West, College Station, TX 77845. It is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m., Sunday.
For more information, visit https://www.bush41library.gov.
President Bill Clinton
The William J. Clinton Presidential Library and Museum honors the nation’s 42nd president, who was born in Hope, Arkansas. Clinton lived on a farm as a youth, and his grandparents owned a small grocery store. The two-term president’s accomplishments included the North American Free Trade Agreement with Mexico and Canada, encouraging work training and signing Freedom to Farm. His compassionate side was well known for helping the nation heal following the Oklahoma City bombing in April 1995.
Famous agricultural quote
“Every American has got a stake in rural America. Our farms feed the world and us at very low real costs, at very high quality. They also feed our sense of ourselves. They reinforce our values of hard work and faith and family and devotion to community and the land.”
The William J. Clinton Presidential Library and Museum is located on the grounds of the Clinton Presidential Center and Park. The Clinton Presidential Center also includes the Clinton Foundation’s Little Rock office and the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service.
The Clinton Presidential Library is at 1200 President Clinton Ave., Little Rock, AR 72201.
For more information, visit clintonlibrary.gov.
President George W. Bush
The George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum is the nation’s newest institution and is named after the nation’s 43rd president, George W. Bush, a native Texan who continues to live in the state. The former governor who served two terms is known for his leadership in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, and the global war on terror. Those actions led to the Department of Homeland Security. Under his leadership, he increased ethanol production and alternative energy technologies. He enacted the Renewable Fuel Standard under the Energy Policy Act of 2005.
Famous agriculture quote
“Farming is still the first industry in America. It is a luxury that we live in a country that can feed itself and we want to keep it that way.”
The George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum is located on the Southern Methodist University campus at 2943 SMU Boulevard, Dallas, TX 75205. For more information, visit bushcenter.org.
Dave Bergmeier can be reached at 620-227-1822 or [email protected].
