Ithaca College Professor Selected to Lead George W. Bush Presidential Library

By Dave Maley, April 15, 2024
Pearl Ponce will serve as a strong voice for archival research and public engagement.
woman in front of bookshelf

Ithaca College Professor of History Pearl Ponce has been named director of the George W. Bush Presidential Library in Dallas, Texas. In that role, she will lead the planning, directing, and administration of all library programming and activities.

Archivist of the United States Colleen Shogan announced Ponce’s appointment, which is effective June 2, 2024.

“The presidential libraries provide an important framework to better understand the complexities of our democracy and the decisions that shape our nation,” said Shogan. “With her deep knowledge of the presidency and foreign relations, and her passion for American democracy, she will be an excellent steward for the George W. Bush Library and a strong voice for archival research and public engagement.”

You can read more on the announcement here.

At Ithaca College, Ponce has served as chair of the Department of History, helping to lead it through the disruption created by the COVID-19 pandemic. She has taught a wide range of courses in United States history and has conducted research and published on the presidency, governance and democracy, the exercise of federal power, and the territorial system.

"Preservation of and access to a presidential administration’s archival materials is foundational to understanding and preserving our democratic institutions, and I am honored to have been selected to contribute to this critical mission.”

Professor of History Pearl Ponce

Ponce said that while she will miss her students and colleagues at Ithaca College, this role will give her the unique opportunity she was seeking to engage with the public while merging perfectly with her intellectual interests.

“My work has centered on the presidency and federal power in the territories, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to share it in a new way,” said Ponce. “The presidential library system is devoted to ensuring the American people have access to their own history. Preservation of and access to a presidential administration’s archival materials is foundational to understanding and preserving our democratic institutions, and I am honored to have been selected to contribute to this critical mission.”

The library serves as a resource for the study of the life and career of George W. Bush, while also promoting a better understanding of the presidency, American history, and important issues of public policy. It is part of the Presidential Libraries system, administered by the National Archives and Records Administration, a U.S. Federal agency.

Ithaca College Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Melanie Stein congratulated Ponce, noting that she is remarkably well-suited to this position.

“She is a respected scholar of American history with a deep understanding of the mission of presidential libraries and of the critical need to preserve archival material and make it accessible,” said Stein. “She is a skilled speaker and has a great deal of experience, both as a professor and as a community member, explaining why it is so important for us to understand our history. She has always worked in a nonprofit, mission-driven environment, and has strong leadership and communication skills.”

Presidential libraries hold the papers and records created by, for, or about presidents and their administrations. They document the key decisions, policies, and activities of the institution of the presidency and provide a vital record of how presidents and their staffs arrive at crucial decisions. To learn more, visit georgewbushlibrary.gov.