Which city will house Joe Biden’s presidential library?
The president has not made any public decisions about the location of his library, but several cities could make a case.
No matter what happens on election day this year, Joe Biden will no longer be president come Jan. 20 . And while there are more pressing political decisions being made at the moment, there’s another decision Biden will be faced with in the coming months: where to place his presidential library.
By federal law, the National Archives are supposed to automatically assume responsibility for the custody and preservation of presidents’ records at the end of their term. Presidents can choose to build and donate a presidential library to the National Archives, but they are not required to do so.
It’s too soon to know where Biden’s presidential library will be. But it’s never too early to speculate. And there are a number of places that have given indication they’d like to be considered as its location.
In a 2023 interview with special counsel Robert Hur, Biden said first lady Jill Biden was already encouraging him to think about where he might like it to be located, according to the Washington Examiner. But the president did not voice a preference.
Here are some possible early contenders:
Newark, Del.
Officially, a spokesperson for the University of Delaware, where Biden earned his bachelor’s degree in 1965, said he does not know if they are in the running.
“There’s no information to share at this time, as we are unaware of any conversations on this topic,” said Christopher A. Vito, spokesperson for the University of Delaware, which is home to the Joseph R. Biden Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration.
That doesn’t mean people in the state that the president calls home aren’t hoping.
“It’s come up in the last couple of years. Delaware is a very small state and we were all speculating where it’s going to be, but no one has heard anything,” said Katie Grasso, a spokesperson for Sen. Tom Carper (D., Del.). “We are all dying to know, it’s a very cool thing.”
Syracuse, N.Y.
In the Hur interview, Biden spilled the beans that in addition to his Delaware alma mater, Syracuse University, where he received his law degree in 1968, was also interested in housing his library. His first born son, the late Beau Biden, also earned his law degree at Syracuse. The president also suggested some folks might like it in D.C.
“My recollection is there’s people competing,” Biden reportedly said in the interview. “Syracuse University would like it. University of Delaware would like it. They want to do it down here in Washington.”
“There have been no conversations to date on this,” said Sarah E. Scalese, Syracuse’s senior associate vice president for communications.
Philadelphia
It’s possible Penn could also throw a hat in that ring. Biden has taught there in the past, and the first lady is a proud Philadelphian.
Penn had no comment and suggested asking the White House.
Scranton
Don’t forget about the University of Scranton. A case could be made for that Pennsylvania city where the president was born. Other presidents have had their libraries, containing their papers, records, and other historical materials, erected close to home.
White House sources declined comment.
Former President Donald Trump, while running for reelection, still does not have a physical library. There had been speculation in the past one might be located over a couple of floors of the Trump Tower in Manhattan, while the Washington Post reported that end-of-term fundraising plans to build a presidential library in Florida so far have not resulted in a building. At present, the Trump presidential library is a website of records from the former president’s term overseen by the National Archives and Records Administration.
According to a spokesperson with the National Archives, “President Biden has not yet indicated his intentions with regard to a presidential library. The National Archives will assume custody of the records and artifacts of the Biden administration on Jan. 20, 2025.”