(January 22, 2007)—The University of Dallas withdrew its bid Monday for the George W. Bush Presidential Library, leaving Baylor University as the only remaining alternative to Southern Methodist University, with which the site selection committee is now in exclusive talks.

University of Dallas President Frank Lazarus said he didn't consider the bid a failure because it had "propelled us onto the national stage."

The University of Dallas is a private Roman Catholic university with about 3,000 students.

It had planned to put the library, museum and public policy institute on 300 acres bordered by the Trinity River.

It also would have included a 250-acre Freedom Park, with trails and an area for concerts.

SMU announced last month that it was entering into exclusive talks with the committee formed to recommend a site and last week the president said he was leaning toward SMU as the site for the library and associated think tank.

But some faculty members and a group of Methodist ministers have called on SMU to drop its bid.

Baylor officials said earlier they remain cautiously optimistic, despite the apparent choice of SMU as the sole finalist for the facility.

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