Skip Rutherford

Skip Rutherford is the William J. Clinton Professor and Dean of the University of Arkansas Clinton School. Rutherford is past president of the nonprofit William J. Clinton Foundation, which oversaw construction of the Clinton Presidential Center. The original Foundation fundraising goal for the Library was $100 million dollars. The cost of the project eventually swelled to $165 million.

Rutherford championed the location of the Library to potential donors by noting its proximity to convention hotel space, restaurants, shops. He has also been quoted as saying that having the main library of the Central Arkansas Library System only a few blocks away was "a major factor in determining the site for the Clinton Library in downtown Little Rock."

In response to Bill Clinton's frequent requests for information about the status of construction on the library complex, Rutherford had his staff install a ClintonCam webcam that was available 24/7.

Rutherford became embroiled in the dispute with landowner Eugene Pfeifer III over the site of the Clinton presidential library complex in 2001. He also became involved in the court struggle over a proposed economic-development tax break for the library.

Rutherford is a longtime friend of the president.