SIUC is one of three universities under consideration for a visit from President Clinton next month, a national lobbying group for graduate students said.

Carbondale has tentatively been chosen over Milwaukee, Wis. and Pittsburgh, Pa. as the site for a presidential address on higher education and student aid, Kevin Boyer, executive director of the National Association of Graduate/Professional Students, stated in an electronic-mail message to SIUC student leaders.

Mark Terry, an SIUC Graduate and Professional Student Council vice president, said the decision is only tentative and would not comment further. Terry said GPSC is expecting confirmation from the White House today or tomorrow.

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A spokesperson for White House affairs, Laura Schwartz, said she could not confirm the location of the visit until later this week.

The president has a history of visits to SIUC and the Carbondale area, said political science lecturer Barbara Brown, who is also active in the democratic party.

The President has a soft spot for SIUC, Brown said.

As the governor of Arkansas, Clinton worked on the Mississippi Delta Committee, which highlighted economic stresses of the Mississippi delta area, Brown said. Through his experiences on the committee, he was at SIUC several times and became familiar with the campus, Brown said.

In September 1991, Clinton spoke to local democrats gathered in Carbondale for a state party fund raiser held at SIUC, where Brown said he gained important support for the presidential campaign.

Brown said after leaving Carbondale, Clinton decided to run for president.

He told me he turned to one of his aides on the plane and said, We’re doing this’, she said. He really sees SIU as an important spot along the way.

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Brown said in addition, several campaign fund-raisers were held at SIUC before the 1992 election, and first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton visited SIUC during her husband’s campaign.

President Clinton has been a strong advocate for student aid, and regardless of where he visits, his message will be his commitment to making sure opportunity is available to college students, Brown said.

SIUC Liberal Arts Dean John Jackson said, although several campaigning presidents have visited, the last one in office to come to SIUC was Harry Truman in 1948.