WASHINGTON - September 10, 2008 - Former President Bill Clinton will replace former President George H.W. Bush as chairman of the National Constitution Center, it was announced yesterday.

"It's quite a coup for us," said Joseph M. Torsella, the center's president and chief executive officer. Clinton will take over chairmanship in January. The center's 43-member board meets twice annually to set policy for the five-year-old center, on Arch Street in Independence Mall.

Clinton, in a statement, said he looked forward to working with the center.

"It is with pride and privilege that I will serve as the new chair of the board of directors of the National Constitution Center, an institution dedicated to increasing the public's understanding of one of the most important documents in American history - the U.S. Constitution," Clinton said.