In honor of the third consecutive presidential debate being held at Hofstra on Monday, Sept. 26, the university has put together an exhibition comprised of photographs of U.S. presidents and their families who have visited campus in the past.

In the Conference and Exhibition Hall of Joan & Donald Axinn Library, a single horizontal row of 12 large format photographs in black frames adorns the wall. At first glance, this collection titled “First Families” does not automatically draw the viewer’s eye or pique one’s interest.

It is not until closer inspection of the pictures that the audience is able to grasp the historical significance and impressive nature of this collection. The simplicity of the set-up serves as a stark contrast to the remarkable subjects it depicts.

The photographs are not arranged in chronological order. They jump from a black and white image of Dwight D. Eisenhower receiving an honorary degree from Hofstra in 1950, to a photo of the Obamas at the 2008 presidential debate, to a scene of Eleanor B. Roosevelt at the Hofstra Shakespeare Festival in 1958. This seems to emphasize the notion that Hofstra has had an important place in politics throughout the decades.

Hofstra has played many different roles in politics. Various presidents have used Hofstra as a campaign ground, such as Jimmy Carter, who is depicted in the gallery giving a speech in front of a Hofstra banner at the Fitness Center in 1990.

The university has also been a place for the first families to speak to and educate the youth. One of the most interesting and personal photographs in the collection shows former first lady, Barbara Bush, reading to a group of children at Hofstra’s Child Care Institute in 1997.

Most recently however, Hofstra has been known as a venue for political debates. With photographs of the candidates and their supporters from the 2008 and 2012 presidential debates, the collection speaks not only to the storied political past of Hofstra, but also to the future, as Hofstra is to become the first university to host three consecutive presidential debates.

“I didn’t even realize that these photographs existed; it’s really cool to learn that Hofstra has such a rich political past,” said Hofstra senior and accounting major, Colby Hussong, as she looked at an image of Hillary Clinton holding up a university sweatshirt at Hofstra’s Business Development Center in 1992.

“First Families” will run through Sunday, Oct. 1, on the 10th floor of the Axinn library and can be visited during library hours.