But Where Could It Be?

The Sprint Nextel Corp. campus in Overland Park would be a good location for the academy.

Melinda Tiemeyer, a Sprint spokeswoman, said she wasn’t aware of any discussions a bout locating an academy there.

Tiemeyer said that although all but one of the 17 buildings have employees in them, no building is full. A broker for the Sprint property is on the list to attend today’s meeting.

Patton has a persuasive speech ready on why Kansas City is the right place:

“We have the right resources with Whiteman Air Force Base, Haskell (Indian Nations) University, strong state universities and the American Humanics Inc.” American Humanics is a nonprofit organization based in Kansas City that works with colleges and universities to train leaders for nonprofit organizations.

But those gathering at Union Station probably won’t need convincing.

Robert Stein, Missouri’s commissioner of higher education, said public service is the lifeblood of our country, but there is no institution dedicated to developing public-service leaders.

“We need to explore how to establish a public service academy that will prompt a cadre of new leaders into government at local, state, national and even global levels,” Stein said.

Chris Myers Asch, one of the founders of the U.S. Public Service Academy, will be in Kansas City for the meeting.

“It will be like the Olympics. The city that makes the best bid and shows the most local support is likely to get the academy,” Asch said.

So far, Seattle and Philadelphia also are making cases to host the academy. Academy officials said officials in the District of Columbia have suggested building the school at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, which is scheduled to close next year.

Asch said that with President Barack Obama calling for more public service and voluntarism, “we think now is a particularly auspicious time to pursue this opportunity. This is an idea that fits our historic moment.”

Like cadets at the military academies, prospective students would need congressional nominations to enroll in the Public Service Academy. Tuition would be free in exchange for a five-year commitment to work in public service after graduation.

When they are done with college, law students might be called on to become prosecutors. Business majors might work for a government office here or abroad. Teachers might work in urban or rural public schools.

State or regional bids for the academy would go to a federal commission — yet to be established — and then on to the president, academy spokeswoman Stuart said.

“JFK had the Peace Corps. Bill Clinton had AmeriCorps,” she said. “This could be President Obama’s Peace Corps.”