Laura Bush Speaks to Sold-Out Crowd at Winona Lake
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Jennifer [email protected]
Bush, a former teacher and librarian, spoke to a sold-out crowd of 2,500 at the Orthopaedic Capital Center. The event was sponsored by Grace College and the Remnant Trust.
John Boal, Grace College chief advancement officer, welcomed Bush and the audience.
David Floyd, OrthoWorx CEO, provided the invocation.
Dr. Ron Manahan, Grace College president, introduced Bush.
Bush serves as an honorary ambassador for the United Nations Literacy Decade, and is a proponent of teacher recruitment programs such as Teach for America, The New Teacher Project and Troops to Teachers.
She reflected on her years living at the White House when her husband, George, was president.
She said with her in-laws, former president George Bush Sr. and his wife, Barbara, living in the White House, she became comfortable with the White House by the time she and her husband lived there.
“I knew from the example my mother-in-law set as first lady that the White House had a looming history and that I could exist with the chaos of normal family life,” Bush said.
She said she and her husband and twin daughters, Barbara and Jenna, settled into the White House, and her husband’s duties as president began.
She said her husband’s focus as president were on the issues he had stressed in his campaign including education reform, tax cuts, Medicare and prescription drugs.
She said as first lady it was her job to find her own identity.
She said one identity she was assigned was the stereotypical 1950s housewife, someone who was pleasant and dutiful and kept her opinions to herself.
“I had my opinions and I was happy to share them, and one of those is that I believe that every child in America should learn to read,” Bush said.
She said she believes literacy is an essential foundation for democracy.
Bush joined the Library of Congress and launched the first National Book Festival in 2001.
“I know that books have the power not to just move people as individuals, but to shape our journey as a nation,” Bush said.
She said when women learn to read they are more likely to participate in business and trade, which leads to greater economic development.
During a question-and-answer session with Boal, he asked Bush about what it was like to visit with soldiers in veterans hospitals.
She said the soldiers had lost limbs, but still wanted to go back and fight for their country.
She also spoke about her and her husband visiting the families of soldiers who had loved ones killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“I looked at George’s face and saw the gravity of the choices he had to make when I saw the tears in his eyes after visiting with the families,” Bush said.
She said he remained the cowboy caricature by editorial cartoonists, op-ed writers and late-night TV comedians.
She said it bothered her of the caricature, but it didn’t get to her.
“When you live in the White House you don’t just live with the ghost of presidents, but with the echoes of citizens holding its government accountable,” Bush said.
She spoke on the topic of breast cancer as this month is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
She said her mother, Jenna Welch, is a breast cancer survivor, and Bush spoke of the Susan G. Komen Race For the Cure organization.
She said the organization works to bring awareness to millions to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer research.
She said she fell in love with George, who she describe as having a sense of humor and quick wit, but said there were days in the White House when there was not laughter.
One of those days was Sept. 11, 2001, during the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.
“That night George and I were taken to a secure location I remember we hugged and were safe, but all we could think about were the thousands of Americans who could not say the same,” Bush said.
She spoke about freedom and said the U.S. should always be a beacon and example of freedom for the rest of the world.
She said her faith in God became stronger after 9/11.
Now that she is living in Texas with her husband, they are planning a presidential library that is currently being built at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.[[In-content Ad]]
Bush, a former teacher and librarian, spoke to a sold-out crowd of 2,500 at the Orthopaedic Capital Center. The event was sponsored by Grace College and the Remnant Trust.
John Boal, Grace College chief advancement officer, welcomed Bush and the audience.
David Floyd, OrthoWorx CEO, provided the invocation.
Dr. Ron Manahan, Grace College president, introduced Bush.
Bush serves as an honorary ambassador for the United Nations Literacy Decade, and is a proponent of teacher recruitment programs such as Teach for America, The New Teacher Project and Troops to Teachers.
She reflected on her years living at the White House when her husband, George, was president.
She said with her in-laws, former president George Bush Sr. and his wife, Barbara, living in the White House, she became comfortable with the White House by the time she and her husband lived there.
“I knew from the example my mother-in-law set as first lady that the White House had a looming history and that I could exist with the chaos of normal family life,” Bush said.
She said she and her husband and twin daughters, Barbara and Jenna, settled into the White House, and her husband’s duties as president began.
She said her husband’s focus as president were on the issues he had stressed in his campaign including education reform, tax cuts, Medicare and prescription drugs.
She said as first lady it was her job to find her own identity.
She said one identity she was assigned was the stereotypical 1950s housewife, someone who was pleasant and dutiful and kept her opinions to herself.
“I had my opinions and I was happy to share them, and one of those is that I believe that every child in America should learn to read,” Bush said.
She said she believes literacy is an essential foundation for democracy.
Bush joined the Library of Congress and launched the first National Book Festival in 2001.
“I know that books have the power not to just move people as individuals, but to shape our journey as a nation,” Bush said.
She said when women learn to read they are more likely to participate in business and trade, which leads to greater economic development.
During a question-and-answer session with Boal, he asked Bush about what it was like to visit with soldiers in veterans hospitals.
She said the soldiers had lost limbs, but still wanted to go back and fight for their country.
She also spoke about her and her husband visiting the families of soldiers who had loved ones killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“I looked at George’s face and saw the gravity of the choices he had to make when I saw the tears in his eyes after visiting with the families,” Bush said.
She said he remained the cowboy caricature by editorial cartoonists, op-ed writers and late-night TV comedians.
She said it bothered her of the caricature, but it didn’t get to her.
“When you live in the White House you don’t just live with the ghost of presidents, but with the echoes of citizens holding its government accountable,” Bush said.
She spoke on the topic of breast cancer as this month is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
She said her mother, Jenna Welch, is a breast cancer survivor, and Bush spoke of the Susan G. Komen Race For the Cure organization.
She said the organization works to bring awareness to millions to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer research.
She said she fell in love with George, who she describe as having a sense of humor and quick wit, but said there were days in the White House when there was not laughter.
One of those days was Sept. 11, 2001, during the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.
“That night George and I were taken to a secure location I remember we hugged and were safe, but all we could think about were the thousands of Americans who could not say the same,” Bush said.
She spoke about freedom and said the U.S. should always be a beacon and example of freedom for the rest of the world.
She said her faith in God became stronger after 9/11.
Now that she is living in Texas with her husband, they are planning a presidential library that is currently being built at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.[[In-content Ad]]
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