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Laura Welch Bush
Partner of a President
By Anne
Adams
The role of a President’s wife has varied
with the times and of course with the person
involved, and modern presidential spouses
have a much larger role than in the past.
While wives of presidents and candidates
once remained completely in the background
now they not only accompany their husband on
the campaign trail but also speak and tour
alone. Yet no matter how active they are,
they are consistently expected to support
their husband’s political and legislative
agenda as well as their own causes, and as
they do that a First Lady is ideally a
partner to a president as well as her own
person. Such is Laura Welch Bush.
Laura Lane Welch was born November 4, 1946
in Midland , Texas , an only child and later
popular student in local schools. She
received her undergraduate degree in
education from Southern Methodist University
in Dallas in 1968, then taught in Dallas and
Houston elementary schools. In 1973 she
completed a Master’s degree in library
science from the University of Texas at
Austin , and then was employed by the
Houston public library system. From 1974 to
1977 she was an elementary school librarian
in Austin . That same year of 1977 she met
George W. Bush at the home of mutual friends
and they were married in November, 1977.
Their twin daughters Barbara and Jenna
(named after their grandmothers) were born
in 1981.
Mrs. Bush got her original “first lady”
experience (of Texas) as George W. Bush was
elected governor in 1995 and then she
entered the White House when her husband was
elected president in 2000.
Following her education and life-path, Mrs.
Bush has made education, women’s health and
particularly reading as her special causes.
She launched the first National Book
Festival in association with the Library of
Congress in September, 2001, to follow with
the 2003 event that attracted 60,000
attendees. She has also hosted the “White
House Salute to America’s Authors” featuring
the works of Mark Twain, Women Writers of
the West, Harlem Renaissance authors and
other classic American writers.
To emphasize and encourage education, Mrs.
Bush has assisted various programs that
recruit and assist teachers, as well as
playing host to a White House Conference on
Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers.
On the international front, Mrs. Bush serves
as Honorary Ambassador for the Decade of
Literacy of the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO). Mrs. Bush has also supported
education to all peoples and especially
women and girls. Expressing a particular
interest in this area came when she became
the only first lady to deliver a weekly
presidential radio address during the
American invasion of Afghanistan when she
described the condition of women and girls
living under the Taliban rulers of that
country. Then in May, 2002 she addressed the
Afghan people with a radio address on Radio
Liberty.
Another of Mrs. Bush’s area of interest is
women’s health, something she approaches
with a personal interest since her mother is
a breast cancer survivor.
While other First Ladies or candidates’
wives have taken more of a major role in the
public eye, Mrs. Bush has chosen to
represent her causes and support her husband
in a more low-key way, and always with skill
and grace.
~*~
A native of Kansas City , Missouri , Anne
grew up in northwestern Ohio , and holds
degrees in history: a BA from Wilmington
College , Wilmington , Ohio (1967), and a MA
from Central Missouri State University ,
Warrensburg , Missouri (1968).
A freelance writer since the early 1970s,
she has published in Christian and secular
publications, has taught history on the
junior college level, and has spoken at
national and local writers’ conferences. Her
book “Brittany, Child of Joy”, an account of
her severely retarded daughter, was issued
by Broadman Press in 1987. She also
publishes an encouragement newsletter
“Rainbows Along the Way.”
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