Former First Lady Barbara Bush Dies at 92 :: Family Literacy Champion

Former first lady Barbara Bush dies at 92

Texas Tribune: 4.17.2018 by Ross Ramsey

Barbara Pierce Bush, matriarch of an American political dynasty that has produced presidents, governors and other high officials, has died in Houston. She was 92.

@BarbaraBushFdn 

Bush was an outspoken public figure, often putting into words the thoughts that the elected men in her family were too cautious to utter. She did practically everything in politics short of running for office herself, organizing campaigns and “women’s groups” in the parlance of the day, riding herd on political friendships and organizations critical to electing her husband, George H.W. Bush, to the U.S. House, the vice presidency and ultimately, to the presidency itself. Her oldest son, George W. Bush, was the 43rd president after twice winning election as governor of Texas. His younger brother, Jeb Bush, was governor of Florida and, later, an unsuccessful candidate for president.

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She was a strong advocate for literacy programs — the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy was started while she was first lady — and authored several books: "Barbara Bush: a Memoir"; "Millie’s Book: As Dictated to Barbara Bush"; and "Reflections: Life After the White House." At the Republican National Convention in 1988, she made a presidential nominating speech for her husband, becoming the first spouse to take on what quickly became a standard feature of national political conventions.  READ MORE >>