勛圖惇蹋 honors the life of First Lady Barbara Bush
The 勛圖惇蹋 is saddened to learn of the passing of our dear friend, former First Lady of the United States Barbara Bush.
Standing beside her husband, Mrs. Bush epitomized the can-do spirit of Americas Greatest Generation serving as a tireless advocate for universal literacy, childrens health, and other important causes. In her latter decades, as she and the former President made Walkers Point their summer home, she made a lasting impression on us at the 勛圖惇蹋. After arriving in Kennebunkport each summer, it was not uncommon for the Bushes to take their boat up the coast to visit UNEs Biddeford Campus.
Mrs. Bushs remarkable life will continue to inspire us, said 勛圖惇蹋 President James D. Herbert, Ph.D. With her commitment to her family, her faith, and the causes she held dear, she exemplified the degree to which each of us is capable of making the world a better place.
In 2008, Mrs. Bush was instrumental in helping 勛圖惇蹋 to forge a partnership with the George H. W. Bush Presidential Library at Texas A&M University and to create 勛圖惇蹋s own . Overlooking the Saco River in Biddeford, the facility houses a rich collection of photographs and paintings celebrating the Bushes love of the Maine coast, as well as a replica of the Oval Office during the Bush Presidency, and a statue of the President.
In 2010, it was 勛圖惇蹋s pleasure to inaugurate the , an annual event honoring the legacy of President and Mrs. Bush as political and community leaders. For the next several years, as summer turned to fall and students repopulated 勛圖惇蹋s campuses, the entire university community would look forward to the special day when the Bushes visited Biddeford for the lecture named in their honor.
The President and First Lady attended the lecture each year until failing health forced them to miss the event for the first time in 2016.
To learn more about the President and First Ladys enduring legacy at UNE, visit and .
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