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Table of Contents
Laura Welch Bush is an American teacher and librarian who became First Lady of the United States when her husband, George W. Bush, was elected president from 2001 to 2009. Laura Bush was preceded as First Lady by Hillary Clinton and succeeded by Michelle Obama.
See the fact file below for more information on the Laura Bush or alternatively, you can download our 22-page Laura Bush worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.
Key Facts & Information
EARLY LIFE AND EDUCATION
- Laura Bush was born as Laura Lane Welch on November 4, 1946, in Midland, Texas.
- She was the only child of Harold Welch, a house builder and real estate businessman, and Jenna Louise Hawkins Welch, a bookkeeper.
- Laura’s parents encouraged her to read from a young age. She then developed a love for reading.
- Young Laura would often visit libraries to read books like Little Women.
- In her hometown Midland, Texas, she attended James Bowie Elementary School and San Jacinto Junior High School.
- She graduated from Robert E. Lee High School in 1964.
- She pursued her higher education at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Education in 1968.
TEACHER AND LIBRARIAN
- She went on to launch her career as an educator at Longfellow Elementary School, a Dallas Independent School District school.
- Shortly after, she became a teacher at John F. Kennedy Elementary School in the Houston Independent School District, where she worked for three years until 1972.
- In 1973, Bush obtained a Master of Science degree in Library Science from the University of Texas.
- She then took a different path and became a librarian.
- Her first workplace as a librarian was the Houston Public Library, specifically the Kashmere Gardens Branch.
- In 1974, she relocated to Austin, Texas and became a librarian in Dawson Elementary School until 1977.
- Laura’s career as a teacher and librarian made her realize the tremendous value of reading and education in the lives of children.
MARRIAGE TO GEORGE BUSH AND FAMILY LIFE
- It was at a summer backyard barbecue with friends where she met her now husband George W. Bush. Their mutual friends Joe and Jan O’Neill introduced them in July 1977. They hit it off so much that they decided to meet again the next day.
- Two months later, George proposed to Laura and another two months later, they got married.
- George and Laura Bush were wed on November 5, 1977, the day after Laura’s 31st birthday.
- They were married at the same church where Laura was baptized, the First United Methodist Church in Midland.
- The Bushes began George W. Bush’s Congressional campaign in 1978, a year after they were married. Laura was undoubtedly a supportive spouse as she delivered her first stump speech for her husband and stayed by his side as he lost the general election.
- Having children did not come easily for the couple; it took three years before Laura Bush was able to conceive twins.
- Laura gave birth to twins Barbara and Jenna on November 25, 1981. She faced a life-threatening condition called toxemia.
- Even as she became a public figure, Laura Bush valued their private family life greatly and focused on being a homemaker.
- She and George traveled to their family estate in Maine, the Bush compound also known as Walker’s Point, several times a year.
- She was credited as being influential to his Bush’s decision to stop drinking alcohol.
BEING FIRST LADY
- In 1994, George W. Bush was elected governor of Texas. Laura then stepped up to work on improving literacy, fundraising for public libraries, and raising awareness about women’s health.
- As First Lady of Texas, she collaborated with her own mother-in-law’s foundation, the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy.
- Laura launched a fundraising event called the Texas Book Festival, and, during the festival’s first four years, it raised around $900,000 for public libraries in Texas.
- In 1999, George sought a presidential nomination for the Republican party and began campaigning for office. Laura ardently supported her husband throughout his campaign.
- George W. Bush won the election and resigned as Governor of Texas in December 2000 to prepare for his inauguration as President of the United States in January 2001.
- As First Lady of the United States, she worked on initiatives that concerned women’s health issues and education.
- She drew on her passion for reading as she launched the Laura Bush Foundation, a foundation dedicated to raising funds for libraries.
- She also became an honorary ambassador for the United Nations Decade of Literacy.
- When the September 11 attacks happened, Laura did her part to comfort the victims and raise funds for the affected families.
- In December 2008, she received the Freedom Award from the international human rights organization Christian Freedom International.
- In 2010, Laura penned her autobiography, Spoken from the Heart.
Laura Bush Worksheets
This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Laura Bush across 22 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Laura Bush worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about Laura Welch Bush who is an American teacher and librarian who became First Lady of the United States when her husband, George W. Bush, was elected president from 2001 to 2009. Laura Bush was preceded as First Lady by Hillary Clinton and succeeded by Michelle Obama.
Complete List Of Included Worksheets
- Laura Bush Facts
- Miss Laura Lane
- One After the Other
- A Librarian’s Duties
- The Bush Love Story
- President Bush
- Main Advocacies
- Before and After
- A Love for Reading
- Laura’s Legacy
- Dedicated to Laura
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Link will appear as Laura Bush Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, December 3, 2019
Use With Any Curriculum
These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.