Bush, Laura Welch (1946-…), is the wife of George W. Bush, the president of the United States from 2001 to 2009.
Laura Bush was born Laura Lane Welch on Nov. 4, 1946, in Midland, Texas. Her father, Harold, was a building contractor, and her mother, Jenna, served as his bookkeeper. Laura received a bachelor’s degree in education from Southern Methodist University in 1968 and a master’s degree in library science from the University of Texas at Austin in 1973. She worked as a public school teacher and librarian before marrying George W. Bush in 1977. George and Laura Bush have twin daughters. They are named Jenna and Barbara, after their grandmothers.
After her husband became governor of Texas in 1995, Laura Bush spent much of her time promoting literacy and the arts in the state of Texas. Working with her mother-in-law, former First Lady Barbara Bush, Laura Bush established several state literacy programs. She helped organize the annual Texas Book Festival, which raises thousands of dollars for the state’s public libraries, and she displayed the work of Texas artists. She also supported organizations that promote breast cancer awareness. Laura Bush wrote a memoir, Spoken from the Heart (2010).
