Former First Lady Laura Bush to address NACDS Foundation event
ALEXANDRIA, Va. Former First Lady Laura Bush will be the keynote speaker at the 11th Annual NACDS Foundation Dinner, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores announced today.
Bush, a former teacher and librarian, made her mark during the Bush Administration as a determined advocate for women’s health, equal rights for women and advancements in reading and literacy. She’ll address NACDS Foundation dinner attendees Dec. 1 at the Hilton New York Hotel in New York.
“A leader in national and global efforts to help those in need, Mrs. Bush is an ambassador for education, health care and human rights issues,” said NACDS Foundation president Edith Rosato. “Her commitment and compassion in raising awareness for issues that impact women and children is unmatched. We look forward to Mrs. Bush’s insights and experiences -- both as a former First Lady and as a humanitarian.”
Bush has been an active participant in campaigns to raise awareness of breast cancer and heart disease, both in the United States and around the world. She partnered with the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute in The Heart Truth campaign and the Red Dress project, and traveled to Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Panama to help launch international partnerships for breast cancer awareness and research.
In September 2001, Bush joined the Library of Congress to launch the first National Book Festival. In 2006 she hosted leaders from around the world for the White House Conference on Advancing Global Literacy, showcasing successful, culturally aware literacy programs from a diversity of countries.
Bush holds a Bachelor of Science degree in education from Southern Methodist University and a Master’s Degree in library science from the University of Texas. She taught in public schools in Dallas, Houston and Austin and worked as a public school librarian. In 1977, she met and married George Walker Bush. They are the parents of twin daughters, Barbara and Jenna and son-in-law, Henry Hager.