Laura Bush.

Laura Lane Welch was born on November 4, 1946, in Midland, Texas, to Jenna Welch and Harold Welch. She grew up in Midland, where her father was a builder and her mother a homemaker. She attended Robert E. Lee High School before enrolling at Southern Methodist University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in education in 1968. Her interest in books and learning led her to pursue a master’s degree in library science at the University of Texas at Austin, which she completed in 1973.

After graduating from SMU, she worked as a second-grade teacher in Dallas. She later became a school librarian in the Houston, Dallas, and Austin school systems. In 1977, she met George W. Bush at a barbecue, and they married later that year. She campaigned with him during his unsuccessful 1978 run for the U.S. Congress and later for his successful Texas gubernatorial campaign. She became First Lady of Texas in 1995 and then First Lady of the United States on January 20, 2001, serving until 2009. During her tenure in the White House, she focused on education and literacy initiatives, including the National Book Festival and the Ready to Read, Ready to Learn program.

Laura Bush married George W. Bush on November 5, 1977. The couple had twin daughters, Barbara and Jenna, born on November 25, 1981. The family lived in Texas before moving to Washington, D.C. after George W. Bush’s election. She is the daughter-in-law of former President George H.W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush. She has three grandchildren through her daughter Jenna: Mila, Poppy Louise, and Henry Harold Hal Hager. Her mother, Jenna Welch, died in 2019, and her father, Harold Welch, died in 1995.

Laura Bush’s approval ratings reached 85% during her tenure, making her one of the most popular First Ladies in modern history. She authored the memoir Spoken From the Heart and co-wrote the children’s book Read All About It! with her daughter Jenna. In 2002, Barbara Walters named her the Most Fascinating Person of the Year. She received the Library of Congress Living Legend award and the Nichols-Chancellor’s Medal. Following the death of Rosalynn Carter in 2023, she became the eldest living former First Lady. She is remembered for her advocacy of education, literacy, and women’s rights.