Remembering Barbara Bush

First Lady Barbara Bush (June 8, 1925 - April 17, 2018) will be remembered for her frankness, her patriotism, and her focus on family. She also dedicated time and resources to improve literacy throughout the United States.

First Lady Barbara Bush
copyright US Weekly

 

The SWC Library has many books, articles, and other biographical resources about the life of First Lady Barbara Bush.

Soon after beginning her reign as the nation's 38th first lady, Barbara Pierce Bush made a small change in the private quarters of the White House. She converted the room that had served as a beauty salon for Nancy Reagan into a delivery room for Millie, the Bushes' pregnant English springer spaniel. As an aide to Mrs. Bush told the New York Daily News, "She had no need for a beauty salon. It's the only area without a rug, perfect for a litter of puppies." A few days after the room was made over, six puppies were born, with Bush serving as midwife. The salon-turned-puppy-nursery story illustrates a dramatic difference in personal style between Bush and her predecessor. While Nancy Reagan took pride in cultivating a look of elegance, bringing a kind of designer mentality to the role of first lady, Barbara Bush was a practical, homey, and down-to-earth first lady.

-- from Biography in Context database, SWC Library