Big Names On Campus For Library Dedication Current And Former Presidents Laud Bush For ‘Service To America’
Under a cloudless Texas sky, one current and two former American presidents saluted one of their “small fraternity” Thursday, praising George Bush for his lifetime of service to America as they dedicated his presidential library at Texas A&M University.
“Today, I feel like the luckiest person in the world,” Bush said, borrowing a quote from baseball great Lou Gehrig, as he basked in accolades from President Clinton and former presidents Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford.
More than 20,000 crowded onto the A&M campus for the formal opening of the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum, part of an $83 million, three-building complex honoring the 41st president and adopted Texas son.
It was a rare day in American politics: four presidents, two Democrats and two Republicans, putting aside political differences in a show of mutual respect. The dignitaries also included former first ladies, former world leaders, 10 governors, including Bush’s son, Texas Gov. George W. Bush, show business celebrities and admiring members of the Bush clan.
“The sun is shining on Texas A&M today and the sun is shining on America today,” Clinton said. “This morning, I think it’s fair to say that all Americans are united in tribute to President George Bush for his lifetime of service to America.”
“You make us all proud to be one of your countrymen,” Ford told Bush. Carter said Bush excelled in every government job he held and will be “extraordinarily successful in his years beyond the White House.”
And former first lady Nancy Reagan called Bush “a loyal partner” to her husband, Ronald Reagan, who is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and was unable to attend. Bush served as Reagan’s vice president for eight years before becoming president in January of 1989.
The library - which Carter described as “one of the most beautiful places that I have ever seen” - is a 69,000 square-foot limestone and granite structure containing millions of documents and exhibits tracing Bush’s life and more than three decades in politics.
Also taking the stage were First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton and former first ladies Barbara Bush, Nancy Reagan, Rosalyn Carter, Betty Ford and Lady Bird Johnson.
Other guests ranged from members of Bush’s cabinet to world leaders from his days in the White House, including Lech Walesa and former British Prime Minister John Major.