Laura Bush

A complete, nuanced study of Laura Bush’s work as first lady, which blended the traditional feminine expectations of the role with the political agenda and global advocacy of the modern office. Jill Abraham Hummer, a leading expert on first ladies, adds to the highly acclaimed Modern First Ladies series.

Born in Midland, Texas, Laura Lane Welch was reared in the mold of the traditional Southern woman, with its expectations of decorum and propriety. Raised with a love of books, she graduated from Southern Methodist University with a degree in education. Her life veered from the traditional path when, as a young woman, she taught elementary school in Texas during the process of desegregation, earned a master’s degree in library science from the University of Texas, and worked as a community and school librarian. In 1977, at age thirty-one, she married George W. Bush and entered his family’s world of politics. As a political wife, Laura brought her values and her concern for literacy and learning to the Texas Governor’s Mansion and the White House—and to the world stage.

In the latest contribution to the Modern First Ladies series, Jill Abraham Hummer provides a complete and balanced assessment of Laura Bush’s work as first lady. Laura Bush’s legacy has been the source of debate. Some have portrayed her as a staid, complacent, perfect wife, lacking a will and agenda of her own. Others argue she was a brave and fierce advocate, using her platform in unprecedented ways to champion her own priorities. In this book, Hummer explores how Laura Bush artfully fused the modern and traditional elements of the position, broadening her appeal and upending expectations of what first ladies can do.

By chronicling Bush’s activities as first lady in real time, Hummer shows how Bush grew from a reticent political wife with a limited portfolio into a global advocate in her own right. Laura Bush’s time as first lady was not one-dimensional or static, and her growth was not necessarily linear. Hummer further argues that Laura Bush can best be understood as an emissary for George W. Bush’s compassionate conservative policy agenda and efforts to spread freedom and democracy around the globe. Laura Bush’s work was not inconsistent with her husband’s efforts, but she also emerged as an independent advocate on several issues. In this regard, she modeled the modern interpretation of the first lady’s role.

Hummer also chronicles Laura Bush’s style and innovations in social entertaining, restoring and redecorating the White House, and promoting American arts and culture. In these respects, Laura Bush simultaneously advanced the first lady’s traditional responsibilities and sought to bring dignity to the White House.