Former First Lady Laura Bush to speak at Samford University on Thursday

Samford University will host former First Lady Laura Bush this Thursday, March 26 when she speaks at the school as part of its fifth annual Tom and Marla Corts Distinguished Author Series.

Author of the book Spoken from the Heart, the former first lady will appear at 7 p.m. in Samford’s Wright Center as part of the series, presented by Samford’s Orlean Bullard Beeson School of Education. A former teacher and librarian, Bush will focus on literacy and the importance of teaching during her visit to the Homewood campus.

Her visit will begin a series of events to celebrate the centennial year of teacher education programs at Samford. The Distinguished Author Series was established in 2011 to honor the late Thomas Corts, who served as Samford’s president for 23 years, and his wife, Marla Corts, a former high school English teacher.

Corts had ties to the administration of Bush’s husband, former President George W. Bush. After his retirement from Samford in 2006, Corts served as coordinator of the President’s Initiative to Expand Education and as coordinator of Basic Education in the Office of the Director of Foreign Assistance in the U.S. State Department.

The former first lady is the ideal speaker to kick off the celebration, Samford Education Dean Jeanie A. Box said in a university release.

“Mrs. Bush’s continued involvement in education shows her passion for reading and literacy, and aligns with our mission to prepare teachers and leaders who will positively influence and shape society,” Box said. “She is a prime example of someone who has done this and more.”

 Bush, who holds a bachelor’s degree in education from Southern Methodist University and a master’s degree in library science from the University of Texas at Austin, taught elementary grades in inner-city schools and was a public school librarian. She married former President George W. Bush in 1977.

As first lady from 2001 to 2009, she became a champion for key issues in the fields of education, healthcare and human rights.  She founded the Texas Book Festival and the National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. Today, as chair of the Women’s Initiative at the George W. Bush Institute in Dallas, Texas, she continues her work on global healthcare innovations, empowering women in emerging democracies, education reform and supporting America’s military veterans.

In her memoir, Spoken from the Heart, Mrs. Bush writes about joining one of America’s most prominent political families, life with her husband and twin daughters, and the post-9/11 period that transformed her role as first lady.

Tickets to hear Bush speak Thursday are $35 general admission and $75 for reserved seating. They can be purchased at www.tickets.samford.edu or by calling (205) 726-2853.

 Proceeds from the lecture benefit the Samford education school, which will continue its 100-year anniversary celebration with various events this year.