Daily printout: June 12

The Postal Service dedicated a stamp honoring former first lady Barbara Bush — wife of the 41st president, George H. W. Bush, and mother of the 43rd president, George W. Bush — on June 10.

The ceremony was held at Ganny’s Garden on the Green in Kennebunkport, ME, near the Bush family’s vacation home.

“At this special occasion, we are reminded of the values Mrs. Bush embodied — values we at the U.S. Postal Service also hold dear,” said Acting Postmaster General Doug Tulino. “She knew that each piece of mail is more than paper and postage. It was a bridge between one American and another — a personal connection with the public she served all her life.”

George W. Bush spoke on behalf of the Bush family.

“She knew family was vital to a happy life,” the former president said. “She was a lover of books. It was really important to her because she knew if a child couldn’t read, a child couldn’t succeed.”

Also attending the event were former first lady Laura Bush; Barbara Bush’s son, Neil Bush; and daughter, Dorothy “Doro” Bush Koch. Alice Yates, CEO of the George & Barbara Bush Foundation, was the master of ceremonies.

The stamp commemorates the 100th anniversary of Barbara Bush’s birth. 

Bush was known for her focus on family, as well as a sharp wit and plainspoken style that drew admiration from her fellow Americans.

Born Barbara Pierce in New York City in 1925, she married George H.W. Bush in 1945.

The couple would have six children between 1946 and 1959: George W., Robin, Jeb, Neil, Marvin and Dorothy.

George H.W. Bush would go on to become a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, ambassador to the United Nations, chairman of the Republican National Committee, head of the U.S. Liaison Office in the People’s Republic of China, and director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

In 1980, he was elected vice president. Barbara Bush was second lady from 1981-1989.

George H.W. Bush was elected president in 1988 and Barbara Bush was first lady from 1989-1993.

During her time as second and then first lady, she championed literacy causes and wrote her first book, “C. Fred’s Story” — told from the perspective of the family’s cocker spaniel — in 1984, donating the proceeds to national literacy programs.

She  also wrote “Millie’s Book” in the voice of the family’s springer spaniel; “Pearls of Wisdom: Little Pieces of Advice (That Go a Long Way)”; “Reflections: Life After the White House”; and “Barbara Bush: A Memoir.”

She died in April 2018. George H.W. Bush died the following November.

The stamp is based on her official 2005 White House portrait. USPS revealed the artwork at a White House ceremony on May 8.

The Forever stamp is available in panes of 20 at Post Offices and on usps.com.

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