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Laura Lane Welch Bush (born November 4, 1946) is the wife of the 43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush. She was the First Lady from 2001 to 2009. She graduated from Southern Methodist University in 1968 with a bachelor's degree in education and soon took a job as a second grade teacher. After attaining her master's degree in Library Science at the University of Texas at Austin, she was employed as a librarian. She met George W. Bush in 1977, and they were married later that year. The couple had twin daughters in 1981. Bush's political involvement began during her marriage. She campaigned with her husband during his unsuccessful 1978 run for the United States Congress and later his successful Texas gubernatorial campaign. As First Lady of Texas, Bush implemented many initiatives focused on health, education, and literacy.〔 In 1999, she aided her husband in campaigning for the presidency in a number of ways, most notably delivering a keynote address at the 2000 Republican National Convention, which gained her national attention. She became first lady after her husband defeated Democrat Al Gore in the 2000 U.S. Presidential Election. Polled by The Gallup Organization as one of the most popular First Ladies,〔 Laura Bush was involved in both national and global concerns during her tenure. She continued to advance her trademark interests of education and literacy by establishing the semi-annual National Book Festival in 2001 and encouraged education on a worldwide scale. She also advanced women's causes through The Heart Truth and Susan G. Komen for the Cure. She represented the United States during her foreign trips, which tended to focus on HIV/AIDS and malaria awareness. Bush's memoir ''Spoken from the Heart'' was published in 2010. ==Early life and career== Laura Lane Welch was born on November 4, 1946, in Midland, Texas, the only child of Harold Welch (1912–1995) and Jenna Louise Hawkins Welch (born 1919). She is of English ancestry. Her father was a home builder and later successful real estate developer while her mother worked as the bookkeeper for her father's business.〔 Early on, her parents encouraged her to read, leading to what would become her love of reading.〔 She said, "I learned (important reading is ) at home from my mother. When I was a little girl, my mother would read stories to me. I have loved books and going to the library ever since. In the summer, I liked to spend afternoons reading in the library. I enjoyed the ''Little House on the Prairie'' books and ''Little Women'', and many others... Reading gives you enjoyment throughout your life."〔 Bush has also credited her second grade teacher, Charlene Gnagy, for inspiring her interest in education. She attended James Bowie Elementary School, San Jacinto Junior High School, and Robert E. Lee High School in Midland. She graduated from Lee in 1964〔"(Laura Welch Bush )." ''Encyclopædia Britannica''〕 and went on to attend Southern Methodist University in Dallas where she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta.〔 She graduated in 1968 with a Bachelor of Science degree in education. On the night of November 6, 1963, Laura Welch ran a stop sign and struck another car, resulting in the death of its driver. The victim was her close friend and classmate Michael Dutton Douglas. By some accounts, Douglas had been Welch's boyfriend at one time.〔("Claim: While a teenager, future First Lady Laura Bush caused the death of a classmate in a car accident. Status: True." ), Snopes.com〕 Welch and her passenger, both 17, were treated for minor injuries.〔 According to the accident report released by the city of Midland in 2000, in response to an open-records request, she was not charged in the incident.〔Midland police report〕 Bush's spokesman said, "It was a very tragic accident that deeply affected the families and was very painful for all involved, including the community at large."〔 In her book ''Spoken from the Heart'', she says that the accident caused her to lose her faith "for many, many years". After graduating from SMU, she began her career as a second grade school teacher at Longfellow Elementary School in the Dallas Independent School District. She then taught for three years at John F. Kennedy Elementary School, a Houston Independent School District school in Houston, until 1972. In 1973, Welch attained a Master of Science degree in Library Science from the University of Texas at Austin.〔 She was soon employed as a librarian at the Kashmere Gardens Branch at the Houston Public Library. The following year, she moved back to Austin and took another job as a librarian in the Austin Independent School District school Dawson Elementary until 1977. She reflected on her employment experiences to a group of children in 2003, saying, "I worked as a teacher and librarian and I learned how important reading is in school and in life." 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Laura Bush」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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