Contacts: Bob Wright (214) 768-7650 [email protected] Patti LaSalle (214) 768-7660 [email protected]
March 16, 1999
GOVERNOR BUSH TO GIVE SMU COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS
DALLAS (SMU) ---- Texas Governor George W. Bush will give the address at Southern Methodist University's 84th annual commencement ceremony on May 15. "Governor Bush has worked with the Texas legislature in a spirit of bipartisan cooperation to help enact historic reforms in education, welfare and the criminal justice system," said SMU President R. Gerald Turner. "Our graduates will be enriched by his message, drawing upon years of leadership in business and public service. His growing national stature will enable our students to be a part of history in the making. SMU is honored to welcome Governor Bush as commencement speaker." George W. Bush was born July 6, 1946, and grew up in Midland and Houston. He received a bachelor's degree from Yale University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He served as an F-102 pilot for the Texas Air National Guard. He founded an oil and gas exploration company in Midland and worked in the energy business from 1975 until 1986, then moved to Washington to help in his father's presidential campaign. He assembled the group of partners that purchased the Texas Rangers baseball franchise in 1989 and later built the Ranger's new home, the Ballpark at Arlington. He served as managing general partner of the Texas Rangers until he was elected governor on November 8, 1994, with 53.5 percent of the vote. In a historic re-election victory on November 3, 1998, he became the first Texas governor to be elected to consecutive four-year terms, winning 68.6 percent of the total vote, including 49 percent of the Hispanic vote, 27 percent of the African-American vote, 65 percent of the women's vote and 27 percent of the Democrats who voted. Governor Bush's wife, Laura, a former teacher and librarian who grew up in Midland, graduated from SMU in 1968 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in elementary education. They have teenage twin daughters, Barbara and Jenna. The universitywide commencement ceremony will be held at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, May 15, in Moody Coliseum. SMU will award about 1,800 undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. Diplomas will be presented at individual school or departmental ceremonies throughout the day.
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