‘He was the best boss,’ President Bush’s 100th birthday celebrated with author panel
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) – Wednesday would have been President George H.W. Bush’s 100th birthday.
This milestone was celebrated at the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum with a panel led by Jon Meacham and Jean Becker, who have written multiple books about the late president.
Laughter and fond memories filled the George Bush Presidential Center as Meacham and Becker shared their stories about President Bush.
“He was the world’s best boss, and that’s because he was funny, he was a lot of fun. He had a lot of great ideas, but he also wanted to make the world a better place to live,” Becker said.
Both had close personal relationships with the former president. Becker served as his chief of staff, and Meacham as a presidential historian. Meacham delivered the first eulogy at President Bush’s funeral in 2018.
Celebrating President Bush’s 100th birthday carries a special significance for them.
“Centennials give us a chance to assess not only the life of the subject, but also the life of the nation,” Meacham said.
The authors sat down for a book signing after the panel, connecting with attendees and reconnecting with their colleagues from his administration.
“He would have a lot of fun, because he loved people, he loved all these people,” Becker remarked.
Though many of the stories shared were decades old, Meacham said there is still more to be written about the legacy of President Bush.
“He was a man before he was a monument, and we honor both. We honor the man he was, we honor the monument that he’s become,” Meacham said.
Jean Becker is the author of The Man I Knew: The Amazing Story of George H.W. Bush’s Post-Presidency and Character Matters…and Other Life Lessons from George Herbert Walker Bush.
Jon Meacham is the author of several books, including Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush and his new release, The Call to Serve: The Life of an American President, George Herbert Walker Bush: A Visual Biography.
