In a significant event at the White House’s East Room amid a rainy Thursday, former First Lady Barbara Bush was honored with a U.S. postage stamp unveiling. The ceremony saw the presence of First Lady Melania Trump and members of the Bush family, who shared moments of Barbara Bush’s life and her numerous accomplishments.
Dorothy “Doro” Bush Koch, Barbara’s daughter, along with Judy de Torok from the U.S. Postal Service, recounted stories that celebrated Bush’s legacy. Bush Koch, while reminiscing, spoke with emotion about her mother’s steadfast nature. “Mom was never one to shy away from speaking the truth or taking a stand,” she remarked. Bush’s iconic image, with her white hair and signature pearls, is captured in the stamp, which is also her official White House portrait, showing her in a black suit and purple blouse.
The stamp will become available for purchase on June 10th, following another ceremony in Kennebunkport, Maine, where the Bush family compound is located. Barbara Bush was not just a former first lady, but a proactive advocate for literacy and a pioneer in changing perceptions around AIDS. Her support for individuals with AIDS was most evident when she held a baby suffering from the disease during a hospice visit in 1989. Melania Trump credited Bush with transforming the national dialogue on AIDS and supporting gay rights.
Trump also acknowledged Bush’s forward-thinking nature and her call for a female American president, suggesting humorously that someone in the audience might be the future president. Her words received laughter and applause. Barbara Bush passed away in 2018 at the age of 92. She was known for her long marriage to President George H. W. Bush and as the mother of former President George W. Bush.
In a rare distinction, she was one of only two First Ladies to have a child become president, the other being Abigail Adams, wife of President John Adams, and mother of John Quincy Adams. Even in her later years, Barbara Bush maintained her active participation in politics, supporting her son, Jeb Bush, during his Republican presidential campaign bid in 2016. During this time, she did not hold back her strong opinions about Donald Trump, expressing her disdain in an interview where she criticized his remarks about women and the military.
Melania Trump had attended Barbara Bush’s funeral, while Donald Trump did not, citing the intention to minimize security complications. Barbara Bush becomes the eighth First Lady to be featured on a U.S. postage stamp. Reflecting on the honor, Bush Koch humorously noted that her mother would likely question the attention she was receiving. “It’s unlikely that mom ever pictured herself on the postage stamp, and it’s very likely that she would be wondering what all this fuss is about,” she commented.