Stamp Honoring Barbara Bush Celebrates Her Legacy in Literacy and Social Change

A new stamp issued by the U.S. Postal Service will honor Barbara Bush, the wife of 41st U.S. President, George H. W. Bush.

According to a release, a ceremony to celebrate the first day of issuance took place at in Kennebunkport, ME, close by the family's vacation residence.

From 1989 to 1993, she was first lady of the United States, garnering national and worldly acclaim for her public service efforts.

“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 USPS 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.”

Classified as a Forever stamp, it will be issued in panes of 20 copies.

Born as Barbara Pierce on June 8, 1925, her birthplace is in New York City, however her upbringing took place in Rye, New York. She later attended boarding school in South Carolina.

She first met George H. W. Bush at the age of 16, during a Christmas dance in Connecticut.

Bush was on break from a Massachusetts boarding school at the time.

As the two started getting to know each other, they later got engaged eighteen months later.

They were able to tie the knot before Bush departed to serve in World War II.

George Bush's involvement in the service led him to become one of the youngest Navy aviators to fly torpedo bombers.

He was the lone survivor of a plane that was shot down in late 1944 while serving in the Pacific Theater.

George and Barbara married on January 6, 1945, after his return home while on leave.

The couple brought their first child, George W., and their second child, daughter Robin, who was born in 1949 but succumbed to leukemia at age 3.

4 more additions to the young family came between 1953 and 1959 (Jeb, Neil, Marvin and Dorothy).

Leading up to Bush's presidency, Mrs. Bush supported her husband's various campaigns which first started in 1962, when Mr. Bush started his fun for chair of the Harris County, Texas Republican Party.

He also served as member of the U.S. House of Representatives, ambassador to the United Nations, chairman of the Republican National Committee and director of the Central Intelligence Agenc during that time.

Bush was later elected as U.S. President on January 20, 1989.

As first lady, Mrs. Bush was celebrated for her down-to-earth nature and grace. Her 1990 commencement speech at Wellesley College advised graduates to pursue their careers while valuing human connections.

She humorously noted that someone in the audience might "follow my footsteps and preside over the White House as the president’s spouse. I wish him well!" The speech was later recognized by American Rhetoric as one of the 20th century's best.

After her husband, President George H.W. Bush lost his reelection bid in 1992, the Bushes returned to Texas.

During the family's time in office, Barbara Bush was a trailblazer in her compassionate efforts to tackle pressing social issues.

Drawing from her personal experience with her daughter Robin’s battle against leukemia, Mrs. Bush took a bold step in the fight against AIDS by visiting a hospice for children.

There, she cradled a child with AIDS, a gesture that helped destigmatize the disease at a time when fear of contact was rampant.

Her advocacy didn't stop there. Mrs. Bush encouraged her husband, President George H.W. Bush, to support federal funding in the fight against AIDS, showcasing her commitment to the cause.

Believing that illiteracy was at the root of many national problems, Mrs. Bush established the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy.

Her passion for reading led her to publish "Millie’s Book" in 1990, a charming children’s story narrated from the perspective of her beloved English springer spaniel, Millie.

Mrs. Bush also launched “Mrs. Bush’s Story Time,” a national radio broadcast aimed at encouraging adults to read aloud to children.

Her efforts culminated in 1991 when she urged her husband to pass the National Literacy Act, providing millions of adults with a second chance to earn their high school diploma.

Their son, George W. Bush, became governor of Texas in 1995 and later the 43rd president of the United States, making Mrs. Bush only the second first lady to become the mother of a president.

She passed away on April 17, 2018, in Houston and is buried next to her daughter Robin at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library in College Station, Texas.

Her husband joined her in December of the same year.

The stamp features a detail from the official 2005 White House portrait by artist Chas Fagan.

The portrait, part of the White House Collection, is shared courtesy of the White House Historical Association. It depicts Mrs. Bush in a purple top, black jacket, and one of her signature multi-strand pearl necklaces.

Included in the stamp is "Barbara Bush", written in white across the bottom, with "Forever" positioned at the lower-left side and "USA" at the upper-right side.