George H.W. Bush Library and Museum holds some of Bush's greatest treasures

Museum holds more than just documents

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Inside the George H.W. Bush Library and Museum in College Station, some of Bush’s greatest treasures can be found, including 44 million pages of documents, 2 million photographs, thousands of sound and video recordings and 100,000 artifacts.

Within the walls of the library are more than 3,000 gifts from foreign heads of state that Bush received on behalf of the country while serving as vice president to Ronald Reagan.

Outside the walls, in a nearby cemetery on the library grounds, is likely where you'll find what Bush cherished most: the final resting spot for his late wife, Barbara Bush, who died on April 17 at the age of 92, and his daughter, Robin, who died in 1953 at the age of 3 of leukemia.

"She died over the course of about six months. She's now buried here at the library," Finch said.

The complex, which opened to the public Nov. 7, 1997, houses information that documents the life and career of Bush, including items from his time as a congressman, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, chairman of the Republican National Committee and director of the CIA.

"We hope they walk away knowing something new, either about the American system, how it operates or a little bit of history of George Bush and his life," said Warren Finch, the director of the library and museum. "And we hope they walk away with that, since that service is important."

After an $8.3 million renovation to the main exhibit on the life of Bush in 2007, the museum now features state-of-the-art audio guides, with the voices of George and Barbara Bush, as well as their daughter, Dorothy.


About the Author:

Dawn Jorgenson, Graham Media Group Branded Content Managing Editor, began working with the group in April 2013. She graduated from Texas State University with a degree in electronic media.

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