４月１９日是SMU（Southern Methodist University)建校１００周年紀念日。這天也為布什的PRESIDENTIAL CENTER落成舉行慶祝儀式。這是SMU自己的慶祝儀式，所以，我和我LG有幸被邀請參加。（我LG是SMU alumni, serves on the Engineering School advisory board, contributes a considerable size of donations each year)。 下星期４是George W. Bush Presidential Center正式落成開放典禮。那時各前任，現任總統，世界各地VIP都來參加。將在封閉的室內舉行，SECURITY森嚴，我們就沒份參加了。（BUSH CENTER從世界各地的私人那裏集資了５億多美元，可見捐款人的人數之多，要僅著重要捐款人邀請就有很多人了）。
以往的４月，DALLAS已經是初夏了。可１９日那天上午才５０幾度，而且有風。慶祝儀式在１１點準時開始。整個儀式進行了５０分鍾。BUSH到場，並講了話。我從來沒現場聽過BUSH SPEECH，這是第一次。現記錄下來。
儀式開場前BUSH到場 BUSH接受STUDENT代表禮物 放一張近影（from SMU website) BUSH gives a speech: 坐在我們前麵的是教師和學生（BUSH在右邊的前左一） 坐在我們後麵的是和我們一樣的校外人士 儀式結束，散場  附BUSH講話全文，我覺得講得很好，抄錄在此：
Thank you. Please be seated. Dr. Turner, thank you very much for your kind words.
Mayor Davis, awesome, Bush Avenue. (Laughter.) Life doesn’t get any better than this.
I want to thank Alex Mace and the other leaders of the student council for being here.
Mr. President, nice speech. You got a shot. (Laughter.)
I also want to thank my pals that helped get the building built and funded. You’ll be happy to hear that the Bush Presidential Center is completely paid for with no taxpayers’ money.
Laura, class of 1968, and I are thrilled with our association with Southern Methodist University. You know, we had high expectations about the collaborative effort and the joint programs, and those expectations have been exceeded in a very short period of time.
I am some kind of fired up for next Thursday. I mean, it’s going to be a big deal. (Laughter.) We’ll have our President and members of the Former Presidents Club right here on this campus. I’m really looking forward to welcoming one of the former members – one of the members of the Former Presidents Club – and that is my dad, 41. I guess I’d better include my mother in that, too.
We’re also going to be welcoming – not exactly my constituency – but over 500 members of the press corps. And I’m glad they’re coming. Because they’re going to see firsthand why we selected Southern Methodist University as our home.
I mean when they study the decision why, they’re going to find out what I have come to know. SMU has got visionary leaders. And it’s got an active alumni association. It’s got a faculty that is dedicated and smart. And it has a great student body – most of whom go to class. (Laughter.)
I am really looking forward to writing the final chapter of my life on this campus. You know, I hope it’s a long chapter. (Laughter.) But however long it is, it’s going to be here. We’re going to do some wonderful things at the Institute, and we’ll be working with SMU to do so.
To summarize, and just so you know, I’m a big believer in the transformative power of freedom. And so from this very campus we’re going to promote freedom in the Middle East through helping women, freedom of the markets, freedom of our own society by encouraging educational excellence, freedom from diseases in places like Zambia and Tanzania. We’re going to honor those who help secure freedom, and that is the mighty United States military members.
We’re going to be doing some great programs, and a lot of it is going to be in association with SMU faculty and students.
I was sitting up here thinking about how cool it’s going to be at the age of 80 to kind of be wandering around the campus. You’ll see an old guy invigorated by my association with this fine university. You’ll see a guy who hopes that he’s got the capacity to distill and impart knowledge about what I learned during an awesome phase of my life, and that is being the President of the United States of America.
But you see a guy who’s grateful, really grateful, that the current leadership of SMU, the Board of Trustees, made it possible that Laura and I can build the Bush Presidential Center here on this campus. Today is a day to give thanks, and I’m the most thankful person here. God bless you all. |
