Wednesday was a day for cake, ice cream and a celebration at the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum. George H.W. Bush, the 41st president of the United States, celebrated his 89th birthday at his summer vacation spot in Kennebunkport, Maine. There he donned his trademark crazy socks, this time sporting the Superman emblem.
Bush is well known for sporting brightly colored socks to major events in recent years, such as the hot pink ones with tiny, embroidered sea horses he wore to the opening of his son, George W. Bush’s, library at Southern Methodist University campus on May 1st of this year.
All across the nation, people dressed in their crazy socks in honor of the 41st president. The George Bush Presidential Library held a birthday party in his honor, handing out free cake, ice cream, popcorn, punch and coffee.
“There has been a great turnout,” Warren Finch, the director of the George Bush Library said. “We had a few buses come in from Houston with people. We actually had so many people that we ran out of cake and ice cream and had to go get more.”
The hype surrounding the crazy socks seemed to be responsible for the influx of birthday partygoers, Finch said.
“I think the crazy sock publicity brought in so many people,” said Finch, “It has been featured on news stations like FOX and CNN.”
Finch was wearing his crazy socks for the video and pictures that were taken to send to Bush.
“We also videoed all the kids that came from schools around College Station and Bryan singing happy birthday to him and we’ll send that,” he said.
Ann Hays, a volunteer at the library, said this year was the biggest turn out the library had ever had for Bush’s birthday.
“We have way more people than ever before,” Hays said. “In some ways we are delighted, but also shocked. We ran out of ice cream and that has never happened before.”
The Bushes are very family-oriented, Hays said, and the entire Bush family was probably celebrating in Kennebunkport on Wednesday.
Hays said that the video the library is sending to the Bushes would also wish a happy birthday to Barbara Bush, who turned 88 on June 8th.
Zane Drummond, a senior construction science major, feels honored that A&M takes such pride in their relationship to George H.W. Bush.
“I think it is good to be connected to someone that was a great leader of our country,” Drummond said. “The fact that he wants to be affiliated with A&M says a lot and creates a prestigious environment. I also think it means a lot that A&M wants to have a close relationship with him.”