The Bush School of Government & Public Service is kicking off our month-long celebration of Women’s History Month! This month we will be highlighting women who have had an immeasurable impact on the Bush School. Follow along!
We are grateful for the leadership, impact, and legacy of women here at the Bush School.
Latest spotlights | WHM Texas A&M Calendar
Latest Spotlights
MARCH 22: Dr. Kelly Tzoumis
Dr. Kelly Tzoumis was the first woman to receive a Ph.D. in Political Science from Texas A&M in 1992. Tzoumis is currently a professor at DePaul University in the School of Public Service. We are honored to have her and the Political Science Department as part of the Bush School story!
MARCH 14: Sarah Jackson
Sarah Jackson, MPSA ’11, served as the 2022 president of the Texas Lyceum and continues to serve as a chair member. She was the first woman of color and only the fourth individual from Dallas to serve in the position since the organization’s inception in 1980. The daughter of Sierra Leonean immigrants, Jackson was born in the Lone Star State and feels a deep connection to its future.
Her career took her through Washington, D.C. and Houston before she resettled in Dallas almost eight years ago. Here at the Bush School, we are honored to call her a former student! Read more about her time at the Bush School and her appointment.
MARCH 10: International Day of Women Judges
March 10 is International Day of Women Judges, and we are so proud to live in the legacy of female trailblazers in the judicial branch. Some powerful women who have been public servants for decades protecting the rights and liberties of Americans.
Esther Hobart Morris was the first American woman to become a justice of the peace, an overseer of local courts in South Pass City, Wyoming. Wyoming was the first state to guarantee women’s suffrage in 1869, paving the way for women like Morris to become appointed to judicial positions.
Ketanji Brown Jackson became the first Black woman to become an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States in 2022. Throughout her career she has prioritized defending marginalized people, the first former public defender to serve on the Supreme Court.
Ruth Bader Ginsberg was the longest serving female associate Supreme Court Justice serving from 1993 until 2020. During her career RBG championed gender equality and women’s rights.
Sandra Day O’Connor was the first woman to become an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Nominated in 1981, she served until 2006.
Sonia Sotomayor is the first Hispanic and Latina to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States, nominated in 2009. Since her time on the bench, she has advocated for criminal justice reform including upholding Miranda Rights and the rights of defendants.
Each of these women are worthy of celebration today and everyday!
MARCH 6: Barbara Bush
Barbara Bush made an immeasurable impact on the Bush School through her advocacy for education, here at the Bush School and beyond.
She served as the first lady from 1989 until 1993 and stood as a fierce advocate of both literacy and civil rights. While first lady, Mrs. Bush established family literacy as one of her most important efforts. She inspired the National Literacy Act which would ensure that adults have greater access to extended education programs.
Mrs. Bush’s interest in literacy was fueled by her son’s dyslexia and the fact that she felt many social problems were a result of illiteracy. She wrote her first story, titled “C. Fred’s Story,” in 1984 and donated all the earnings to literacy charities doing the same thing with her second book, titled “Millie’s Story.”
The Barbara Bush Foundation was established in 1989 and supports literacy as fundamental to the success of both families and the U.S. economy. Mrs. Bush displayed her support by serving on the board of the Morehouse School of Medicine in the school’s earliest years, one of only three HBCUs to have a medical school at the time. Her time on the board paved the way for major growth to happen on campus.
The Bush School would not be what it is today without the leadership and investment of Barbara Bush.
