COLLEGE STATION, Texas – When former President George H.W. Bush planned his library and school on the campus of Texas A&M University, he did not watch from afar, according to Dr. Charles Hermann.
“It was a big challenge but he was engaged with it. He didn’t just lend his name,” Hermann said.
Herrmann said he remembers the process well. He helped create the 41st president’s vision as The Bush School’s first dean.
As he reminisced over photos, including special ones of Bush with his first class, Hermann shared that, with "41" often dropping by, there were plenty of special moments.
“Imagine sitting in a class with former President Bush and Mikhail Gorbachev. He actually made that happen,” Hermann said.
Whether it was creating an experience for students in the classroom or at the horseshoe pit that sits off the school’s back porch, Bush was involved in every way imaginable, even in the recruitment of faculty for his school.
“He’d write them letters, saying, 'I understand the university is asking you to come teach at The Bush School. I hope you’ll accept,'” Hermann said.
When asked who turns down a former president, Hermann, who will serve as an honorary pall bearer for Bush, had a one-word answer: “Exactly.”