The Seventh Annual Laura Bush Book Club proudly featured Amor Towles. One of Mrs. Bush’s favorite authors, Towles’ novels Rules of Civility, A Gentleman in Moscow, and The Lincoln Highway, and his collection of shorter fiction Table for Two have all been New York Times bestsellers.

Freedom of the press is foundational to our nation. Martin Baron, Former Executive Director of The Washington Post, and Jessica Yellin, Founder of News Not Noise; joined in discussion with the Nicole Bibbins Sedaca, the Kelly and David Pfeil Fellow at the Bush Institute, to dive into the challenges facing media in America and its role for a thriving democracy. 

Dr. Ben Sasse, former U.S. Senator from Nebraska and former President of the University of Florida; Dr. R. Gerald Turner, President of Southern Methodist University, and Dr. Melva Wallace, President and CEO of Huston-Tillotson University, discussed the role of higher education within American democracy. Moderated by Robin Berkley, the Ann Kimball Johnson Director of Education at the Bush Institute, the conversation focused on how colleges and universities are vital to preparing young adults to contribute to society.

In a panel discussion, entrepreneurs Salim Asrawi, Co-Founder and President of Texas de Brazil, and Daniel Lubetzky, Founder of Builders Movement and KIND, shared how they’ve made the most of opportunities in America with moderator Anne Wicks, the Don Evans Family Managing Director of Opportunity and Democracy at the Bush Institute. They discussed the American Dream and how giving back strengthens our democracy.

Topics of geopolitics have been increasingly prominent in the U.S. government in recent years, and no one knows the struggles of maneuvering through these discussions better than a member of the United States Congress. The Engage at the Bush Center program presented by NexPoint brought Senator James Lankford (R-OK) and former Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R-TX) to discuss these topics and get their thoughts on not only navigating policies, but the challenges they may bring.

The incredible story of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, nicknamed the Six Triple Eight, recently came to the Bush Center. The program followed the release of Netflix’s The Six Triple Eight, a film that tells the story of WWII’s only Women’s Army Corps unit of color.

For the 2024 holiday season Ree Drummond, star of the long running hit Food Network show, The Pioneer Woman,  joined us for a festive Engage at the Bush Center event presented by NexPoint.  In a conversation with lifestyle expert Kimberly Schlegel Whitman,  Drummond shared stories about her favorite family traditions, tips for gift giving, and of course, the right food for every holiday occasion.

As part of the Engage at the Bush Center series presented by NexPoint, Jared Cohen, author of Life After Power, and Jeffrey Engel, founding David Gergen Director of the Center for Presidential History at SMU, headlined a conversation on the post-presidency. The conversation, moderated by Freddy Ford, President Bush’s Chief of Staff, featured insights from history and memorable stories.

Russia and China are closer allies than at any time in the two countries’ modern history. In an Engage at Bush Center conversation presented by NexPoint, a panel of distinguished experts discussed how the United States should deal with Moscow and Beijing.

The Bush Center hosted author Heather Morris for the Laura Bush Book Club as part of Engage at the Bush Center series presented by NexPoint, with support from H-E-B. Morris discussed her international bestselling novel, The Tattooist of Auschwitz.

While foundational to the beliefs of our nation, religious freedom is still denied to many around the globe. This conversation dives into the global significance of this liberty and its domestic importance for our pluralistic society.

William J. Burns, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, was the keynote speaker at the Bush Center’s 2024 Forum on Leadership. Burns was joined by David J. Kramer, Executive Director of the Bush Institute, for a conversation on how the CIA assesses challenges facing the United States from Russia and China to the Middle East.

America's role in the world leads to competition and clashes with Russia and China, including when it comes to promoting values of human dignity and personal freedoms. Top minds on this issue will discuss how human rights and democracy factor into the great power competition.

As the recipient of the 2024 George W. Bush Medal for Distinguished Leadership, Nooyi sat down with Ken Hersh, President and CEO of the Bush Center, where she shared her journey as the first immigrant to lead a Fortune 50 company.

As part the Engage at the Bush Center series presented by Nexpoint, a panel of former White House Social Secretaries shared insights and behind-the-scenes stories about entertaining at the White House. Moderated by Anita McBride, the panel featured Jeremy Bernard, former White House Social Secretary to President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama; Gahl Hodges Burt, former White House Social Secretary to President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan; and Amy Zantzinger, former White House Social Secretary to President Bush and Mrs. Laura Bush.

Guests Jane Dailey of the University of Chicago and Ryan Streeter of the Civitas Institute joined The Catalyst Editor-in-Chief, Jonathan Tepperman, for an Engage at the Bush Center, presented by NexPoint virtual discussion on this moment in American history.

At a recent Engage at the Bush Center event presented by NexPoint, Utah Governor Spencer Cox, a Republican, and Kansas Governor Laura Kelly, a Democrat, had a highly entertaining conversation on the art of disagreeing better. This lively conversation was held in collaboration with KERA and the National Governors Association's Disagree Better Initiative and moderated by KERA THINK's Krys Boyd.