George H. W. Bush

The day will come – and it is not far off – when the legacy of Lincoln will finally be fulfilled at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, when a black man or woman will sit in the Oval Office. When that day comes, the most remarkable thing about it will be how naturally it occurs.

No, I’m not anguished and tormented.

I have survivor’s curiosity, I guess.

Ageing’s alright, better than the alternative, which is not being here.

The glory of being a carrier pilot has certainly worn off.

We are not the sum of our possessions.

Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school.

We believe, that is, you and I, that education is not an expense. We believe it is an investment.

The function of the university is not simply to teach bread-winning, or to furnish teachers for the public schools or to be a centre of polite society; it is, above all, to be the organ of that fine adjustment between real life and the growing knowledge of life, an adjustment which forms the secret of civilization.

There was no word dyslexia when I was a kid. You were just dumb.

What I’m learning is that there is so much to unlearn.

Perhaps because my father never got a college degree himself, he continued to view people who had one with a respect that bordered on awe. In most cases they didn’t deserve it. My father could run circles around most academics and he would have done very well in college, if he’d been able to go.

I was dyslexic, I had no understanding of schoolwork whatsoever. I certainly would have failed IQ tests. And it was one of the reasons I left school when I was 15 years old. And if I – if I’m not interested in something, I don’t grasp it.

To educate the peasantry, three things are needed: schools, schools and schools.

In addition to an education, kids were supposed to graduate with some basic values, self-discipline, and life skills. A little common sense wouldn’t hurt either. Our schools don’t teach that anymore, instead we’re more concerned about kids having self-esteem and feeling good about themselves than we are about preparing them for real life. The politically correct crowd has taken over our schools, and as a result we are failing our children.

Women who earn a certificate or degree from a community college, especially in STEM-related field, will be ready to move into a good-paying job in the growing global economy. Community colleges also offer mentorship and support that goes far beyond the classroom.

When girls are educated, their countries become stronger and more prosperous.

If a man empties his purse into his head, no one can take it from him. An investment in knowledge always pays the highest return.

Being a teacher is not what I do, it’s who I am.

A master can tell you what he expects of you. A teacher, though, awakens your own expectations.

It is a truism that education is no longer a luxury. Education in this day and age is a necessity.