He was one of the last true diplomats to be president, a world leader who had at one time or another held virtually every important job in government, and with his wife, set the standard for dignity in the Oval Office.
And now George and Barbara Bush will have their voices amplified by the new chief of the George & Barbara Bush Foundation.
“I’m excited to play a role in helping to protect but also to amplify their legacy,” Maxmillian Angerholzer III told Secrets.
“I think that there are a lot of folks who have a great appreciation for all that they did for this country and for people around the world. I’m excited to also try to share those stories and lessons with a new generation of people and to sort of bring more people into the tent, if you will, and help remind people of all the amazing things the Bushes did in their lives and how important those lessons are to today and to our current and future challenges,” he added.
Remembering the 41st President on the second anniversary of his passing.
Photos by Butch Ireland Photography pic.twitter.com/aQNL1iF1jJ
— George & Barbara Bush Foundation (@BushFdn) November 30, 2020
Angerholzer replaces interim CEO Andy Card.
The foundation is aligned with the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University and the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum. They are all located at the school’s College Station base.
The foundation promotes the legacy of the Bushes. The former president was a lawmaker, CIA chief, ambassador to China, vice president to Ronald Reagan, and president. During his one-term presidency, the Berlin Wall fell, the United States squelched Iraq’s war into Kuwait, U.S. influence expanded in Latin America, he signed the Americans with Disabilities Act and Clean Air Act.
And son, George W. Bush, was the nation’s 43rd president.
Sending our gratitude and family love on this special day to all who are helping carry forward the selfless work of one Barbara Pierce Bush. She loved helping others and did so with a joyful heart. Knowing there are so many out there who share her passion puts joy in our hearts. pic.twitter.com/ilPN2tmHIG
— George Bush (@GeorgeHWBush) June 8, 2018
Angerholzer, 43, has run several nonprofits that focus on politics, making him an obvious choice for the foundation’s search team. He recently served as executive vice president of the Institute of International Education and was president of the Center for the Study of the Presidency & Congress in Washington.
He said that as a teenager, he admired the Bushes and that they inspired him to study American history and politics.
“There’s a whole generation of Americans who didn’t grow up with President Bush in the White House and with Mrs. Bush there. And so I think that gives me and the rest of the foundation team an opportunity to tell that story again and to share the memories others have from that time,” said Angerholzer.
“I think people need to need to be reminded of all that we’ve been through, where we’ve come and where we are now and what we can learn from that leadership of President and Mrs. Bush,” he said.
