First Lady to give commencement address at Spelman College

Here's an official statement from that illustrious institution on this subject:

A dedicated proponent of service and working with young people, first lady Michelle Obama is an example of how one woman can positively influence the world. On Sunday, May 15, at 3 p.m., at the Georgia International Convention Center, Mrs. Obama will inspire more than 500 graduates to also leave their mark on the world when she delivers the commencement address to the Spelman College class of 2011. Mrs. Obama will also receive an honorary degree.

Honorary degrees will also be bestowed upon director, actress and choreographer Debbie Allen, and her sister, actress and director Phylicia Rashad. Wendy Kopp, CEO and founder of Teach For America will receive the National Community Service Award.

"Having Mrs. Obama as our 2011 Commencement speaker is a true honor because she embodies the Spelman College mission which is to prepare women to change the world in a meaningful way," said Beverly Daniel Tatum, Ph.D., president, Spelman College. "I know our students will be inspired by her powerful presence." 

Did I mention that in time for my commencement, Morehouse attempted to have President Obama give the commencement address? It didn't happen and that OK, I hear there was a lot of logistical things to work out. I mean Obama is the leader of the Free World and there are security measures that need to be in place for him.

If you want to know how excited Spelman is about Michele Obama coming to speak to their graduates look no further than this screenshot! A likeness of our first lady is in the masthead of the Spelman College homepage.

Former first lady Lady Bird Johnson dies

I blogged about her being in the hospital last month. This happened today. If you don't know her husband was Lyndon Baines Johnson the 36th President of the United States who served from 1963 (upon the death of President John F. Kennedy)thru 1969. He was responsible for the Great Society and many civil rights iniative and Vietnam proved to be his downfall.

Read this article about Mrs. Johnson from the Chicago Tribune...

Lady Bird Johnson, the former first lady who championed conservation and worked tenaciously for the political career of her husband, former President Lyndon B. Johnson, died Wednesday, a family spokeswoman said. She was 94.

Lady Bird Johnson returned home late last month after a week at Seton Medical Center, where she'd been admitted for a low-grade fever. Her husband died in 1973.

She died at her Austin home of natural causes about 4:18 p.m. CDT, said Elizabeth Christian, the spokeswoman. She said she was surrounded by family and friends.

She was hospitalized with a stroke in 2002 that left her with difficulty speaking. But even after that she continued to make public appearances and in May attended an event at the LBJ Library and Museum featuring historian Robert Dallek.

In March, she listened from Texas through a conference call when President Bush signed legislation naming the Education Department headquarters building in Washington, D.C., after her late husband.

The longest-living first lady in history was Bess Truman, who was 97 when she died in 1982.

The daughter of a Texas rancher, Lady Bird Johnson she spent 34 years in Washington, as the wife of a congressional secretary, U.S. representative, senator, vice president and president. The couple had two daughters, Lynda Bird, born in 1944, and Luci Baines, born in 1947. The couple returned to Texas after the presidency, and Lady Bird Johnson lived for more than 30 years in and near Austin.