Freed-Hardeman University announced today that George W. Bush, the 43rd President of the United States and Founder of the George W. Bush Foundation will be the featured speaker at the 46th Annual Advisory Board Benefit Dinner on December 3, 2010. Bush was selected from a long list of possibilities by the alumni and administration.
“Any time you can get a former president on campus - it is a real win for our university and for our constituency,” said Dave Clouse, vice president of university advancement. “In the last 10 years we have had his father and his mother on our campus and now to have him really shows just how special this event is.”
The annual dinner, which has provided more than $15.5 million in student scholarships over the history of the program, has exceeded $1 million in gifts each year for the past 9 years. This year the university will approach $1.4 million in gifts making it once again, the single largest one-day fundraising event in Tennessee and possibly the southeast.
“The gifts we receive as a result of this event are given directly to the scholarship fund,” said Clouse. “We feed close to 3,000 people that night, all served by the students that benefit from the dinner. Our donors get to see how their gift changes the lives of young people at this great university. Combine that with the opportunity to hear George W. Bush and you have an unbelievable event.
George W. Bush will not be the first U.S. president to step foot on FHU’s campus. In the 1970’s the 38th President Gerald Ford was the speaker at this event followed by 41st President, George H.W. Bush in 2000.
PRESIDENT GEORGE W BUSH BIO
For more information about the event visit www.fhu.edu/w or contact the office of university advancement at 800-348-3481.
