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Inside Iowa State
Feb. 23, 1996

Bush to attend ISU fund-raiser

Former president George Bush will be the honored guest at an April event honoring Mary Louise Smith and sponsored by Iowa State.

Bush will attend a fund-raising dinner for ISU's Mary Louise Smith Endowed Chair in Women and Politics at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 16, at the Marriott Hotel in Des Moines. Tickets for the dinner are $100. A special reception with the former president will be held for major donors at the dinner.

"Iowa State University is honored to be home to the Mary Louise Smith Endowed Chair in Women and Politics," said President Martin Jischke. "To have George Bush lend his support to our efforts to raise funds for the chair indicates the respect and affection Mary Louise Smith has earned during her distinguished political career."

"We were able to establish the endowed chair with generous bipartisan support from people who recognize her contribution to American politics," said Elizabeth Hoffman, Liberal Arts and Sciences dean. "We look forward to seeing the same kind of support at this fund-raising event with George Bush."

Smith, a native of Eddyville, is the only woman to chair the National Committee of the Republican Party (1974-1977). In 1976, she became the first woman to organize and call to order the National Convention of a major U.S. political party.

The endowed chair was created in October 1995 with $600,000 in gifts from Marvin Pomerantz, president of the Iowa Board of Regents, and his wife Rose Lee, Des Moines; John and Joan Axel, Muscatine; and Sharon and Richard Rodine, Norman, Okla.

For information about the dinner, or to obtain tickets, call the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, 4-3607.

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