NAMES IN THE NEWS : Literacy, Bush Share Spotlight
President Bush gave the opening remarks, but the real stars of a White House television special on literacy were three adults who learned to read late in life.
Bush and his wife, Barbara, a longtime crusader on behalf of literacy causes, presented awards Sunday to three teachers and three adult learners.
“Literacy is critical to our very future . . . essential to our freedom,” Bush said.
Many in the East Room audience of 200 were moved to tears by taped footage of the three adults who spoke of their problems as illiterates and how they overcame them.
The adult learners were: James Underwood, 49, of Charlotte, N.C., who now runs a $300,000-a-year cleaning business; Inez Cortiz, 30, of Nicholson, Pa., an ex-welfare mother now training to be a nurse, and Ed Castor, 47, of Windfall, Ind., who learned to read after technology made his old factory job obsolete.
Also honored were teachers Lorna Anderson, 57, of Park Forest, Ill.; Arthur Strope, 65, of Stuart, Fla., and Evangeline Olea, 43, of Phoenix.
ABC-TV will broadcast the show sometime in March.
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