NATION : Wellesley Invitation for Raisa
First Lady Barbara Bush will invite Raisa Gorbachev to join her for an appearance at Wellesley College, where students have objected to Mrs. Bush’s being chosen to receive an honorary degree.
“I will invite her” to attend the June 1 commencement exercises at the all-woman college in Wellesley, Mass., Mrs. Bush told reporters Tuesday night during a state dinner for Tunisian President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali.
“If she wants to come, I’d love to have her go,” Mrs. Bush said, adding she was not sure what commitments Mrs. Gorbachev has during the May 30-June 4 U.S. visit of Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev.
A group of students at Wellesley has protested the selection of Mrs. Bush for an honorary degree, saying her only accomplishment was marrying George Bush.
Mrs. Bush dropped out of Smith College during her first year there to marry Bush.
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