With the death of Barbara Bush, much, though maybe not enough, has been made of her once-famous commencement address to the Wellesley College class of 1990. Read today it has the feel of an antique. But her voice is strong in it, and she was always worth listening to.

Wellesley’s invitation to Mrs. Bush was controversial, especially within the graduating class itself. To many of the seniors she was unqualified for the invitation because her prominence was derivative. She dropped out of college to marry her beau and never went back. She raised a large family while her husband climbed the greasy pole, leaving her alone in a scrum of squalling kids. With her husband’s success came her own. Her fame was as a wife and mother.