Washington — First lady Laura Bush's inaugural gown became a historical artifact Sunday when she donated it to the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.
A year after her husband took the oath of office, leading her to nine inaugural balls and into the White House, Mrs. Bush turned the sequined red dress over to the museum. She kept up a tradition dating back to Helen Taft, whose husband, William Howard Taft, was sworn in as president in 1909, and who later donated her gown.
"I'm sure that this dress holds many memories for you. Now it will become part of the country's collective memory," Marc Pachter, acting director of the museum, said at a dedication ceremony. The dress was on display next to him.
The gown and matching coat, shoes and handbag will be displayed as part of the museum's presidential exhibit, alongside a gown worn to George Washington's inauguration in 1789.
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