Former President George H.W. Bush told a crowd seated among the world’s largest T-Rex skeleton and life-size elephant models that he’s much like any other proud father: When the New York Times published what he called an unfair assessment of his son’s performance after Sept. 11, 2001, he was fuming.

President George W. Bush went to Yankee Stadium in New York to throw out the game’s first pitch shortly after the terrorist attacks in what George H.W. Bush called an important moment for a recovering nation.

“The Times report began, ‘In what appeared to be a strike,'” George H.W. Bush said. “Appeared? He grooved it right over the plate!”

Bush spoke to a crowd of about 1,400 Valparaiso School of Law students, faculty and alumni in the Field Museum’s entrance hall as the keynote speaker for the school’s 125th anniversary gala. Throughout his speech, Bush reiterated his admiration for lawyers and the role they play in the U.S. system of government.

“I don’t much like lawyer jokes,” he said. “I have too much respect for the profession. I admit I’ve told a few in my time — but I’m much better at Monica Lewinsky jokes.”

Bush offered more serious anecdotes from his presidency to space out the humor he sprinkled throughout his 30-minute speech. Appointing justices to the Supreme Court, he said, was one of the most important responsibilities he faced during his time in office.

When Bush nominated Clarence Thomas for a seat and a “left-bent Congress” fought Thomas’ appointment, Bush said he was proud no one in his administration suggested backing down from the nomination, despite the pressure.

“I’m sorry that there’s more and more politics creeping into the idea of who can and can’t serve as a Supreme Court justice,” Bush said.

In the lighter portions of his speech, the 41st president centered much of the humor on his relationship with his son, the current president.

“I never thought President John Adams and I had much in common until one of my sons became president,” Bush said. “But I bet no one called the Adams’ by No. 2 and No. 6,” referring to people’s penchant for calling him “41” and George W. Bush “43.”

George H.W. Bush closed to a standing ovation after explaining why he felt celebrations of law, like the Valparaiso gala, should be held.

“It is precisely because we are a nation of laws that Valparaiso and other fine institutions like it are so important — to order our competing rights and help this experiment of ours in self-governance succeed,” he said.

Jay Conison, dean of Valparaiso Law, said the school, located in northwest Indiana, chose to hold its celebration in Chicago to demonstrate the institution’s presence as part of the city’s community. He said he was thrilled to have Bush speak and that the president’s message of stressing family and community struck a chord with his school’s tight-knit atmosphere.

“He was very down to earth,” Conison said. “He’s just a really nice guy.”