At age 16, Wright Noel began paying the government to fund his retirement through Social Security.

At age 23, he started a personal retirement account through his work as a schoolteacher in Bend, Ore.

Now, at 67, retired in West Point, Davis County, that planning has paid off — not only with extra cash, but with the opportunity for high-profile social appointments.

On Thursday, Noel met with President Bush and was cited in a speech about Social Security reform. It was an exciting opportunity, said his daughter, Teresa Hislop, although her dad "knows nothing about investing."

"He's totally an average American," Hislop said. "He just had the opportunity to control that (personal retirement account), and that was done largely through advice given through the teacher's retirement plan in Oregon."

Noel was unavailable for comment because he was on a flight back to Utah.

The White House asked Noel to come to Washington after staffers saw an opinion piece he had written for a local newspaper.

Excerpts from President Bush's speech, given Thursday at the annual conference of Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America, show several references to Noel and his use of a personal retirement account.

"I appreciate you coming, Wright," said the president. "I appreciate you letting me use you as an example of missed opportunity for a lot of people because of the way the current system is structured.

"You see, I think we need to give everybody a chance, if they so choose, to put some of their money into a personal savings account, a conservative mix of bonds and stocks, so they can get a better rate of return on their money."

Bush joked about Noel, telling a story about what he did when he got his first retirement checks. Noel's monthly Social Security check is about $1,152; his retirement check from his personal account is about $5,400.

"When he said he started getting his retirement checks, he went out and bought himself five brand-new shirts," said Bush, drawing laughter from the audience. "He said, 'I never did that before because, being a schoolteacher with five kids, you have to shop at the used clothing store.'"

West Point Mayor John Petroff laughed when he heard the news about Noel. "Shows we have smart people in West Point," Petroff said. "I think it's great."

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E-mail: nwarburton@desnews.com