George H. W. Bush

George H. W. Bush
41st President of the United States
In office January 20, 1989 – January 20, 1993
Vice President	Dan Quayle
Preceded by	Ronald Reagan
Succeeded by	Bill Clinton
43rd Vice President of the United States
In office January 20, 1981 – January 20, 1989
President	Ronald Reagan
Preceded by	Walter Mondale
Succeeded by	Dan Quayle
11th Director of Central Intelligence
In office January 30, 1976 – January 20, 1977
President	Gerald Ford
Deputy	Vernon A. Walters E. Henry Knoche
Preceded by	William Colby
Succeeded by	Stansfield Turner
Chief of the U.S. Liaison Office to the People's Republic of China
In office September 26, 1974 – December 7, 1975
President	Gerald Ford
Preceded by	David K. E. Bruce
Succeeded by	Thomas S. Gates Jr.
48th Chairman of the Republican National Committee
In office January 19, 1973 – September 16, 1974
Preceded by	Bob Dole
Succeeded by	Mary Smith
10th United States Ambassador to the United Nations
In office March 1, 1971 – January 18, 1973
President	Richard Nixon
Preceded by	Charles Woodruff Yost
Succeeded by	John A. Scali
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 7th district
In office January 3, 1967 – January 3, 1971
Preceded by	John Dowdy
Succeeded by	William Archer
Personal details
Born	George Herbert Walker Bush (1924-06-12) June 12, 1924 Milton, Massachusetts, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Barbara Bush (m. 1945–present)
Children	George W. Bush Robin Bush Jeb Bush Neil Bush Marvin P. Bush Dorothy Bush Koch
Residence	Houston, Texas
Alma mater	Yale University
Profession	Businessman Politician
Religion	Episcopalian
Signature
Website	Presidential Library
Military service
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Navy
Years of service	1942–1945
Rank	Lieutenant (junior grade)
Unit	Fast Carrier Task Force
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	Distinguished Flying Cross Air Medal (3) Presidential Unit Citation

George Herbert Walker Bush (born June 12, 1924) is a retired American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States from 1989 to 1993. A Republican, he had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States (1981–1989), a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence. He is the oldest living former President and Vice President. He is also the last living former President who is a veteran of World War II. Bush is often referred to as "George H. W. Bush", "Bush 41", "Bush the Elder", or "George Bush Sr." to distinguish him from his son, former President George W. Bush. Prior to his son's presidency, he was known simply as George Bush or President Bush.

Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to Senator Prescott Bush and Dorothy Walker Bush. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, Bush postponed college, enlisted in the U.S. Navy on his 18th birthday, and became the youngest aviator in the U.S. Navy at the time.^[1][2] He served until the end of the war, then attended Yale University. Graduating in 1948, he moved his family to West Texas and entered the oil business, becoming a millionaire by the age of 40.

He became involved in politics soon after founding his own oil company, serving as a member of the House of Representatives and Director of Central Intelligence, among other positions. He failed to win the Republican nomination for President in 1980, but was chosen by party nominee Ronald Reagan to be his running mate, and the two were elected. During his tenure, Bush headed administration task forces on deregulation and fighting the "War on Drugs".

In 1988, Bush ran a successful campaign to succeed Reagan as President, defeating Democratic opponent Michael Dukakis. Foreign policy drove the Bush presidency: military operations were conducted in Panama and the Persian Gulf; the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, and the Soviet Union dissolved two years later. Domestically, Bush reneged on a 1988 campaign promise and after a struggle with Congress, signed an increase in taxes that Congress had passed. In the wake of a weak recovery from an economic recession, along with continuing budget deficits, he lost the 1992 presidential election to Democrat Bill Clinton.

Bush left office in 1993. His presidential library was dedicated in 1997, and he has been active—often alongside Bill Clinton—in various humanitarian activities. Bush's eldest son, George W. Bush, later served as the 46th Governor of Texas (1995–2000) and as the 43rd President of the United States (2001–2009), becoming one of only two presidents—the other being John Quincy Adams—to be the son of a former president. His second son, Jeb Bush, served as the 43rd Governor of Florida (1999–2007).

Early years

George Herbert Walker Bush was born at 173 Adams Street in Milton, Massachusetts^[3] on June 12, 1924 to Prescott Sheldon Bush and Dorothy (Walker) Bush. The Bush family moved from Milton to Greenwich, Connecticut, shortly after his birth.

Bush began his formal education at the Greenwich Country Day School in Greenwich. Beginning in 1936, he attended Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, where he held a number of leadership positions including president of the senior class, secretary of the student council, president of the community fund-raising group, a member of the editorial board of the school newspaper, and captain of both the varsity baseball and soccer teams.^[4]

World War II

Following the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, Bush decided to join the US. Navy,^[1] so after graduating from Phillips Academy in 1942, he became a naval aviator at the age of 18.^[4] After completing the 10-month course, he was commissioned as an ensign in the United States Naval Reserve at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi on June 9, 1943, just three days before his 19th birthday, which made him the youngest naval aviator to that date.^[1]

He was assigned to Torpedo Squadron (VT-51) as the photographic officer in September 1943.^[1] The following year, his squadron was based on the USS San Jacinto as a member of Air Group 51, where his lanky physique earned him the nickname "Skin".^[5] During this time, the task force was victorious in one of the largest air battles of World War II: the Battle of the Philippine Sea.^[1]

After Bush's promotion to Lieutenant (junior grade) on August 1, 1944, the San Jacinto commenced operations against the Japanese in the Bonin Islands. Bush piloted one of four Grumman TBM Avenger aircraft from VT-51 that attacked the Japanese installations on Chichijima.^[6] His crew for the mission, which occurred on September 2, 1944, included Radioman Second Class John Delaney and Lieutenant Junior Grade William White.^[1] During their attack, the Avengers encountered intense anti-aircraft fire; Bush's aircraft was hit by flak and his engine caught on fire. Despite his plane being on fire, Bush completed his attack and released bombs over his target, scoring several damaging hits.^[1] With his engine ablaze, Bush flew several miles from the island, where he and one other crew member on the TBM Avenger bailed out of the aircraft;^[7] the other man's parachute did not open.^[1] Bush waited for four hours in an inflated raft, while several fighters circled protectively overhead until he was rescued by the lifeguard submarine USS Finback.^[1] For the next month he remained on the Finback, and participated in the rescue of other pilots. Several of those shot down during the attack were executed and eaten by their captors.^[8]

Bush subsequently returned to San Jacinto in November 1944 and participated in operations in the Philippines until his squadron was replaced and sent home to the United States. Through 1944, he flew 58 combat missions^[7] for which he received the Distinguished Flying Cross, three Air Medals, and the Presidential Unit Citation awarded to San Jacinto.^[1]

Because of his valuable combat experience, Bush was reassigned to Norfolk Navy Base and put in a training wing for new torpedo pilots. He was later assigned as a naval aviator in a new torpedo squadron, VT-153, based at Naval Air Station Grosse Ile, Michigan. Upon the Japanese surrender in 1945, Bush was honorably discharged in September of that year.

Marriage and college years

George Bush married Barbara Pierce on January 6, 1945, only weeks after his return from the Pacific. The couple's first residence was a small rented apartment in Trenton, Michigan, near Bush's Navy assignment at NAS Grosse Ile. Their marriage produced six children: George Walker Bush (born 1946), Pauline Robinson "Robin" Bush (1949–1953, died of leukemia), John Ellis "Jeb" Bush (born 1953), Neil Mallon Bush (born 1955), Marvin Pierce Bush (born 1956), and Dorothy Bush Koch (born 1959).^[9]

Bush had been accepted to Yale University prior to his enlistment in the military, and took up the offer after his discharge and marriage.^[10] While at Yale, he was enrolled in an accelerated program that allowed him to graduate in two and a half years, rather than four.^[10] He was a member of the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity and was elected its president.^[11] He also captained the Yale baseball team, and as a left-handed first baseman, played in the first two College World Series.^[10] As the team captain, Bush met Babe Ruth before a game during his senior year. He was also, like his father, a member of the Yale cheerleading squad.^[12] Late in his junior year he was, like his father Prescott Bush (1917), initiated into the Skull and Bones secret society. He graduated as a member of the Phi Beta Kappa from Yale in 1948 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics.^[13]

Business career

After graduating from Yale, Bush moved his young family to West Texas. His father's business connections proved useful as he ventured into the oil business, starting as a sales clerk with Dresser Industries, a subsidiary of Brown Brothers Harriman (where Prescott Bush had served on the board of directors for 22 years).^[14] While working for Dresser, Bush lived in various places with his family: Odessa, Texas; Ventura, Bakersfield and Compton, California; and Midland, Texas.^[15] (According to eldest son George W. Bush, then age two, the family lived in one of the few duplexes in Odessa with an indoor bathroom, which they "shared with a couple of hookers".)^[16] Bush started the Bush-Overbey Oil Development company in 1951 and in 1953 co-founded the Zapata Petroleum Corporation, an oil company that drilled in the Permian Basin in Texas.^[17] In 1954 he was named president of the Zapata Offshore Company, a subsidiary which specialized in offshore drilling.

When the subsidiary became independent in 1958, Bush moved the company from Midland to Houston. He continued serving as president of the company until 1964, and later chairman until 1966, but his ambitions turned political.^[14] By that time, Bush had become a millionaire.^[18]

Political career (1964–1980)

Congressional years

Bush served as Chairman of the Republican Party for Harris County, Texas, in 1964, but wanted to be more involved in policy making, so he set his sights high: he aimed for a U.S. Senate seat from Texas.^[14] After winning the Republican primary, Bush faced his opponent, incumbent Democrat Ralph W. Yarborough, who attacked Bush as a right-wing extremist, and Bush lost the general election. The Republican candidate for governor, Jack Crichton of Dallas, a Louisiana native who often campaigned alongside Bush before the election, lost by a much wider margin to Governor John B. Connally Jr.^[19] It was suggested in PBS's "American Experience" episode about Bush that he and the Harris County Republicans played a role in the development of the New Republican Party of the late 20th century. First, Bush worked to absorb the John Birch Society members, who were trying to take over the Republican Party and lead it towards a more anti-Communist direction. Second, during and after the Civil Rights Movement, Democrats in the South who were committed to segregation left their party, and although the "country club Republicans" had differing ideological beliefs, they found common ground in hoping to expel the Democrats from power.^[20]

Bush was elected in 1966 to a House of Representatives seat from the 7th District of Texas, defeating with 57 percent of the ballots cast the Democrat Frank Briscoe, the district attorney of Harris County known for his law and order credentials and a cousin of later Governor Dolph Briscoe.^[21][22] Bush was the first Republican to represent Houston in the U.S. House.^[14] Bush's representative district included Tanglewood, the Houston neighborhood that was his residence;^[23] his family had moved into Tanglewood in the 1960s.^[24] His voting record in the House was generally conservative: Bush voted for the Civil Rights Act of 1968, although it was generally unpopular in his district. He supported the Nixon administration's Vietnam policies, but broke with Republicans on the issue of birth control, which he supported.^[14] Despite being a first-term congressman, Bush was appointed to the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, where he voted to abolish the military draft.^[18] He was elected to a second term in 1968.^[25]

In 1970 Nixon convinced Bush to relinquish his House seat to run for the Senate against Ralph Yarborough, a fierce Nixon critic. In the Republican primary, Bush easily defeated conservative Robert J. Morris, by a margin of 87.6% to 12.4%.^[26] Nixon came to Texas to campaign in Longview for Bush and gubernatorial candidate Paul Eggers, a Dallas lawyer who was a close friend of U.S. Senator John G. Tower.^[27] Former Congressman Lloyd Bentsen, a more moderate Democrat and native of Mission in south Texas, defeated Yarborough in the Democratic primary.^[18] Yarborough endorsed Bentsen, who defeated Bush, 53.4 to 46.6%.^[28] As Bush's political career waned, he moved out of Houston and sold his first Tanglewood house, but for periods of time continued to reside in Tanglewood.^[24]

Ambassador to the United Nations

Following his 1970 loss, Bush was well known as a prominent Republican businessman from the "Sun Belt", a group of states in the Southern part of the country.^[18] Nixon noticed and appreciated the sacrifice Bush had made of his Congressional position,^[14] so he appointed him Ambassador to the United Nations.^[13] He was confirmed unanimously by the Senate, and served for two years, beginning in 1971.^[14]

Chairman of the Republican National Committee

Amidst the Watergate scandal, Nixon asked Bush to become chairman of the Republican National Committee in 1973.^[13] Bush accepted, and held this position when the popularity of both Nixon and the Republican Party plummeted.^[29] He defended Nixon steadfastly, but later as Nixon's complicity became clear, Bush focused more on defending the Republican Party, while still maintaining loyalty to Nixon. As chairman, Bush formally requested that Nixon eventually resign for the good of the Republican party.^[14] Nixon did this on August 9, 1974; Bush noted in his diary that "There was an aura of sadness, like somebody died.... The [resignation] speech was vintage Nixon—a kick or two at the press—enormous strains. One couldn't help but look at the family and the whole thing and think of his accomplishments and then think of the shame.... [President Gerald Ford's swearing-in offered] indeed a new spirit, a new lift."^[30]

Envoy to China

Gerald Ford, Nixon's successor, appointed Bush to be Chief of the U.S. Liaison Office in the People's Republic of China. Since the United States at the time maintained official relations with the Republic of China on Taiwan and not the People's Republic of China, the Liaison Office did not have the official status of an embassy and Bush did not formally hold the position of "ambassador", though he unofficially acted as one. The 14 months that he spent in China were largely seen as beneficial for U.S.-China relations.^[14]

After Ford's accession to the presidency, Bush was under serious consideration for being nominated as Vice President. Ford eventually narrowed his list to Nelson Rockefeller and Bush. White House Chief of Staff Donald Rumsfeld reportedly preferred Rockefeller over Bush. Rockefeller was finally named and confirmed.^[31]

Bush was again passed over for the vice presidency by Ford when the president chose Bush's future presidential rival, Senator Bob Dole, to replace Rockefeller on the 1976 presidential ticket.

Director of Central Intelligence

In 1976 Ford brought Bush back to Washington to become Director of Central Intelligence (DCI), replacing William Colby.^[32] He served in this role for 357 days, from January 30, 1976, to January 20, 1977.^[33] The CIA had been rocked by a series of revelations, including those based on investigations by the Church Committee regarding illegal and unauthorized activities by the CIA, and Bush was credited with helping to restore the agency's morale.^[34] In his capacity as DCI, Bush gave national security briefings to Jimmy Carter both as a Presidential candidate and as President-elect, and discussed the possibility of remaining in that position in a Carter administration,^[35] but did not do so. He was succeeded by Deputy Director of Central Intelligence E. Henry Knoche, who served as acting Director of Central Intelligence until Stansfield Turner was confirmed.^[36]

Other positions

After a Democratic administration took power in 1977, Bush became chairman on the Executive Committee of the First International Bank in Houston.^[37] He later spent a year as a part-time professor of Administrative Science at Rice University's Jones School of Business beginning in 1978, the year it opened; Bush said of his time there, "I loved my brief time in the world of academia."^[38] Between 1977 and 1979, he was a director of the Council on Foreign Relations foreign policy organization.^[39]

1980 presidential campaign

Bush had decided in the late 1970s that he was going to run for president in 1980; in 1979, he attended 850 political events and traveled more than 250,000 miles (400,000 km) to campaign for the nation's highest office. In the contest for the Republican Party nomination, Bush stressed his wide range of government experience, while competing against rivals Senator Howard Baker of Tennessee, Senator Bob Dole of Kansas, Congressman John Anderson of Illinois (who would later run as an independent), Congressman Phil Crane, also of Illinois, former Governor John Connally of Texas, and the front-runner Ronald Reagan, former actor, and Governor of California.^[31]

In the primary election, Bush focused almost entirely on the Iowa caucuses, while Reagan ran a more traditional campaign. Bush represented the centrist wing in the GOP, whereas Reagan represented conservatives. Bush famously labeled Reagan's supply side-influenced plans for massive tax cuts "voodoo economics". His strategy proved useful, to some degree, as he won in Iowa with 31.5% to Reagan's 29.4%. After the win, Bush stated that his campaign was full of momentum, or "Big Mo". As a result of the loss, Reagan replaced his campaign manager, reorganized his staff, and concentrated on the New Hampshire primary. The two men agreed to a debate in the state, organized by the Nashua Telegraph, but paid for by the Reagan campaign. Reagan invited the other four candidates as well, but Bush refused to debate them, and eventually they left. The debate proved to be a pivotal moment in the campaign; when the moderator, John Breen, ordered Reagan's microphone turned off, his angry response, "I am paying for this microphone," struck a chord with the public. Bush ended up losing New Hampshire's primary with 23% to Reagan's 50%. Bush lost most of the remaining primaries as well, and formally dropped out of the race in May of that year.^[31]

With his political future seeming dismal, Bush sold his house in Houston and bought his grandfather's estate in Kennebunkport, Maine, known as "Walker's Point".^[40] At the Republican Convention, Reagan selected Bush as his Vice Presidential nominee, placing him on the winning Republican presidential ticket of 1980.

Vice Presidency (1981–1989)

First term (1981–1985)

As Vice President, Bush generally took on a low profile while recognizing the constitutional limits of the office; he avoided decision-making or criticizing Reagan in any way. As had become customary, he and his wife moved into the Vice President's residence at Number One Observatory Circle, about two miles from the White House. After selling the house in the Tanglewood, the Bushes declared a room in The Houstonian Hotel in Houston as their official voting address.^[23] The Bushes attended a large number of public and ceremonial events in their positions, including many state funerals, which became a common joke for comedians. Mrs. Bush found the funerals largely beneficial, saying, "George met with many current or future heads of state at the funerals he attended, enabling him to forge personal relationships that were important to President Reagan." As the President of the Senate, Bush stayed in contact with members of Congress, and kept the president informed on occurrences on Capitol Hill.^[31]

On March 30, 1981, early into the administration, Reagan was shot and seriously wounded in Washington, D.C. Bush, second in command by the presidential line of succession, was in Fort Worth, Texas, and flew back to Washington immediately. Reagan's cabinet convened in the White House Situation Room, where they discussed various issues, including the availability of the Nuclear Football. When Bush's plane landed, his aides advised him to proceed directly to the White House by helicopter, as an image of the government still functioning despite the attack. Bush rejected the idea, responding, "Only the President lands on the South Lawn."^[31] This made a positive impression on Reagan,^[31] who recovered and returned to work within two weeks. From then on, the two men would have regular Thursday lunches in the Oval Office.

In December 1983 Bush flew to El Salvador and warned that country's military leaders to end their death squads and hold fully free elections or face the loss of U.S. aid. Bush's aides feared for his safety and thought about calling the meeting off when they discovered apparent blood stains on the floor of the presidential palace of Álvaro Magaña. Bush was never told of the aides' concerns and a tense meeting was held in which some of Magaña's personnel brandished semiautomatic weapons and refused requests to take them outside.^[41]

Bush was assigned by Reagan to chair two special task forces, on deregulation and international drug smuggling. The deregulation task force reviewed hundreds of rules, making specific recommendations on which ones to amend or revise, in order to curb the size of the federal government. The drug smuggling task force coordinated federal efforts to reduce the quantity of drugs entering the United States. Both were popular issues with conservatives, and Bush, largely a moderate, began courting them through his work.^[31]

Second term (1985–1989)

Reagan and Bush ran for reelection in 1984. The Democratic opponent, Walter Mondale, made history by choosing a woman as his running mate, New York Representative Geraldine Ferraro. She and Bush squared off in a single televised Vice Presidential debate.^[42] Serving as a contrast to the Ivy-League educated Bush, Ferraro represented a "blue-collar" district in Queens, New York; this, coupled with her popularity among female journalists, left Bush at a disadvantage. The Reagan-Bush ticket won in a landslide against the Mondale-Ferraro ticket. Early into his second term as Vice President, Bush and his aides were planning a run for the presidency in 1988. By the end of 1985, a committee had been established and over two million dollars raised for Bush.^[31]

Bush became the first Vice President to serve as Acting President when, on July 13, 1985, Reagan underwent surgery to remove polyps from his colon, making Bush acting president for approximately eight hours.

The Reagan administration was shaken by a scandal in 1986, when it was revealed that administration officials had secretly arranged weapon sales to Iran, and had used the proceeds to fund the anticommunist Contras in Nicaragua, a direct violation of the law. When the Iran-Contra Affair, as it became known, broke to the media, Bush, like Reagan, stated that he had been "out of the loop" and unaware of the diversion of funds,^[43] although this was later questioned.^[44] His diaries from that time stated "I'm one of the few people that know fully the details."^[45] Ailes and others were concerned that Bush was seen as a "wimp", an image put to rest by his evident fury in an interview with Dan Rather.^[31]

As Vice President, Bush officially opened the 1987 Pan American Games in Indianapolis.

In 1988 the U.S. accidentally shot down Iran Air Flight 655 killing 290 passengers. Bush said that he would "never apologize for the United States of America. Ever. I don’t care what the facts are."^[46]

1988 presidential campaign

In the January 26, 1987, issue of Time magazine, in an article entitled "Where Is the Real George Bush?" journalist Robert Ajemian reported that a friend of Bush's had urged him to spend several days at Camp David thinking through his plans for his prospective presidency, to which Bush is said to have responded in exasperation, "Oh, the vision thing."^[47] This oft-cited quote became a shorthand for the charge that Bush failed to contemplate or articulate important policy positions in a compelling and coherent manner. The phrase has since become a metonym for any politician's failure to incorporate a greater vision in a campaign, and has often been applied in the media to other politicians or public figures.^[48]

Bush had been planning a presidential run since as early as 1985, and entered the Republican primary for President of the United States in October 1987.^[31] His challengers for the Republican presidential nomination included U.S. Senator Bob Dole of Kansas, U.S. Representative Jack Kemp of New York, former Governor Pete DuPont of Delaware, and conservative Christian televangelist Pat Robertson.

Though considered the early frontrunner for the nomination, Bush came in third in the Iowa caucus, behind winner Dole and runner-up Robertson.^[49] Much like Reagan did in 1980, Bush reorganized his staff and concentrated on the New Hampshire primary.^[31] With Dole ahead in New Hampshire, Bush ran television commercials portraying the senator as a tax raiser;^[50] he rebounded to win the state's primary. Following the primary, Bush and Dole had a joint media appearance, when the interviewer asked Dole if he had anything to say to Bush, Dole said, in response to the ads, "yeah, stop lying about my record" in an angry tone. This is thought to have hurt Dole's campaign to Bush's benefit. Bush continued seeing victory, winning many Southern primaries as well.^[14] Once the multiple-state primaries such as Super Tuesday began, Bush's organizational strength and fundraising lead were impossible for the other candidates to match, and the nomination was his.^[18]

Leading up to the 1988 Republican National Convention, there was much speculation as to Bush's choice of running mate. Bush chose little-known U.S. Senator Dan Quayle of Indiana, favored by conservatives. Despite Reagan's popularity, Bush trailed Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis, then Governor of Massachusetts, in most polls.^[51]

Bush, occasionally criticized for his lack of eloquence when compared to Reagan, delivered a well-received speech at the 1988 Republican National Convention. Known as the "thousand points of light" speech, it described Bush's vision of America: he endorsed the Pledge of Allegiance, prayer in schools, capital punishment, gun rights, and opposed abortion.^[51] The speech at the convention included Bush's famous pledge: "Read my lips: no new taxes."^[52]

The general election campaign between the two men has been described as one of the nastiest in modern times.^[52] Bush blamed Dukakis for polluting the Boston Harbor as the Massachusetts governor.^[14] Bush also pointed out that Dukakis was opposed to the law that would require all students to say the Pledge of Allegiance, a topic well covered in Bush's nomination acceptance speech.^[51]

Dukakis's unconditional opposition to capital punishment led to a pointed question being asked during the presidential debates. Moderator Bernard Shaw asked Dukakis if Dukakis would hypothetically support the death penalty if his wife, Kitty, were raped and murdered.^[53] Dukakis's response of no, as well as a provocative ad about convicted felon Willie Horton, contributed toward Bush's characterization of Dukakis as "soft on crime".^[14]

Bush defeated Dukakis and his running mate, Lloyd Bentsen, in the Electoral College, by 426 to 111 (Bentsen received one vote from a faithless elector).^[52] In the nationwide popular vote, Bush took 53.4% of the ballots cast while Dukakis received 45.6%.^[14] Bush became the first serving Vice President to be elected President since Martin Van Buren in 1836 as well as the first person to succeed someone from his own party to the Presidency via election to the office in his own right since Herbert Hoover in 1929.^[31]

Presidency (1989–1993)

Bush was inaugurated on January 20, 1989, succeeding Ronald Reagan. He entered office at a period of change in the world; the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of Soviet Union came early in his presidency.^[2] He ordered military operations in Panama and the Persian Gulf, and, at one point, was recorded as having a record-high approval rating of 89%.^[54] Economic recession and breaking his "no new taxes" pledge caused a sharp decline in his approval rating, and Bush lost the 1992 election.^[2]

In his Inaugural Address, Bush said:

I come before you and assume the Presidency at a moment rich with promise. We live in a peaceful, prosperous time, but we can make it better. For a new breeze is blowing, and a world refreshed by freedom seems reborn; for in man's heart, if not in fact, the day of the dictator is over. The totalitarian era is passing, its old ideas blown away like leaves from an ancient, lifeless tree. A new breeze is blowing, and a nation refreshed by freedom stands ready to push on. There is new ground to be broken, and new action to be taken.^[55]

The Bush Cabinet
Office	Name	Term
President	George H. W. Bush	1989–1993
Vice President	Dan Quayle	1989–1993
Secretary of State	James Baker	1989–1992
	Lawrence Eagleburger	1992–1993
Secretary of Treasury	Nicholas Brady	1989–1993
Secretary of Defense	Dick Cheney	1989–1993
Attorney General	Dick Thornburgh	1989–1991
	William Barr	1991–1993
Secretary of the Interior	Manuel Lujan	1989–1993
Secretary of Agriculture	Clayton Yeutter	1989–1991
	Edward Madigan	1991–1993
Secretary of Commerce	Robert Mosbacher	1989–1992
	Barbara Hackman Franklin	1992–1993
Secretary of Labor	Elizabeth Dole	1989–1990
	Lynn Martin	1991–1993
Secretary of Health and Human Services	Louis Sullivan	1989–1993
Secretary of Education	Lauro Cavazos	1989–1990
	Lamar Alexander	1990–1993
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development	Jack Kemp	1989–1993
Secretary of Transportation	Samuel Skinner	1989–1992
	Andrew Card	1992–1993
Secretary of Energy	James Watkins	1989–1993
Secretary of Veterans Affairs	Ed Derwinski	1989–1993
Chief of Staff	John H. Sununu	1989–1991
	Samuel Skinner	1991–1992
	James Baker	1992–1993
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency	William Reilly	1989–1993
Director of the Office of Management and Budget	Richard Darman	1989–1993
Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy	William Bennett	1989–1991
	Bob Martinez	1991–1993
United States Trade Representative	Carla Anderson Hills	1989–1993

Domestic policy

Economy

Early in his term, Bush faced the problem of what to do with leftover deficits spawned by the Reagan years. At $220 billion in 1990, the deficit had grown to three times its size since 1980. Bush was dedicated to curbing the deficit, believing that America could not continue to be a leader in the world without doing so. He began an effort to persuade the Democratic controlled Congress to act on the budget; with Republicans believing that the best way was to cut government spending, and Democrats convinced that the only way would be to raise taxes, Bush faced problems when it came to consensus building.^[18]

In the wake of a struggle with Congress, Bush was forced by the Democratic majority to raise tax revenues; as a result, many Republicans felt betrayed because Bush had promised "no new taxes" in his 1988 campaign. Perceiving a means of revenge, Republican congressmen defeated Bush's proposal which would enact spending cuts and tax increases that would reduce the deficit by $500 billion over five years. Scrambling, Bush accepted the Democrats' demands for higher taxes and more spending, which alienated him from Republicans and gave way to a sharp decrease in popularity. Bush would later say that he wished he had never signed the bill.^[18] Near the end of the 101st Congress, the president and congressional members reached a compromise on a budget package that increased the marginal tax rate and phased out exemptions for high-income taxpayers. Although he originally demanded a reduction in the capital gains tax, Bush relented on this issue as well. This agreement with the Democratic leadership in Congress proved to be a turning point in the Bush presidency; his popularity among Republicans never fully recovered.^[14]

Coming at around the same time as the budget deal, America entered into a mild recession, lasting for six months. Many government programs, such as welfare, increased.^[18] As the unemployment rate edged upward in 1991, Bush signed a bill providing additional benefits for unemployed workers.^[14] The year 1991 was marked by many corporate reorganizations, which laid off a substantial number of workers. Many now unemployed were Republicans and independents, who had believed that their jobs were secure.

By his second year in office, Bush was told by his economic advisors to stop dealing with the economy, as they believed that he had done everything necessary to ensure his reelection. By 1992, interest and inflation rates were the lowest in years, but by midyear the unemployment rate reached 7.8%, the highest since 1984. In September 1992, the Census Bureau reported that 14.2% of all Americans lived in poverty.^[14] At a press conference in 1990, Bush told reporters that he found foreign policy more enjoyable.^[18]

Major initiatives

During a speech to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, Bush announced a vision to complete Space Station Freedom, resume exploration of the Moon and begin exploration of Mars.^[56] Although a space station was eventually constructed–work on the International Space Station began in 1998–other work has been confounded by NASA budgetary issues. In 1998, Bush received the Rotary National Award for Space Achievement's National Space Trophy for his pioneering leadership of the U.S. space program.

Bush signed a number of major laws in his presidency, including the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990; this was one of the most pro-civil rights bills in decades. He is also the only President to successfully veto a civil rights act, having vetoed the job-discrimination protection Civil Rights Act of 1990.^[57] Bush feared racial quotas would be imposed, but later approved watered-down Civil Rights Act of 1991.^[58] He worked to increase federal spending for education, childcare, and advanced technology research. He also signed the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act which provides monetary compensation of people who were contracted cancer and a number of other specified diseases disease as a direct result of their exposure to atmospheric nuclear testing undertaken by the United States during the Cold War, or their exposure to high levels of radon while doing uranium mining. In dealing with the environment, Bush reauthorized the Clean Air Act, requiring cleaner burning fuels. He quarreled with Congress over an eventually signed bill to aid police in capturing criminals, and signed into law a measure to improve the nation's highway system.^[18] Bush signed the Immigration Act of 1990,^[59] which led to a 40 percent increase in legal immigration to the United States.^[60]

Bush became a life member of the National Rifle Association early in 1988 and had campaigned as a "pro-gun" candidate with the NRA's endorsement.^[61] In March 1989, he placed a temporary ban on the import of certain semiautomatic rifles.^[62] This action cost him endorsement from the NRA in 1992. Bush publicly resigned his life membership in the organization after receiving a form letter from NRA depicting agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms as "jack-booted thugs." He called the NRA letter a "vicious slander on good people."^[63]

Points of Light

President Bush devoted attention to voluntary service as a means of solving some of America's most serious social problems. He often used the "thousand points of light" theme to describe the power of citizens to solve community problems. In his 1989 inaugural address, President Bush said, "I have spoken of a thousand points of light, of all the community organizations that are spread like stars throughout the Nation, doing good."^[64]

Four years later in his report to the nation on The Points of Light Movement, President Bush said, "Points of Light are the soul of America. They are ordinary people who reach beyond themselves to touch the lives of those in need, bringing hope and opportunity, care and friendship. By giving so generously of themselves, these remarkable individuals show us not only what is best in our heritage but what all of us are called to become."^[64]

In 1990 the Points of Light Foundation was created as a nonprofit organization in Washington to promote this spirit of volunteerism.^[65] In 2007, the Points of Light Foundation merged with the Hands On Network with the goal of strengthening volunteerism, streamlining costs and services and deepening impact.^[66] Points of Light, the organization created through this merger, has approximately 250 affiliates in 22 countries and partnerships with thousands of nonprofits and companies dedicated to volunteer service around the world. In 2012, Points of Light mobilized 4 million volunteers in 30 million hours of service worth $635 million.^[67]

On October 16, 2009, President Barack Obama held a Presidential Forum on Service hosted by former President George H. W. Bush and Points of Light at the George Bush Presidential Library Center on the campus of Texas A&M University. The event celebrated the contributions of more than 4,500 Daily Point of Light award winners and honored President Bush's legacy of service and civic engagement.^[68]

In 2011 Points of Light paid tribute to President George H. W. Bush and volunteer service at Washington, D.C.'s Kennedy Center. President Bush was joined by Presidents Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush to highlight the role volunteer service plays in people's lives.^[69]

Daily Point of Light Award

President Bush created the Daily Point of Light Award in 1989 to recognize ordinary Americans from all walks of life taking direct and consequential voluntary action in their communities to solve serious social problems. The President focused great attention on these individuals and organizations, both to honor them for their tremendous work and to call the nation to join them and multiply their efforts. By the end of his administration, President Bush had recognized 1,020 Daily Points of Light representing all 50 states and addressing issues ranging from care for infants and teenagers with AIDS to adult illiteracy and from gang violence to job training for the homeless.^[64] The Daily Point of Light continues to be awarded by Points of Light and President Bush continues to sign all of the awards.^[70]

On July 15, 2013, President Barack Obama welcomed President Bush to the White House to celebrate the 5,000th Daily Point of Light Award.^[71] They bestowed the award on Floyd Hammer and Kathy Hamilton of Union, Iowa, for their work founding Outreach, a nonprofit that delivers free meals to hungry children in 15 countries.^[72]

Judicial appointments

Supreme Court

Bush appointed the following Justices to the Supreme Court of the United States:

• David Souter – 1990
• Clarence Thomas – 1991

Other courts

In addition to his two Supreme Court appointments, Bush appointed 42 judges to the United States Courts of Appeals, and 148 judges to the United States district courts. Among these appointments was Vaughn R. Walker, who would later be revealed to be the earliest known gay federal judge.^[73] Bush also experienced a number of judicial appointment controversies, as 11 nominees for 10 federal appellate judgeships were not processed by the Democrat-controlled Senate Judiciary Committee.^[74]

Foreign policy

Panama

In the 1980s, Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega, a once U.S.-supportive leader who was later accused of spying for Fidel Castro and using Panama to traffic drugs into the United States, was one of the most recognizable names in America and was constantly in the press. The struggle to remove him from power began in the Reagan administration, when economic sanctions were imposed on the country; this included prohibiting American companies and government from making payments to Panama and freezing $56 million in Panamanian funds in American banks. Reagan sent more than 2,000 American troops to Panama as well.^[75] Unlike Reagan, Bush was able to remove Noriega from power, but his administration's unsuccessful post-invasion planning hindered the needs of Panama during the establishment of the young democratic government.^[76]

In May 1989, Panama held democratic elections, in which Guillermo Endara was elected president; the results were then annulled by Noriega's government. In response, Bush sent 2,000 more troops to the country, where they began conducting regular military exercises in Panamanian territory (in violation of prior treaties). Bush then removed an embassy and ambassador from the country, and dispatched additional troops to Panama to prepare the way for an upcoming invasion.^[75] Noriega suppressed an October military coup attempt and massive protests in Panama against him, but after a U.S. serviceman was shot by Panamanian forces in December 1989, Bush ordered 24,000 troops into the country with an objective of removing Noriega from power;^[77] "Operation Just Cause" was a large-scale American military operation, and the first in more than 40 years that was not related to the Cold War.^[76]

The mission was controversial, but American forces achieved control of the country and Endara assumed the Presidency.^[78] Noriega surrendered to the United States and was convicted and imprisoned on racketeering and drug trafficking charges in April 1992.^[79] President Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush visited Panama in June 1992, to give support to the first post-invasion Panamanian government.

Soviet Union

In 1989, just after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Bush met with Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev in a conference on the Mediterranean island of Malta. The administration had been under intense pressure to meet with the Soviets, but not all initially found the Malta summit to be a step in the right direction; General Brent Scowcroft, among others, was apprehensive about the meeting, saying that it might be "premature" due to concerns where, according to Condoleezza Rice, "expectations [would be] set that something was going to happen, where the Soviets might grandstand and force [the U.S.] into agreements that would ultimately not be good for the United States." But European leaders, including François Mitterrand and Margaret Thatcher, encouraged Bush to meet with Gorbachev,^[80] something that he did December 2 and 3, 1989.^[81] Though no agreements were signed, the meeting was viewed largely as being an important one; when asked about nuclear war, Gorbachev responded, "I assured the President of the United States that the Soviet Union would never start a hot war against the United States of America. And we would like our relations to develop in such a way that they would open greater possibilities for cooperation.... This is just the beginning. We are just at the very beginning of our road, long road to a long-lasting, peaceful period."^[82] The meeting was received as a very important step to the end of the Cold War.^[83]

Another summit was held in July 1991, where the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START I) was signed by Bush and Gorbachev in Moscow. The treaty took nine years in the making and was the first major arms agreement since the signing of the Intermediate Ranged Nuclear Forces Treaty by Reagan and Gorbachev in 1987. The contentions in START would reduce the strategic nuclear weapons of the United States and the USSR by about 35% over seven years, and the Soviet Union's land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles would be cut by 50%. Bush described START as "a significant step forward in dispelling half a century of mistrust".^[84] After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, President Bush and Gorbachev declared a U.S.-Russian strategic partnership, marking the end of the Cold War.

Gulf War

On August 2, 1990, Iraq, led by Saddam Hussein, invaded its oil-rich neighbor to the south, Kuwait; Bush condemned the invasion^[85] and began rallying opposition to Iraq in the US and among European, Asian, and Middle Eastern allies.^[18] Secretary of Defense Richard Bruce "Dick" Cheney traveled to Saudi Arabia to meet with King Fahd; Fahd requested US military aid in the matter, fearing a possible invasion of his country as well.^[85] The request was met initially with Air Force fighter jets. Iraq made attempts to negotiate a deal that would allow the country to take control of half of Kuwait. Bush rejected this proposal and insisted on a complete withdrawal of Iraqi forces.^[18] The planning of a ground operation by US-led coalition forces began forming in September 1990, headed by General Norman Schwarzkopf.^[85] Bush spoke before a joint session of the U.S. Congress regarding the authorization of air and land attacks, laying out four immediate objectives: "Iraq must withdraw from Kuwait completely, immediately, and without condition. Kuwait's legitimate government must be restored. The security and stability of the Persian Gulf must be assured. And American citizens abroad must be protected." He then outlined a fifth, long-term objective: "Out of these troubled times, our fifth objective – a new world order – can emerge: a new era – freer from the threat of terror, stronger in the pursuit of justice, and more secure in the quest for peace. An era in which the nations of the world, East and West, North and South, can prosper and live in harmony.... A world where the rule of law supplants the rule of the jungle. A world in which nations recognize the shared responsibility for freedom and justice. A world where the strong respect the rights of the weak."^[86] With the United Nations Security Council opposed to Iraq's violence, Congress authorized the use of Military force^[85] with a set goal of returning control of Kuwait to the Kuwaiti government, and protecting America's interests abroad.^[18]

Early on the morning of January 17, 1991, allied forces launched the first attack, which included more than 4,000 bombing runs by coalition aircraft. This pace would continue for the next four weeks, until a ground invasion was launched on February 24, 1991. Allied forces penetrated Iraqi lines and pushed toward Kuwait City while on the west side of the country, forces were intercepting the retreating Iraqi army. Bush made the decision to stop the offensive after a mere 100 hours. Critics labeled this decision premature, as hundreds of Iraqi forces were able to escape; Bush responded by saying that he wanted to minimize U.S. casualties. Opponents further charged that Bush should have continued the attack, pushing Hussein's army back to Baghdad, then removing him from power.^[18] Bush explained that he did not give the order to overthrow the Iraqi government because it would have "incurred incalculable human and political costs.... We would have been forced to occupy Baghdad and, in effect, rule Iraq."^[87]

Bush's approval ratings skyrocketed after the successful offensive.^[18] Additionally, President Bush and Secretary of State Baker felt the coalition victory had increased U.S. prestige abroad and believed there was a window of opportunity to use the political capital generated by the coalition victory to revitalize the Arab-Israeli peace process. The administration immediately returned to Arab-Israeli peacemaking following the end of the Gulf War; this resulted in the Madrid Conference, later in 1991.^[88]

Somali Civil War

Faced with a humanitarian disaster in Somalia, exacerbated by a complete breakdown in civil order, the United Nations had created the UNOSOM I mission in April 1992 to aid the situation through humanitarian efforts, though the mission failed.^[89] The Bush administration proposed American aid to the region by assisting in creating a secure environment for humanitarian efforts and UN Resolution 794 was unanimously adopted by the Security Council on December 3, 1992.^[90] A lame duck president, Bush launched Operation Restore Hope the following day under which the United States would assume command in accordance with Resolution 794.^[91] Fighting would escalate and continue into the Clinton administration.^[92]

NAFTA

Bush's administration, along with the Progressive Conservative Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, spearheaded the negotiations of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which would eliminate the majority of tariffs on products traded among the United States, Canada, and Mexico, to encourage trade amongst the countries. The treaty also restricts patents, copyrights, and trademarks, and outlines the removal of investment restrictions among the three countries.^[93]

The agreement came under heavy scrutiny amongst mainly Democrats, who charged that NAFTA resulted in a loss of American jobs.^[18] NAFTA also contained no provisions for labor rights; according to the Bush administration, the trade agreement would generate economic resources necessary to enable Mexico's government to overcome problems of funding and enforcement of its labor laws. Bush needed a renewal of negotiating authority to move forward with the NAFTA trade talks. Such authority would enable the president to negotiate a trade accord that would be submitted to Congress for a vote, thereby avoiding a situation in which the president would be required to renegotiate with trading partners those parts of an agreement that Congress wished to change.^[94] While initial signing was possible during his term, negotiations made slow, but steady, progress. President Clinton would go on to make the passage of NAFTA a priority for his administration, despite its conservative and Republican roots—with the addition of two side agreements—to achieve its passage in 1993.^[95]

The treaty has since been defended as well as criticized further. The American economy has grown 54% since the adoption of NAFTA in 1993, with 25 million new jobs created; this was seen by some as evidence of NAFTA being beneficial to the United States.^[96] With talk in early 2008 regarding a possible American withdrawal from the treaty, Carlos M. Gutierrez, current United States Secretary of Commerce, writes, "Quitting NAFTA would send economic shock waves throughout the world, and the damage would start here at home."^[96] But John J. Sweeney, President of the AFL-CIO, wrote in The Boston Globe that "the U.S. trade deficit with Canada and Mexico ballooned to 12 times its pre-NAFTA size, reaching $111 billion in 2004."^[97]

On January 8, 1992, Bush fainted after vomiting at a banquet hosted by the then Prime Minister of Japan, Kiichi Miyazawa. Bush was suffering from gastroenteritis.

Pardons

As other presidents have done, Bush issued a series of pardons during his last days in office. On December 24, 1992, he granted executive clemency to six former government employees implicated in the Iran-Contra scandal of the late 1980s, most prominently former Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger.^[98] Bush described Weinberger, who was scheduled to stand trial on January 5, 1993, for criminal charges related to Iran-Contra, as a "true American patriot".^[98]

In addition to Weinberger, Bush pardoned Duane R. Clarridge, Clair E. George, Robert C. McFarlane, Elliott Abrams, and Alan G. Fiers Jr., all of whom had been indicted and/or convicted of criminal charges by an Independent Counsel headed by Lawrence Walsh.^[99]

Honorary degrees

• Texas A&M University^[100]
• Sacred Heart University^[101]
• Dartmouth College, awarded a Doctor of Laws^[102]

Awards and honors

In 1990 Time magazine named him the Man of the Year. In 1991 the U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation awarded Bush its Lone Sailor award for his naval service and his subsequent government service. In 1993, he was made an Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath by Queen Elizabeth II.^[103]

1992 presidential campaign

Bush announced his reelection bid in early 1992; with a coalition victory in the Persian Gulf War and high approval ratings, reelection initially looked likely. As a result, many leading Democrats declined to seek their party's presidential nomination. But an economic recession, and doubts of whether Bush ended the Gulf War properly, reduced his popularity.

Conservative political columnist Pat Buchanan challenged Bush for the Republican nomination, and shocked political pundits by finishing second, with 37% of the vote, in the New Hampshire primary. Bush responded by adopting more conservative positions on issues, in an attempt to undermine Buchanan's base.^[18] Once he had secured the nomination, Bush faced his challenger, Democrat and Governor of Arkansas William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton. Clinton attacked Bush as not doing enough to assist the working middle-class and being "out of touch" with the common man, a notion reinforced by reporter Andrew Rosenthal's false report that Bush was "astonished" to see a demonstration of a supermarket scanner.^[104]

In early 1992, the race took an unexpected twist when Texas billionaire H. Ross Perot launched a third party bid, claiming that neither Republicans nor Democrats could eliminate the deficit and make government more efficient. His message appealed to voters across the political spectrum disappointed with both parties' perceived fiscal irresponsibility.^[105] Perot later bowed out of the race for a short time, then reentered.^[106]

Clinton had originally been in the lead, until Perot reentered, tightening the race significantly.^[107] Nearing election day, polls suggested that the race was a dead-heat,^[14] but Clinton pulled out on top, defeating Bush in a 43% to 38% popular vote margin. Perot won 19% of the popular vote, one of the highest totals for a third party candidate in U.S. history, drawing equally from both major candidates, according to exit polls.^[18][108] Bush received 168 electoral votes to Clinton's 370.^[109]

Several factors were key in Bush's defeat. The ailing economy which arose from recession may have been the main factor in Bush's loss, as 7 in 10 voters said on election day that the economy was either "not so good" or "poor".^[110][111] On the eve of the 1992 election against these factors, Bush's approval rating stood at just 37%^[112] after suffering low ratings throughout the year.^[113]

Conservative Republicans point to Bush's 1990 agreement to raise taxes in contradiction of his famous "Read my lips: no new taxes" pledge. In doing so, Bush alienated many members of his conservative base, losing their support for his re-election. According to one survey, of the voters who cited Bush's broken "No New Taxes" pledge as "very important", two thirds voted for Bill Clinton.^[114] Bush had raised taxes in an attempt to address an increasing budget deficit, which has largely been attributed to the Reagan tax cuts and military spending of the 1980s. The tax revenue increase had not hurt his approval ratings to the extent that it prevented it from reaching 89% during the Gulf War, four months after the tax vote.^[115] By February 1991 his approval rating rose to its highest level—89%.^[116]

Public image

George Bush was widely seen as a "pragmatic caretaker" president who lacked a unified and compelling long-term theme in his efforts.^{[117][118][119]} Indeed, Bush's sound bite where he refers to the issue of overarching purpose as "the vision thing" has become a metonym applied to other political figures accused of similar difficulties.^{[120][121][122][123][124][125]} "He does not say why he wants to be there", wrote columnist George Will, "so the public does not know why it should care if he gets his way".^[126]

His Ivy League and prep school education led to warnings by advisors that his image was too "preppy" in 1980, which resulted in deliberate efforts in his 1988 campaign to shed the image, including meeting voters at factories and shopping malls, abandoning set speeches.^[126]

His ability to gain broad international support for the Gulf War and the war's result were seen as both a diplomatic and military triumph,^[127] rousing bipartisan approval,^[128] though his decision to withdraw without removing Saddam Hussein left mixed feelings, and attention returned to the domestic front and a souring economy.^[129] A New York Times article mistakenly depicted Bush as being surprised to see a supermarket barcode reader; the report of his reaction exacerbated the notion that he was "out of touch". Amid the early 1990s recession, his image shifted from "conquering hero" to "politician befuddled by economic matters".^[104]

Although Bush became the first elected Republican president since Hoover in 1932 to lose a reelection bid (facing a 34% approval rating leading up to the 1992 election), the mood did not last. Despite his defeat, Bush climbed back from election day approval levels to leave office in 1993 with a 56% job approval rating.^[130] By December 2008, 60% of Americans gave Bush's presidency a positive rating.^[131]

Post-presidency

Upon leaving office, Bush retired with his wife, Barbara, and temporarily moved into a friend's house near the Tanglewood community of Houston as they prepared to build a permanent retirement house nearby.^[132] Ultimately they built their retirement house in the community of West Oaks, near Tanglewood.^[24] They had a presidential office within the Park Laureate Building on Memorial Drive.^[133] Mimi Swartz of National Geographic wrote that "The Bushes are too studiously sedate to live in River Oaks".^[134] They spend the summer at Walker's Point in Kennebunkport, Maine. On January 10, 1999, the Bushes became the longest-married Presidential couple in history, outlasting John and Abigail Adams, who were married for 54 years and 3 days. At 70 years as of January 2015,^[135] they still hold the record, by a year and a half, over Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter. Bush holds his own fishing tournament in Islamorada, an island in the Florida Keys.

In 1993, Bush was awarded an honorary knighthood (GCB) by Queen Elizabeth II. He was the third American president to receive the honor, the others being Dwight D. Eisenhower and Ronald Reagan.^[103]

In 1993, Bush visited Kuwait to commemorate the coalition's victory over Iraq in the Gulf War, where he was targeted in an assassination plot. Kuwaiti authorities arrested 17 people allegedly involved in using a car bomb to kill Bush. Through interviews with the suspects and examinations of the bomb's circuitry and wiring, the FBI established that the plot had been directed by the Iraqi Intelligence Service. A Kuwaiti court later convicted all but one of the defendants. Two months later, in retaliation, Clinton ordered the firing of 23 cruise missiles at Iraqi Intelligence Service headquarters in Baghdad. The day before the strike, U.S. Ambassador to the UN Madeleine Albright went before the Security Council to present evidence of the Iraqi plot. After the missiles were fired, Vice President Al Gore said the attack "was intended to be a proportionate response at the place where this plot" to assassinate Bush "was hatched and implemented".^[136]

From 1993 to 1999 he served as the chairman to the board of trustees for Eisenhower Fellowships, and from 2007 to 2009 was chairman of the National Constitution Center.

In 1997, the same year as the opening of his Presidential Library, the Houston international airport was renamed George Bush Intercontinental Airport.

President Bush is Honorary Chairman of Points of Light, an international nonprofit dedicated to engaging more people and resources in solving serious social problems through voluntary service.^[137]

His eldest son, George W. Bush, was inaugurated as the 43rd President of the United States on January 20, 2001, and re-elected in 2004. Through previous administrations, the elder Bush had ubiquitously been known as "George Bush" or "President Bush", but following his son's election the need to distinguish between them has made retronymic forms such as "George H. W. Bush" and "George Bush senior"—and colloquialisms such as "Bush 41" and "Bush the Elder" much more common.

Presidential library

The George Bush Presidential Library is the presidential library named for Bush. This tenth presidential library was built between 1995 and 1997 and contains the presidential and vice-presidential papers of Bush and the vice-presidential papers of Dan Quayle.^[138] It was dedicated on November 6, 1997, and opened to the public shortly thereafter; the architectural firm of Hellmuth, Obata and Kassabaum designed the complex.

The George Bush Presidential Library and Museum is located on a 90-acre (360,000 m²) site on the west campus of Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, on a plaza adjoining the Presidential Conference Center and the Texas A&M Academic Center. The Library operates under NARA's administration and the Presidential Libraries Act of 1955's provisions.

The George Bush School of Government and Public Service is a graduate public policy school at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. The graduate school is part of the presidential library complex, and offers four programs: two master's degree programs (Public Service Administration and International Affairs) and two certificate programs (Advanced International Affairs and Homeland Security). The master's program in International Affairs (MPIA) program offers concentration on either National Security Affairs or International Economics and Development.

Later activities

Bush continues to make many public appearances. He and Mrs. Bush attended the state funeral of Ronald Reagan in June 2004, and of Gerald Ford in January 2007. One month later, he was awarded the Ronald Reagan Freedom Award in Beverly Hills, California, by former First Lady Nancy Reagan. Despite his political differences with Bill Clinton, it has been acknowledged that the two former presidents have become friends.^[139] He and Clinton appeared together in television ads in 2005, encouraging aid for victims of Hurricane Katrina and the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.^[140]

In October 2006, Bush was honored by the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) with the NIAF One America Award for fundraising, with Bill Clinton, for the victims of the 2004 tsunami and Hurricane Katrina.^[141]

Upon the death of Gerald Ford, Bush became the oldest living president, 111 days older than Jimmy Carter. Bush and Carter are the fourth pair of Presidents born in the same year, and their birthdays are the third closest among presidents, behind Andrew Johnson and Abraham Lincoln (45 days apart) and Bush's immediate successors, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush (44 days).

On February 18, 2008, Bush formally endorsed Senator John McCain for the presidency of the United States.^[142] The endorsement offered a boost to McCain's campaign, as the Arizona Senator had been facing criticism among many conservatives.^[143]

On January 10, 2009, both George H. W. and George W. Bush were present at the commissioning of the USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77), the tenth and last Nimitz-class supercarrier of the United States Navy.^[144][145] Bush paid a visit to the carrier again on May 26, 2009.^[146]

On February 15, 2011, he was awarded the Medal of Freedom—the highest civilian honor in the United States—by President Barack Obama.^[147]

On November 23, 2012, he had a bronchitis-like cough that initially brought him to Methodist Hospital in Houston for treatment. He was supposed to be released before Christmas, but was kept in and over the holiday because he got worse with a high fever. He was moved to the Intensive-care unit on December 23.^[148] and after his condition improved, he was moved to a regular patient's room on December 29, 2012.^[149] He was discharged on January 14, 2013.^[150]

Bush suffers from Vascular Parkinsonism, a form of Parkinson's disease which has forced him to use a motorized scooter or wheelchair since at least 2012.^[151][152]

In July 2013, Bush had his head shaved in a show of support for the two-year-old son of a member of his security detail, who had leukemia.^[153]

In April 2014, Frederick D. McClure, chief executive of the Bush library foundation, organized a three-day gathering in College Park, TX, to mark the 25th anniversary of the Bush administration. Also in early 2014, the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation presented the Profile in Courage Award to Bush and Mount Vernon awarded him its first Cyrus A. Ansary Prize.^[154] The Kennedy foundation award was presented by Jack Schlossberg, the late president's grandson, to Lauren Bush Lauren, who accepted on her grandfather's behalf.^[155] The Ansary prize was presented in Houston with Ansary, Barbara Lucas, Ryan C. Crocker, dean of the Bush school since January 2010, Barbara Bush, and Curt Viebranz in attendance with the former president. Fifty thousand dollars of the prize was directed by Bush to the Bush school at Texas A&M and $25,000 will fund an animation about the Siege of Yorktown for Mt. Vernon.^[156] Viebranz and Lucas represented Mount Vernon at the presentation.^[157][158] Several books about Bush including one by Jon Meacham—a biography called The Last Gentleman—and one about the two Bush presidents by Mark K. Updegrove, director of the Lyndon B. Johnson presidential library, were reportedly also in the works at the time.^[159]

On June 12, 2014, Bush fulfilled a long-standing promise by skydiving on his 90th birthday. He made the parachute jump from a helicopter near his home at 11:15 a.m. in Kennebunkport, Maine. The jump marked the eighth time the former president had skydived, including jumps on his 80th and 85th birthday as well.^[160] He had tweeted about the incident prior to the jump, saying "It's a wonderful day in Maine — in fact, nice enough for a parachute jump.".^[161][162]

• 

  Bush delivers a eulogy to Ronald Reagan, June 11, 2004 in the Washington National Cathedral

• 

  Bush, along with George W. Bush, Laura Bush, Bill Clinton, Condoleezza Rice, and Andrew Card pay their respects to Pope John Paul II before the pope's funeral, 2005

• 

  George H. W. Bush with son George W. Bush and China's President Hu Jintao in Beijing, People's Republic of China, August 10, 2008

• 

  Capt. Kevin E. O'Flaherty, commanding officer of the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush, escorts former President George H. W. Bush, 2009

• 

  Bush meets President Barack Obama in the Oval Office, January 30, 2010

Electoral history

See also

• List of Presidents of the United States
• List of Presidents of the United States, sortable by previous experience

References

Further reading

External links

Official

• George Bush Presidential Library and Museum
• White House biography

Speeches and statements

• Full audio of a number of Bush speeches Miller Center of Public Affairs

Media coverage

• George H. W. Bush collected news and commentary at The New York Times
• George H. W. Bush collected news and commentary at The Wall Street Journal

Other

• Extensive essays on Bush and shorter essays on each member of his cabinet and First Lady from the Miller Center of Public Affairs
• George Bush at C-SPAN's American Presidents: Life Portraits
• George H. W. Bush an American Experience documentary
• Works by George Bush at Project Gutenberg
• Works by or about George H. W. Bush at Internet Archive
• George H. W. Bush at DMOZ

George H. W. Bush 41st President of the United States (1989–1993) 43rd Vice President of the United States (1981–1989) Director of Central Intelligence (1976-1977) UN Ambassador (1971-1973) U.S. Representative for TX-7 (1967-1971) Life Early years Business career Political career (1964–1980) Vice Presidency (1981–1989) Post-Presidency Presidential Library The Bush School of Government and Public Service Bush compound Presidency Inauguration Environmental policy 1989 Malta Summit Invasion of Panama 1990 Chemical Weapons Accord Gulf War 1991 Madrid Conference National Space Council New world order Somali Civil War Unified Task Force Negotiations for the North American Free Trade Agreement Vomiting incident Presidential pardons Oval Office desk State of the Union Addresss (1990 1991 1992) Cabinet Judicial appointments Supreme Court controversies Elections United States Senate elections, 1964 1970 United States House of Representatives elections, 1966 1968 Republican Party presidential primaries, 1980 1988 1992 Republican National Convention, 1980 1984 1988 "a thousand points of light" "Read my lips: no new taxes" 1992 United States presidential election, 1980 1984 1988 1992 Public image George Bush Intercontinental Airport The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear (1991) What It Takes: The Way to the White House (1993) The Family: The Real Story of the Bush Dynasty (2004) Bad for Democracy (2008) Family of Secrets (2009) Books A World Transformed (1998) All the Best (1999) Family Barbara Bush (wife) George W. Bush (son, presidency) Robin Bush (daughter) Jeb Bush (son) Neil Bush (son) Marvin P. Bush (son) Dorothy Bush Koch (daughter) Barbara Bush (granddaughter) Jenna Bush (granddaughter) George P. Bush (grandson) Prescott Bush (father) Dorothy Walker Bush (mother) Nancy Walker Bush Ellis (sister) Jonathan Bush (brother) William H.T. Bush (brother) Samuel P. Bush (grandfather) George Herbert Walker (grandfather) Millie (family dog) ← Ronald Reagan Bill Clinton → Book Category Commons Wikibooks Wikiquote Wikisource texts

Offices and distinctions Party political offices Preceded by Roy Whittenburg Republican nominee for Senator from Texas (Class 1) 1964, 1970 Succeeded by Alan Steelman Preceded by Bob Dole Chairman of the Republican National Committee 1973–1974 Succeeded by Mary Smith Republican vice presidential nominee 1980, 1984 Succeeded by Dan Quayle Preceded by Ronald Reagan Republican presidential nominee 1988, 1992 Succeeded by Bob Dole United States House of Representatives Preceded by John Dowdy Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 7th congressional district 1967–1971 Succeeded by William Archer Diplomatic posts Preceded by Charles Yost United States Ambassador to the United Nations 1971–1973 Succeeded by John Scali Preceded by David Bruce Chief of the Liaison Office to the People's Republic of China 1974–1976 Succeeded by Thomas Gates Preceded by François Mitterrand Chairperson of the Group of 7 1990 Succeeded by John Major Government offices Preceded by William Colby Director of Central Intelligence 1976–1977 Succeeded by Stansfield Turner Political offices Preceded by Walter Mondale Vice President of the United States 1981–1989 Acting President: July 13, 1985 Succeeded by Dan Quayle Preceded by Ronald Reagan President of the United States 1989–1993 Succeeded by Bill Clinton Honorary titles Preceded by Gerald Ford Oldest living President of the United States 2006–present Incumbent Awards and achievements Preceded by Rudy Giuliani Ronald Reagan Freedom Award 2007 Succeeded by Natan Sharansky United States order of precedence (ceremonial) Preceded by Jimmy Carter as Former President of the United States Order of Precedence of the United States as Former President of the United States Succeeded by Bill Clinton as Former President of the United States

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Bush/Cheney (twice) McCain/Palin Romney/Ryan Parties by state and territory State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Territory American Samoa District of Columbia Guam Northern Mariana Islands Puerto Rico Virgin Islands Conventions (list) 1856 (Philadelphia) 1860 (Chicago) 1864 (Baltimore) 1868 (Chicago) 1872 (Philadelphia) 1876 (Cincinnati) 1880 (Chicago) 1884 (Chicago) 1888 (Chicago) 1892 (Minneapolis) 1896 (Saint Louis) 1900 (Philadelphia) 1904 (Chicago) 1908 (Chicago) 1912 (Chicago) 1916 (Chicago) 1920 (Chicago) 1924 (Cleveland) 1928 (Kansas City) 1932 (Chicago) 1936 (Cleveland) 1940 (Philadelphia) 1944 (Chicago) 1948 (Philadelphia) 1952 (Chicago) 1956 (San Francisco) 1960 (Chicago) 1964 (San Francisco) 1968 (Miami Beach) 1972 (Miami Beach) 1976 (Kansas City) 1980 (Detroit) 1984 (Dallas) 1988 (New Orleans) 1992 (Houston) 1996 (San Diego) 2000 (Philadelphia) 2004 (New York) 2008 (St. Paul) 2012 (Tampa) 2016 (Cleveland) Affiliated organizations Fundraising groups National Republican Congressional Committee National Republican Senatorial Committee Republican Conference of the United States House of Representatives Republican Conference of the United States Senate Republican Governors Association Sectional groups College Republicans Chairmen Congressional Hispanic Conference International Democrat Union Log Cabin Republicans Republican Jewish Coalition Republican National Hispanic Assembly Republicans Abroad Teen Age Republicans Young Republicans Factional groups Republican Main Street Partnership Republican Majority for Choice Republican Liberty Caucus Republican National Coalition for Life Republican Study Committee ConservAmerica Ripon Society The Wish List Related articles History 2009 chairmanship election 2011 chairmanship election Bibliography Timeline of modern American conservatism Conservatism portal Vice Presidents of the United States John Adams Thomas Jefferson Aaron Burr George Clinton Elbridge Gerry Daniel D. Tompkins John C. Calhoun Martin Van Buren Richard Mentor Johnson John Tyler George M. Dallas Millard Fillmore William R. King John C. Breckinridge Hannibal Hamlin Andrew Johnson Schuyler Colfax Henry Wilson William A. Wheeler Chester A. Arthur Thomas A. Hendricks Levi P. Morton Adlai Stevenson I Garret Hobart Theodore Roosevelt Charles W. Fairbanks James S. Sherman Thomas R. Marshall Calvin Coolidge Charles G. Dawes Charles Curtis John Nance Garner Henry A. Wallace Harry S. Truman Alben W. Barkley Richard Nixon Lyndon B. Johnson Hubert Humphrey Spiro Agnew Gerald Ford Nelson Rockefeller Walter Mondale George H. W. Bush Dan Quayle Al Gore Dick Cheney Joe Biden Directors of Central Intelligence and Central Intelligence Agency Central Intelligence Sidney Souers Hoyt Vandenberg Roscoe H. Hillenkoetter W. Bedell Smith Allen W. Dulles John A. McCone William Raborn Richard Helms James R. Schlesinger William Colby George H. W. Bush Stansfield Turner William J. Casey William H. Webster Robert Gates R. James Woolsey, Jr. John M. Deutch George Tenet Central Intelligence Agency Porter J. Goss Michael Hayden Leon Panetta David Petraeus John O. Brennan United States Ambassadors to the United Nations Stettinius Austin Lodge Wadsworth Stevenson Goldberg Ball Wiggins Yost Bush Scali Moynihan Scranton Young McHenry Kirkpatrick Walters Pickering Perkins Albright Richardson Holbrooke Negroponte Danforth Bolton Khalilzad Rice Power United States Ambassadors to China Envoys to the Qing Empire 1843-1858 Caleb Cushing 1843-44 Alexander Hill Everett 1845-47 John Wesley Davis 1848-50 Humphrey Marshall 1852-54 Robert Milligan McLane 1853-54 Peter Parker 1855-57 Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plentipotentiary to the Qing Empire 1858-1913 William Bradford Reed 1857-58 John Elliott Ward 1858-60 Anson Burlingame 1861-67 John Ross Browne 1868-69 Frederick F. Low 1869-73 Benjamin Avery 1874-75 George Seward 1876-80 James Burrill Angell 1880-81 John Russell Young 1882-85 Charles Harvey Denby 1885-98 Edwin H. Conger 1898-05 William Woodville Rockhill 1905-09 William James Calhoun 1909-13 Envoy to the Republic of China 1913-1929 Paul Samuel Reinsch 1913-19 Charles Richard Crane 1920-21 Jacob Gould Schurman 1921-25 John Van Antwerp MacMurray 1925-29 Ambassador to the Republic of China 1929-1949 Nelson T. Johnson 1929-41 Clarence E. Gauss 1941-44 Patrick J. Hurley 1944-45 John Leighton Stuart 1946-49 Embassy in Taipei 1949-Pres. Chiefs of the U.S. Liaison Office in Beijing 1973-79 David K. E. Bruce 1973-74 George H. W. Bush 1974-75 Thomas S. Gates, Jr. 1976-77 Leonard Woodcock 1977-79 Ambassador to the People's Republic of China 1979-Present Leonard Woodcock 1979-81 Arthur W. Hummel, Jr. 1981-85 Winston Lord 1985-89 James R. Lilley 1989-91 J. Stapleton Roy 1991-95 Jim Sasser 1996-99 Joseph Prueher 1999-01 Clark T. Randt, Jr. 2001-09 Jon Huntsman, Jr. 2009-11 Gary Locke 2011-14 Max Baucus 2014- Cold War USA USSR ANZUS NATO Non-Aligned Movement SEATO Warsaw Pact 1940s Dekemvriana Yalta Conference Operation Unthinkable Potsdam Conference Gouzenko Affair Operation Masterdom Operation Beleaguer Operation Blacklist Forty Iran crisis of 1946 Greek Civil War Corfu Channel incident Turkish Straits crisis Restatement of Policy on Germany First Indochina War Truman Doctrine Asian Relations Conference Marshall Plan 1948 Czechoslovak coup d'état Tito–Stalin Split Berlin Blockade Western betrayal Iron Curtain Eastern Bloc Western Bloc Chinese Civil War (Second round) Malayan Emergency 1950s Bamboo Curtain Korean War 1953 Iranian coup d'état Uprising of 1953 in East Germany 1954 Guatemalan coup d'état Partition of Vietnam First Taiwan Strait Crisis Geneva Summit (1955) Poznań 1956 protests Hungarian Revolution of 1956 Suez Crisis Syrian Crisis of 1957 Sputnik crisis Second Taiwan Strait Crisis Cuban Revolution Kitchen Debate Bandung Conference Bricker Amendment McCarthyism Operation Gladio Iraqi July Revolution "We will bury you" 1960s Congo Crisis Sino-Soviet split 1960 U-2 incident Bay of Pigs Invasion 1960 Turkish coup d'état Soviet–Albanian split Berlin Wall Portuguese Colonial War (Angolan War of Independence Guinea-Bissau War of Independence Mozambican War of Independence) Cuban Missile Crisis Sino-Indian War Sarawak Communist Insurgency Iraqi Ramadan Revolution 1963 Syrian coup d'état Vietnam War 1964 Brazilian coup d'état United States occupation of the Dominican Republic (1965–66) South African Border War Transition to the New Order Domino theory ASEAN Declaration Laotian Civil War 1966 Syrian coup d'état Argentine Revolution Korean DMZ Conflict Greek military junta of 1967–74 USS Pueblo incident Six-Day War War of Attrition Cultural Revolution Prague Spring Malaysia Communist Insurgency War Invasion of Czechoslovakia Iraqi Ba'athist Revolution Goulash Communism Sino-Soviet border conflict Communist insurgency in the Philippines Corrective Move 1970s Détente Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Black September in Jordan 1970 Syrian Corrective Revolution Cambodian Civil War Realpolitik Ping-pong diplomacy 1971 Turkish coup d'état Corrective Revolution (Egypt) Four Power Agreement on Berlin 1972 Nixon visit to China 1973 Chilean coup d'état Yom Kippur War Carnation Revolution Strategic Arms Limitation Talks Rhodesian Bush War Angolan Civil War Mozambican Civil War Ogaden War Ethiopian Civil War Lebanese Civil War Sino-Albanian split Cambodian–Vietnamese War Sino-Vietnamese War Iranian Revolution Operation Condor Dirty War Bangladesh Liberation War Korean Air Lines Flight 902 Seven Days to the River Rhine 1980s Soviet war in Afghanistan 1980 and 1984 Summer Olympics boycotts 1980 Turkish coup d'état 1986 Black Sea incident 1988 Black Sea bumping incident Solidarity Soviet reaction Contras Central American crisis RYAN Korean Air Lines Flight 007 Able Archer 83 Star Wars Invasion of Grenada People Power Revolution Nagorno-Karabakh War Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 Fall of the Berlin Wall Revolutions of 1989 Glasnost Perestroika 1990s Mongolian Revolution of 1990 Breakup of Yugoslavia Dissolution of the Soviet Union Dissolution of Czechoslovakia Frozen conflicts Abkhazia China Korea Nagorno-Karabakh South Ossetia Transnistria Sino-Indian border dispute Foreign policy Truman Doctrine Marshall Plan Containment Eisenhower Doctrine Domino theory Hallstein Doctrine Kennedy Doctrine Peaceful coexistence Ostpolitik Johnson Doctrine Brezhnev Doctrine Nixon Doctrine Ulbricht Doctrine Carter Doctrine Reagan Doctrine Rollback Sovereignty of Puerto Rico during the Cold War Ideologies Capitalism Chicago school Keynesianism Monetarism Neoclassical economics Reaganomics Supply-side economics Thatcherism Communism Marxism–Leninism Castroism Eurocommunism Guevarism Hoxhaism Juche Maoism Naxalism Stalinism Titoism Liberal democracy Social democracy Organizations ASEAN CIA Comecon EEC KGB Non-Aligned Movement SAARC Safari Club MI6 Stasi Propaganda Active measures Izvestia Pravda Crusade for Freedom Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Red Scare TASS Voice of America Voice of Russia Races Arms race Nuclear arms race Space Race See also Brinkmanship NATO–Russia relations Soviet espionage in U.S. Russian espionage in U.S. Soviet Union–United States relations US–Soviet summits Category Portal Timeline List of conflicts George W. Bush 43rd President of the United States (2001–2009) 46th Governor of Texas (1995–2000) Born July 6, 1946 Presidency First inauguration Second inauguration First term Second term Domestic policy Legislation and programs Economic policy Foreign policy Bush Doctrine War in Afghanistan Iraq War Status of Forces Agreement No Child Left Behind Act Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act USA Freedom Corps Department of Homeland Security Space policy Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty "War on Terror" President's Council on Service and Civic Participation award Judicial appointments Supreme Court controversies Cabinet Pardons Impeachment efforts Life Presidential library Early life Military service controversy (Killian documents controversy and authenticity issues) Professional life Governorship of Texas Prairie Chapel Ranch Bush compound Clinton Bush Haiti Fund Speeches Axis of evil Mission Accomplished State of the Union address 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Elections United States House of Representatives elections, 1978 Texas gubernatorial election 1994 1998 Presidential campaign 2000 2004 Republican Party presidential primaries, 2000 2004 Republican National Convention 2000 2004 United States presidential election, 2000 Bush v. Gore United States presidential election, 2004 Public image Bushisms Nicknames As the subject of books and films Fictionalized portrayals Miss Me Yet? Books A Charge to Keep (1999) Decision Points (2010) 41: A Portrait of My Father (2014) Family Laura Bush (wife) Barbara Pierce Bush (daughter) Jenna Bush Hager (daughter) George H.W. Bush (father, presidency) Barbara Bush (mother) Jeb Bush (brother) Neil Bush (brother) Marvin P. Bush (brother) Dorothy Bush Koch (sister) Prescott Bush (grandfather) Dorothy Walker Bush (grandmother) George P. Bush (nephew) Barney (dog) Miss Beazley (dog) India (cat) Spot Fetcher (dog) ← Bill Clinton Barack Obama → Book Category Commons Wikibooks Wikiquote Wikisource texts Cabinet of President George H. W. Bush (1989–1993)   Cabinet Secretary of State James A. Baker (1989–1992) Lawrence Eagleburger (1992–1993) Secretary of the Treasury Nicholas F. Brady (1989–1993) Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney (1989–1993) Attorney General Richard L. Thornburgh (1989–1991) William Pelham Barr (1991–1993) Secretary of the Interior Manuel Lujan, Jr. (1989–1993) Secretary of Agriculture Clayton K. Yeutter (1989–1991) Edward R. Madigan (1991–1993) Secretary of Commerce Robert Mosbacher (1989–1992) Barbara Hackman Franklin (1992 – 1993) Secretary of Labor Elizabeth Dole (1989 – 1991) Lynn Martin (1991–1993) Secretary of Health and Human Services Louis W. Sullivan (1989–1993) Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Jack Kemp (1989–1993) Secretary of Transportation Samuel K. Skinner (1989–1992) Andrew Card (1992–1993) Secretary of Energy James D. Watkins (1989–1993) Secretary of Education Lauro F. Cavazos (1989–1990) Lamar Alexander (1991–1993) Secretary of Veterans Affairs Ed Derwinski (1989–1992)   Cabinet-level Vice President Dan Quayle (1989–1993) White House Chief of Staff John H. Sununu (1989-1991) Samuel K. Skinner (1991-1992) James A. Baker (1992-1993) Director of the Office of Management and Budget Richard Darman (1989–1993) Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency William Reilly (1989-1992) None (1992-1993) Trade Representative Carla A. Hills (1989–1993) Ambassador to the United Nations Thomas Pickering (1989-1992) Edward Perkins (1992-1993) Assistants to the President for National Security Advisor Brent Scowcroft (1989-1993) Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy William J. Bennett (1989-1991) Bob Martinez (1991-1993) Chairperson of the Council of Economic Advisers Michael Boskin (1989-1993) Cabinet of United States President Ronald Reagan (1981–89)   Cabinet Secretary of State Alexander M. Haig Jr. (1981–82) George P. Shultz (1982–89) Secretary of the Treasury Donald T. Regan (1981–85) James A. Baker (1985–88) Nicholas F. Brady (1988–89) Secretary of Defense Caspar W. Weinberger (1981–87) Frank C. Carlucci (1987–89) Attorney General William French Smith (1981–85) Edwin Meese (1985–88) Richard L. Thornburgh (1988–89) Secretary of the Interior James G. Watt (1981–83) William P. Clark (1983–85) Donald P. Hodel (1985–89) Secretary of Agriculture John R. Block (1981–86) Richard E. Lyng (1986–89) Secretary of Commerce Malcolm Baldrige (1981–87) C. William Verity (1987–89) Secretary of Labor Raymond J. Donovan (1981–85) William E. Brock III (1985–87) Ann Dore McLaughlin (1987–89) Secretary of Health and Human Services Richard S. Schweiker (1981–83) Margaret M. Heckler (1983–85) Otis R. Bowen (1985–89) Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Samuel R. Pierce (1981–89) Secretary of Transportation Drew Lewis (1981–83) Elizabeth H. Dole (1983–87) James H. Burnley IV (1987–89) Secretary of Energy James B. Edwards (1981–83) Donald P. Hodel (1983–85) John S. Herrington (1985–89) Secretary of Education Terrel H. Bell (1981–85) William J. Bennett (1985–88) Lauro F. Cavazos (1988–89)   Cabinet-level Vice President George H. W. Bush (1981–89) White House Chief of Staff James A. Baker (1981–85) Donald T. Regan (1985–87) Howard H. Baker Jr. (1987–88) Kenneth M. Duberstein (1988–89) Director of the Office of Management and Budget David Stockman (1981–85) James C. Miller III (1985–88) Joseph R. Wright Jr. (1988–89) Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency Anne M. Gorsuch (1981–83) William D. Ruckelshaus (1983–85) Lee M. Thomas (1985–89) Director of Central Intelligence William J. Casey (1981–87) William H. Webster (1987–89) Ambassador to the United Nations Jeane Kirkpatrick (1981–85) Vernon A. Walters (1985–89) Trade Representative William E. Brock III (1981–85) Clayton K. Yeutter (1985–89) Chairperson of the Council of Economic Advisers Murray L. Weidenbaum (1981–82) Martin S. Feldstein (1982–84) Beryl W. Sprinkel (1985–89) Order of Precedence in the United States of America* The President The Vice President The Governors of the States The Mayors of the Cities The Speaker of the House The Chief Justice Former President Carter Former President GHW Bush Former President Clinton Former President GW Bush Ambassadors of the United States The Secretary of State Mrs. Reagan The Associate Justices Retired Justice Stevens Retired Justice O'Connor Retired Justice Souter The President's Cabinet The President Pro Tempore of the Senate The Senate Former Vice President Mondale Former Vice President Quayle Former Vice President Gore Former Vice President Cheney The House of Representatives *not including acting officeholders, visiting dignitaries, auxiliary executive and military personnel and most diplomats United States presidential election, 1968 Republican Party Convention Primaries Nominee Richard Nixon campaign VP Nominee: Spiro Agnew Candidates: Frank Carlson Clifford P. Case Hiram Fong John Lindsay Ronald Reagan Jim Rhodes Nelson Rockefeller Winthrop Rockefeller George W. Romney campaign Harold Stassen John A. Volpe Democratic Party Convention protests Primaries Nominee: Hubert Humphrey campaign VP Nominee: Edmund Muskie Candidates: Roger D. Branigin John G. Crommelin Paul C. Fisher Lyndon B. Johnson Robert F. Kennedy (campaign) Thomas C. Lynch Eugene McCarthy (campaign) George McGovern Dan K. Moore Channing E. Phillips George Smathers Stephen M. Young American Independent Party Nominee: George Wallace campaign VP nominee: Curtis LeMay   Other Third party and independent candidates Communist Party Nominee: Charlene Mitchell VP nominee: Michael Zagarell Peace and Freedom Party Nominee: Eldridge Cleaver VP nominee: Douglas Fitzgerald Dowd Prohibition Party Nominee: E. Harold Munn Socialist Labor Party Nominee: Henning A. Blomen Socialist Workers Party Nominee: Fred Halstead VP nominee: Paul Boutelle Independents and other candidates: Dick Gregory Pat Paulsen Pigasus Other 1968 elections: House Senate United States presidential election, 1980 Republican Party Convention Primaries Primary results Nominee Ronald Reagan VP Nominee George H. W. Bush Candidates John B. Anderson Howard Baker George H. W. Bush John Connally Phil Crane Bob Dole Ben Fernandez Harold Stassen Democratic Party Convention Primaries Primary results Nominee Jimmy Carter VP Nominee Walter Mondale Candidates Jerry Brown Ted Kennedy Ron Dellums Independent Candidate John B. Anderson VP candidate Patrick Lucey   Other independent and third party candidates Citizens Party Nominee Barry Commoner VP Nominee LaDonna Harris Libertarian Party Nominee Ed Clark VP Nominee David Koch Prohibition Party Nominee Ben Bubar VP Nominee Earl Dodge Socialist Party Nominee David McReynolds VP Nominee Diane Drufenbrock Socialist Workers Party Nominee Andrew Pulley Alternate nominees Richard Congress Clifton DeBerry Workers World Party Nominee Deirdre Griswold VP Nominee Gavrielle Holmes Independents and other candidates Lyndon LaRouche Maureen Smith Running mate Elizabeth Cervantes Barron Warren Spannaus Other 1980 elections House Senate Gubernatorial United States presidential election, 1984 Republican Party Convention Primaries Primary results Nominee Ronald Reagan VP Nominee George H. W. Bush Candidates Ben Fernandez Harold Stassen Democratic Party Convention Primaries Primary results Nominee Walter Mondale VP Nominee Geraldine Ferraro Candidates Reubin Askew Alan Cranston John Glenn Gary Hart Ernest Hollings Jesse Jackson George McGovern   Third party and independent candidates Citizens Party Nominee Sonia Johnson VP Nominee Richard Walton Communist Party Nominee Gus Hall VP Nominee Angela Davis Libertarian Party Nominee David Bergland VP Nominee Jim Lewis Candidates Gene Burns Earl Ravenal Mary Ruwart Prohibition Party Nominee Earl Dodge Socialist Equality Party Nominee Edward Winn VP Nominee Helen Halyard Socialist Party Nominee Sonia Johnson VP Nominee Richard Walton Socialist Workers Party Nominee Melvin T. Mason VP Nominee Matilde Zimmermann Workers World Party Nominee Larry Holmes Alternate nominee Gavrielle Holmes VP Nominee Gloria La Riva Independents and other candidates: Charles Doty Larry Flynt Lyndon LaRouche Running mate Billy Davis Other 1984 elections House Senate Gubernatorial United States presidential election, 1988 Republican Party Convention Primaries Primary results Nominee: George H. W. Bush VP nominee: Dan Quayle Candidates: Bob Dole Pete du Pont Ben Fernandez Alexander Haig Jack Kemp Paul Laxalt Isabell Masters Pat Robertson Donald Rumsfeld Harold Stassen Democratic Party Convention Primaries Primary results Nominee: Michael Dukakis VP nominee: Lloyd Bentsen Candidates: Douglas Applegate Bruce Babbitt Joe Biden campaign David Duke Dick Gephardt Al Gore campaign Gary Hart Jesse Jackson campaign Lyndon LaRouche Andy Martin Patricia Schroeder Paul Simon James Traficant   Third party and independent candidates Libertarian Party Nominee: Ron Paul (campaign) VP nominee: Andre Marrou Candidates: Jim Lewis Russell Means New Alliance Party Nominee: Lenora Fulani Populist Party Nominee: David Duke Prohibition Party Nominee: Earl Dodge Socialist Equality Party Nominee: Edward Winn Socialist Party Nominee: Willa Kenoyer VP nominee: Ron Ehrenreich Socialist Workers Party Nominee: James Warren VP nominee: Kathleen Mickells Workers World Party Nominee: Larry Holmes VP nominee: Gloria La Riva Independents and other candidates Jack Herer Lyndon LaRouche Herbert G. Lewin William A. Marra Eugene McCarthy Other 1988 elections: House Senate Gubernatorial United States presidential election, 1992 Democratic Party Convention Primaries Nominee Bill Clinton (campaign) VP Nominee Al Gore Candidates Larry Agran Jerry Brown Tom Harkin Bob Kerrey Lyndon LaRouche Tom Laughlin Eugene McCarthy Paul Tsongas Douglas Wilder Charles Woods Republican Party Convention Primaries Nominee George H. W. Bush VP Nominee Dan Quayle Candidates Pat Buchanan David Duke Jack Fellure Isabell Masters Pat Paulsen Tennie Rogers Harold Stassen Independent Candidate Ross Perot (campaign) VP Candidate James Stockdale   Other independent and third party candidates Libertarian Party Nominee Andre Marrou VP Nominee Nancy Lord Natural Law Party Nominee John Hagelin VP Nominee Mike Tompkins New Alliance Party Nominee Lenora Fulani VP Nominee Maria Elizabeth Muñoz Prohibition Party Nominee Earl Dodge Socialist Party USA Nominee J. Quinn Brisben VP Nominee Barbara Garson Socialist Workers Party Nominee James Warren VP Nominee Willie Mae Reid U.S. Taxpayers Party Nominee Howard Phillips VP Nominee Albion W. Knight, Jr. Workers World Party Nominee Gloria La Riva VP Nominee Larry Holmes Independents and other candidates Ronald Daniels (Running mate: Asiba Tupahache) Bo Gritz Isabell Masters Other 1992 elections House Senate Gubernatorial Time Persons of the Year Jimmy Carter (1976) Anwar Sadat (1977) Deng Xiaoping (1978) Ayatollah Khomeini (1979) Ronald Reagan (1980) Lech Wałęsa (1981) The Computer (1982) Ronald Reagan / Yuri Andropov (1983) Peter Ueberroth (1984) Deng Xiaoping (1985) Corazon Aquino (1986) Mikhail Gorbachev (1987) The Endangered Earth (1988) Mikhail Gorbachev (1989) George H. W. Bush (1990) Ted Turner (1991) Bill Clinton (1992) The Peacemakers: Yitzhak Rabin / Nelson Mandela / F. W. de Klerk / Yasser Arafat (1993) Pope John Paul II (1994) Newt Gingrich (1995) David Ho (1996) Andrew Grove (1997) Bill Clinton / Ken Starr (1998) Jeffrey P. Bezos (1999) George W. Bush (2000) Complete roster 1927–1950 1951–1975 1976–2000 2001–present National Football Foundation Gold Medal winners 1958: Dwight D. Eisenhower 1959: Douglas MacArthur 1960: Herbert Hoover & Amos Alonzo Stagg 1961: John F. Kennedy 1962: Byron "Whizzer" White 1963: Roger Q. Blough 1964: Donold B. Lourie 1965: Juan T. Trippe 1966: Earl H. "Red" Blaik 1967: Frederick L. Hovde 1968: Chester J. LaRoche 1969: Richard Nixon 1970: Thomas J. Hamilton 1971: Ronald Reagan 1972: Gerald Ford 1973: John Wayne 1974: Gerald B. Zornow 1975: David Packard 1976: Edgar B. Speer 1977: Louis H. Wilson 1978: Vincent dePaul Draddy 1979: William P. Lawrence 1980: Walter J. Zable 1981: Justin W. Dart 1982: Silver Anniversary Awards (NCAA) - All Honored Jim Brown, Willie Davis, Jack Kemp, Ron Kramer, Jim Swink 1983: Jack Kemp 1984: John F. McGillicuddy 1985: William I. Spencer 1986: William H. Morton 1987: Charles R. Meyer 1988: Clinton E. Frank 1989: Paul Brown 1990: Thomas H. Moorer 1991: George H. W. Bush 1992: Donald R. Keough 1993: Norman Schwarzkopf 1994: Thomas S. Murphy 1995: Harold Alfond 1996: Gene Corrigan 1997: Jackie Robinson 1998: John H. McConnell 1999: Keith Jackson 2000: Fred M. Kirby II 2001: Billy Joe "Red" McCombs 2002: George Steinbrenner 2003: Tommy Franks 2004: William V. Campbell 2005: Jon F. Hanson 2006: Joe Paterno & Bobby Bowden 2007: Pete Dawkins & Roger Staubach 2008: John Glenn 2009: Phil Knight & Bill Bowerman 2010: Bill Cosby 2011: Robert Gates 2012: Roscoe C. Brown, Jr. 2013: National Football League & Roger Goodell 2014: Tom Catena & George Weiss Bush family Prescott Bush ancestors Dorothy Walker Bush ancestors Samuel Prescott Bush (1863–1948) James Smith Bush (1825–1889) Obadiah Newcomb Bush (1797–1851) George Herbert Walker (1875–1953) David Davis Walker (1840–1918) George E. Walker (1797–1864) Thomas Walker (1758–1799) Samuel P. Bush & Flora Sheldon Prescott Sheldon Bush (1895–1972) (m.) Dorothy Wear Walker (1901–1992) Robert Bush Mary House Bush Margaret Clement Bush James Bush Prescott Bush (1895–1972) Prescott Bush Jr. (1922–2010) George Herbert Walker Bush (m.) Barbara Pierce Nancy Walker Bush Ellis (m.) Alexander B. Ellis II (1922–1989) Jonathan James Bush (m.) Josephine Bradley William Henry Trotter Bush George H. W. Bush (1924–) Nancy Walker Bush Ellis (1926–) Jonathan Bush (1931–) George Walker Bush (m.) Laura Lane Welch Pauline Robinson Bush (1949–1953) Jeb Bush (m.) Columba Garnica de Gallo Neil Mallon Bush (m./div. 1st) Sharon Smith; (m. 2nd) Maria Andrews Marvin Pierce Bush (m.) Margaret Molster Dorothy Walker Bush (m./div. 1st) William LeBlond ; (m. 2nd) Robert P. Koch John Prescott Ellis Alexander Ellis III Josiah Wear Ellis Nancy Walker Ellis Billy Bush (m.) Sydney Davis Jonathan S. Bush George W. Bush (1946–) Jeb Bush (1953–) Neil Bush (1955–) Marvin Bush (1956–) Dorothy Koch (1959–) Barbara Pierce Bush Jenna Welch Bush (m.) Henry Hager George Prescott Bush (m.) Amanda Williams Noelle Bush John Ellis Bush, Jr. Lauren Bush (m.) David Lauren Ashley Bush Pierce Bush Marshall Bush (adopted) Walker Bush (adopted) Sam LeBlond Ellie LeBlond Robert Koch Gigi Koch See also David Davis The Bush Compound Buckeye Steel Castings G. H. Walker & Co. The Family: The Real Story of the Bush Dynasty Family of Secrets Political line W.

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