biography george h w bush

George H.W. Bush

George H.W. Bush was the 41st President of the United States and served as vice president under Ronald Reagan. He was also the father of George W. Bush, the 43rd President.

(1924-2018)

Who Was George H.W. Bush?

George Herbert Walker Bush was born on June 12, 1924, in Milton, Massachusetts. The son of Senator Prescott Bush, he was born into a wealthy and politically active family. Bush attended Phillips Academy, an elite boarding school in Andover, Massachusetts. He began dating his future wife, known as Barbara Pierce at the time, after they were introduced at a Christmas dance in 1941. Bush was 17 years old, and Barbara was just 16. They married in January 1945.

On his 18th birthday, Bush enlisted in the U.S. Navy, becoming the youngest pilot in the Navy during World War II. He served as a combat pilot in the war, flying carrier-based torpedo bomber aircraft and a total of 58 combat missions. He had a brush with death when his plane was hit during a bombing run in the Pacific. After managing to escape the burning aircraft, he was quickly rescued by a U.S. Navy submarine. Bush was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his WWII service.

After the war, Bush attended Yale University, where he graduated with a degree in economics in 1948. He later moved to Midland, Texas, where he found success in the oil and petroleum industry.

Congressman and Vice President

Bush became chairman of the Harris County Republican Party in 1963. The following year, he ran an unsuccessful campaign for a U.S. Senate seat in Texas. It didn't take long for Bush to enter Congress, however; in 1966, two years after his unsuccessful Senate bid, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, ultimately serving two terms. Bush was later appointed to several important positions, including U.S. ambassador to the United Nations in 1971, head of the Republican National Committee during the Watergate scandal, U.S. envoy to China, and director of the Central Intelligence Agency in 1976.

Bush then set his sights on the U.S. presidency but failed to win his party's nomination in 1980, losing it to his opponent, Ronald Reagan. Bush would make it to the White House soon after, however: He was chosen as Reagan's vice-presidential running mate. Reagan won the 1980 election, defeating Democrat challenger Jimmy Carter . He was re-elected in 1984, with Bush serving as his vice president for both terms.

Bush finally reached the White House's top seat in 1989; he won the 1988 election against Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis, becoming the first sitting vice president to be elected president since 1837. During his nomination acceptance speech at the 1988 Republican National Convention, Bush famously stated, "Read my lips: No new taxes."

Accomplishments

During his presidency, Bush skillfully handled foreign affairs during a tumultuous time for the nation. Just months into his first term, he responded to the dissolve of the Soviet Union and oversaw the U.S. military's removal of Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega from power. Not long after, Bush responded to then Iraqi President Saddam Hussein 's invasion of Kuwait (August 1990), creating a national coalition and leading a military strike to drive Hussein out of the oil-rich country. Bush's handling of the invasion in Kuwait is largely viewed as his greatest presidential success.

Bush delivered a speech to the American public as the invasion began, stating, "Now the 28 countries with forces in the Gulf area have exhausted all reasonable efforts to reach a peaceful resolution. [We] have no choice but to drive Saddam from Kuwait by force. We will not fail. We are determined to knock out Saddam Hussein's nuclear bomb potential. We will also destroy his chemical weapons facilities. Much of Saddam's artillery and tanks will be destroyed. ... Our objectives are clear: Saddam Hussein's forces will leave Kuwait."

Despite his global successes, Bush's inability to handle economic problems at home were blamed for his re-election bid failure in 1992.

Post-Presidency

When his eldest son, George W. Bush, was elected president in 2000, Bush made many public appearances, frequently to speak in support of his son. In addition to being a proud and supportive father, he lent his support to several political causes. In 2005, he joined forces with former president Bill Clinton — the Democratic candidate who defeated him in the 1992 election — to help people affected by Hurricane Katrina, which devastated the Gulf Coast region, especially Louisiana and Mississippi. The Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund raised more than $100 million in donations in its first few months.

In 2011, Bush was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama .

Health Issues

In November 2012, an 88-year-old Bush was admitted to a Houston, Texas, hospital to be treated for a cough related to bronchitis. His cough reportedly improved, but he remained hospitalized because of other health setbacks. Bush developed a "persistent fever," according to an Associated Press report, prompting his move to an intensive care unit in December. That year, it also became known that Bush was suffering from lower-body parkinsonism, a disease that has confined him to a wheelchair.

The former president seemed to be in good spirits the following July. Photos released to the press showed Bush with a shaved head, in support of a Secret Service agent's young son who was battling leukemia. Bush and his wife also contributed to a special fund established to pay for the boy's medical expenses.

Bush was admitted to Houston Methodist Hospital in December 2014 after experiencing shortness of breath. In 2013, he had been hospitalized for two months following a bout with bronchitis. Despite his health setbacks over the years, Bush has skydived on a number of milestone birthdays since leaving the White House. His last jump was in June 2014, in celebration of his 90th birthday. He had previously parachuted for his 80th and 85th birthdays.

In July 2015, the 91-year-old former president fell at his summer home in Kennebunkport, Maine, and broke a vertebra in his neck. His medical condition was considered “not life threatening,” according to his spokesman.

On January 14, 2017, Bush was hospitalized again, suffering from "an acute respiratory problem stemming from pneumonia," according to a statement. His wife, Barbara, was hospitalized on January 18 after experiencing "fatigue and coughing," and was released on January 23. Shortly after, the resilient former president and his wife attended Super Bowl LI at NRG Stadium in their hometown of Houston. They were cheered on by the crowd when Bush performed the coin toss before the start of the game.

Shortly after Barbara died in April 2018, Bush was admitted to Houston Methodist Hospital with an infection that led to sepsis. He was placed in intensive care, where his condition reportedly stabilized. In late May, after returning to Maine for another summer, the former president again found himself in the hospital, this time due to low blood pressure and fatigue, but his strength soon returned and he was discharged after one week.

In late June, the nonagenarian showed that his playful sense of humor remained intact by donning a pair of Bill Clinton socks for a visit by his White House successor. Bush tweeted a photo of their get-together, captioned with: "Special visit today with a great friend — and now, a best-selling author. Luckily I had a freshly laundered pair of @BillClinton socks to mark the occasion."

Sexual Harassment Allegations

In late 2017, Bush was among the list of politicians and Hollywood bigwigs accused of sexual harassment. His alleged indiscretions dated back to at least 1992, though most of the accusations stemmed from more recent events. Bush’s spokesman, Jim McGrath, attributed the allegations to the wheelchair-bound former president being unable to reach above waist level when posing for photos with women.

On November 25th of that year, Bush officially became the longest living president in American history, at 93 years and 166 days. He surpassed the old mark held by Gerald Ford , with Ronald Reagan in third place, at 93 years and 120 days. After Bush's passing, Jimmy Carter became the longest living president.

Bush passed away on November 30, 2018, at 10:10 pm in Houston, Texas. "Jeb, Neil, Marvin, Doro, and I are saddened to announce that after 94 remarkable years, our dear Dad has died," his son George said in a statement. "George H. W. Bush was a man of the highest character and the best dad a son or daughter could ask for. The entire Bush family is deeply grateful for 41’s life and love, for the compassion of those who have cared and prayed for Dad, and for the condolences of our friends and fellow citizens."

Bush spent most of his time in Houston or at his home in Kennebunkport. He was married to Barbara for more than 70 years, during which time they had children George, Robin, Jeb, Neil, Marvin and Dorothy. Another daughter, Robin, died in 1953.

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QUICK FACTS

• Name: George Herbert Walker Bush
• Birth Year: 1924
• Birth date: June 12, 1924
• Birth State: Massachusetts
• Birth City: Milton
• Birth Country: United States
• Gender: Male
• Best Known For: George H.W. Bush was the 41st President of the United States and served as vice president under Ronald Reagan. He was also the father of George W. Bush, the 43rd President.
• U.S. Politics
• World Politics
• Astrological Sign: Gemini
• Phillips Academy
• Yale University
• Death Year: 2018
• Death date: November 30, 2018
• Death State: Texas
• Death City: Houston

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CITATION INFORMATION

• Article Title: George H.W. Bush Biography
• Author: Biography.com Editors
• Website Name: The Biography.com website
• Url: https://www.biography.com/political-figures/george-hw-bush
• Access Date:
• Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
• Last Updated: October 17, 2019
• Original Published Date: April 2, 2014
• I have opinions of my own, strong opinions, but I don't always agree with them.
• Read my lips: No new taxes.
• I'm conservative, but I'm not a nut about it.

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George H. W.   Bush

The 41st President of the United States

The biography for President Bush and past presidents is courtesy of the White House Historical Association.

George H. W. Bush, as the 41st President (1989-1993), brought to the White House a dedication to traditional American values and a determination to direct them toward making the United States “a kinder and gentler nation” in the face of a dramatically changing world.

George Bush brought to the White House a dedication to traditional American values and a determination to direct them toward making the United States “a kinder and gentler nation.” In his Inaugural Address he pledged in “a moment rich with promise” to use American strength as “a force for good.”

Coming from a family with a tradition of public service, George Herbert Walker Bush felt the responsibility to make his contribution both in time of war and in peace. Born in Milton, Massachusetts, on June 12, 1924, he became a student leader at Phillips Academy in Andover. On his 18th birthday he enlisted in the armed forces. The youngest pilot in the Navy when he received his wings, he flew 58 combat missions during World War II. On one mission over the Pacific as a torpedo bomber pilot he was shot down by Japanese antiaircraft fire and was rescued from the water by a U. S. submarine. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for bravery in action.

Bush next turned his energies toward completing his education and raising a family. In January 1945 he married Barbara Pierce. They had six children– George, Robin (who died as a child), John (known as Jeb), Neil, Marvin, and Dorothy.

At Yale University he excelled both in sports and in his studies; he was captain of the baseball team and a member of Phi Beta Kappa. After graduation Bush embarked on a career in the oil industry of West Texas.

Like his father, Prescott Bush, who was elected a Senator from Connecticut in 1952, George became interested in public service and politics. He served two terms as a Representative to Congress from Texas. Twice he ran unsuccessfully for the Senate. Then he was appointed to a series of high-level positions: Ambassador to the United Nations, Chairman of the Republican National Committee, Chief of the U. S. Liaison Office in the People’s Republic of China, and Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

In 1980 Bush campaigned for the Republican nomination for President. He lost, but was chosen as a running mate by Ronald Reagan. As Vice President, Bush had responsibility in several domestic areas, including Federal deregulation and anti-drug programs, and visited scores of foreign countries. In 1988 Bush won the Republican nomination for President and, with Senator Dan Quayle of Indiana as his running mate, he defeated Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis in the general election.

Bush faced a dramatically changing world, as the Cold War ended after 40 bitter years, the Communist empire broke up, and the Berlin Wall fell. The Soviet Union ceased to exist; and reformist President Mikhail Gorbachev, whom Bush had supported, resigned. While Bush hailed the march of democracy, he insisted on restraint in U. S. policy toward the group of new nations.

In other areas of foreign policy, President Bush sent American troops into Panama to overthrow the corrupt regime of General Manuel Noriega, who was threatening the security of the canal and the Americans living there. Noriega was brought to the United States for trial as a drug trafficker.

Bush’s greatest test came when Iraqi President Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait, then threatened to move into Saudi Arabia. Vowing to free Kuwait, Bush rallied the United Nations, the U. S. people, and Congress and sent 425,000 American troops. They were joined by 118,000 troops from allied nations. After weeks of air and missile bombardment, the 100-hour land battle dubbed Desert Storm routed Iraq’s million-man army.

Despite unprecedented popularity from this military and diplomatic triumph, Bush was unable to withstand discontent at home from a faltering economy, rising violence in inner cities, and continued high deficit spending. In 1992 he lost his bid for reelection to Democrat William Clinton.

George H. W. Bush passed away on November 30, 2018, at the age of 94.

Learn more about George H. W. Bush’s spouse, Barbara Pierce Bush .

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George Bush

By: History.com Editors

Updated: June 7, 2019 | Original: November 9, 2009

George Herbert Walker Bush (1924-2018), served as the 41st U.S. president from 1989 to 1993. He also was a two-term U.S. vice president under Ronald Reagan, from 1981 to 1989. Bush, a World War II naval aviator and Texas oil industry executive, began his political career in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1967. During the 1970s, he held a variety of government posts, including CIA director. 

In 1988, Bush defeated Democratic rival Michael Dukakis to win the White House. While in office, he launched successful military operations against Panama and Iraq; however, his popularity at home was marred by an economic recession, and in 1992 he lost his bid for re-election to Bill Clinton. In 2000, Bush’s son and namesake was elected the 43rd U.S. president; he served until 2009.

Early Life and Military Service

George Herbert Walker Bush was born on June 12, 1924, in Milton, Massachusetts , to Dorothy Walker Bush and Prescott Bush, a banker who went on to represent Connecticut in the U.S. Senate from 1952 to 1963. The younger Bush was raised in Greenwich, Connecticut, and graduated from Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, in 1942.

Did you know? A car bomb assassination plot against George Bush was foiled in Kuwait in 1993.

After graduation, Bush joined the U.S. Naval Reserve to fight in World War II , which America had entered in December 1941. When he received his wings shortly before his 19th birthday, Bush was the nation’s youngest commissioned pilot at the time. He flew 58 combat missions during the war and received the Distinguished Flying Cross for bravery after his torpedo plane was shot down by the Japanese in the vicinity of the Bonin Islands in the Pacific on September 2, 1944. 

During that incident, Bush’s plane was hit and set on fire but he continued toward his target, a radio station, and successfully bombed it before parachuting out of his plane. He later was rescued from the water by an American submarine.

Family and Oil Business

On January 6, 1945, while on leave from the Navy, Bush married Barbara Pierce in Rye, New York . The couple had met as teenagers at a dance. The Bushes went on to have six children: George, Robin, John (known as Jeb), Neil, Marvin and Dorothy.

After completing his military service in September 1945, Bush enrolled at Yale University, where he studied economics and was captain of the baseball team and a member of Skull and Bones, an elite secret society. He graduated in 1948 then moved his family to Texas , where he began a prosperous career in the oil industry, eventually becoming president of an independent offshore oil drilling company.

Political Career

In 1964, Bush won the Republican nomination for a U.S. Senate seat from Texas but lost in the general election. Two years later, he won a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives , where he served two terms. In 1970, he ran for the U.S. Senate but again was defeated in the general election.

President Richard Nixon then appointed Bush the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, a role in which he served from 1971 to 1973, when he became chairman of the Republican Party. In that capacity, on August 7, 1974, amidst the Watergate scandal , Bush formally requested that Nixon resign the presidency. Nixon officially stepped down two days later.

In the fall of 1974, Nixon’s successor, President Gerald Ford appointed Bush as the head of the U.S. Liaison Office in the People’s Republic of China, where he served until becoming director of the CIA in January 1976. After Democrat Jimmy Carter was elected president, Bush resigned from the CIA in January 1977.

Vice Presidency: 1981-1989

In 1980, Bush ran for the Republican presidential nomination but lost to Ronald Reagan . The former actor and governor of California selected Bush as his vice-presidential running mate, and the two defeated incumbent Jimmy Carter and Vice President Walter Mondale in the general election.

After two terms as vice president under Reagan, Bush became the Republican presidential nominee in 1988. With running mate Dan Quayle, a U.S. senator from Indiana , Bush defeated Democratic challenger Governor Michael Dukakis of Massachusetts and his running mate Lloyd Bentsen. Bush captured 426 electoral votes and more than 53 percent of the popular vote, to Dukakis’ 111 electoral votes and more than 45 percent of the popular vote.

Presidency: 1989-1993

A key focus of Bush’s presidency was foreign policy. He began his time in the White House as Germany was in the process of reunifying, the Soviet Union was collapsing and the Cold War was ending. Bush would be credited with helping to improve U.S.-Soviet relations. He met with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, and in July 1991, the two men signed the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty.

Bush also authorized military operations in Panama and the Persian Gulf. In December 1989, the United States invaded Panama and overthrew the nation’s corrupt dictator, Manuel Noriega, who was threatening the security of Americans who lived there and trafficking drugs to the United States.

Then, after Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein launched an invasion and occupation of Kuwait in August 1990 and threatened to invade Saudi Arabia, Bush organized a military coalition of more than 30 countries who began a U.S.-led air assault against Iraq in mid-January 1991. After five weeks of the air offensive and 100 hours of a ground offensive, Operation Desert Storm ended in late February with Iraq’s defeat and Kuwait’s liberation.

On the domestic front, Bush, a moderate conservative, signed such important pieces of legislation as the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990. He made two appointments to the U.S. Supreme Court : David Souter in 1990, and Clarence Thomas in 1991.

While Bush gained support among the American public for his foreign policy initiatives, his popularity at home was marred by an economic recession. After promising “no new taxes” in his presidential campaign, he upset some by raising tax revenues in an effort to deal with a rising budget deficit. 

In 1992, Bush lost his bid for re-election to Governor Bill Clinton of Arkansas . Clinton won 370 electoral votes and 43 percent of the popular vote, while Bush captured 168 electoral votes and 37.5 percent of the popular vote. Third-party candidate Ross Perot garnered approximately 19 percent of the popular vote.

Post-presidency

In 2000, Bush’s son George, a two-term Texas governor, was elected president and served two terms. The Bushes were the second father and son to ascend to the presidency. (The first were John Adams , the second U.S. president, and John Quincy Adams , the sixth U.S. president). Another Bush son, Jeb, was a two-term governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. George H.W. Bush died November 30, 2018, at the age of 94. He was the longest-lived president in U.S. history.

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Main Content

George H. W. Bush

George H. W. Bush brought to the White House a wish to make the United States “a kinder and gentler nation.”

Coming from a family with a tradition of public service, George Herbert Walker Bush felt the responsibility to make his contribution both in time of war and in peace. Born in Milton, Massachusetts, on June 12, 1924, he became a student leader at Phillips Academy. On his 18th birthday he enlisted in the armed forces. The youngest pilot in the Navy when he received his wings, he flew 58 combat missions during World War II. On one mission over the Pacific as a torpedo bomber pilot he was shot down by Japanese anti-aircraft fire and then rescued from the water by a U.S. submarine. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for bravery in action.

In January 1945 Bush married Barbara Pierce. They had six children: George, Robin (who died at three), Jeb, Neil, Marvin, and Dorothy. After graduation from Yale, Bush embarked on a career in the Texas oil industry.

Like his father, Prescott Bush, who was elected a senator from Connecticut in 1952, George was interested in politics. He served two terms as a representative to Congress from Texas. Twice he ran unsuccessfully for the Senate. Then he was appointed to a series of important positions: ambassador to the United Nations, chairman of the Republican National Committee, chief of the U.S. Liaison Office in the People’s Republic of China, and director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

In 1980 Bush campaigned for the Republican nomination for president. He lost, but Ronald Reagan chose Bush as his running mate. In 1988 Bush won the Republican nomination for president and defeated Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis in the general election.

Bush faced a fundamentally changing world as the Cold War ended. The communist empire broke up, and the Berlin Wall fell. The Soviet Union ceased to exist. With his considerable foreign policy experience and his gift for personal diplomacy, Bush developed a relationship with Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev that enabled collaboration and a reduction in strategic nuclear weapons.

President Bush also sent American troops into Panama to overthrow the corrupt regime of General Manuel Noriega. In 1990 Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait, then threatened to move into Saudi Arabia. Vowing to free Kuwait, Bush rallied the United Nations and sent 425,000 American troops to the area as part of an international coalition poised to wage “Operation Desert Storm.” After weeks of air and missile bombardment, a 100-hour land battle routed Iraq’s million-man army.

Despite soaring popularity from the Desert Storm victory, Bush was unable to surmount uncertainty about the economy and the urge for change after 12 Republican years in the White House. In 1992 he lost his bid for reelection to Democrat Bill Clinton.

Nevertheless his sons George and Jeb became governors of Texas and Florida. When son George ran for president in 2000, his father told voters, “This boy—this son of ours—is not going to let you down.” George W. Bush’s election made his father the second president in history, after John Adams, to witness a son elected president. Years later, when the latter President Bush was criticized, family members noted that the proud patriarch took the barbs more emotionally than the criticism once directed at himself.

George H.W. Bush passed away on November 30, 2018 at the age of 94.

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George Herbert Walker Bush (1924-2018) was the 41st President of the United States. He was born on June 12, 1924, in Milton, Massachusetts. He was an oil businessman and politician who served as Texas Congressman, Ambassador to the United Nations, CIA director, Vice President, and as the 41st President of the United States. He died on November 30, 2018, at the age of 94.

Fast Facts: George H.W. Bush

• Known For : 41st president of the U.S., enlisted in World War II at the age of 18 and became the youngest aviator at the time, founded his own oil company in Texas and became a millionaire by the age of 40, U.S. congressman from Texas’ 7th District from 1967 to 1971, Ambassador to the United Nations, and director of the Central Intelligence Agency.
• Born : June 12, 1924
• Died: November 30, 2018
• Term in Office : January 20, 1989 - January 20, 1993
• Education : Graduated from Yale University with a degree in economics
• Spouse : Barbara Bush (nee Pierce)
• Children : George W. Bush , 43rd President of the U.S.; Pauline Robinson (Robin) who died at age three; John F. "Jeb" Bush, Governor of Florida (1999-2007); Neil M. Bush; Marvin P. Bush; and Dorothy W. "Doro" Bush

Family Ties and Marriage

George H. W. Bush was born to Prescott S. Bush, a wealthy businessman and Senator, and Dorothy Walker Bush. He had three brothers, Prescott Bush, Jonathan Bush, and William "Buck" Bush and one sister, Nancy Ellis.

On January 6, 1945, Bush married  Barbara Pierce . They had been engaged before he went off to serve in World War II. When he returned from the war in late 1944, Barbara dropped out of Smith College. They were married two weeks after his return. Together, they had four sons and two daughters: George W . (43rd President of the U.S.), Pauline Robinson (who died at age three), John F. "Jeb" Bush (former governor of Florida), Neil M. Bush, Marvin P. Bush, and Dorothy W. "Doro" Bush. At the time of Barbara’s death on April 17, 2018, she and George H. W. had been married for 73 years, making them the longest-married presidential couple in U.S. history.

Of his beloved Barbara, Bush once wrote: “I have climbed perhaps the highest mountain in the world, but even that cannot hold a candle to being Barbara's husband.”

George Bush's Military Service

Before going to college, Bush signed up to join the navy and fight in World War II. He rose to the level of lieutenant. He was a navy pilot, flying 58 combat missions in the Pacific. He was injured bailing out of his burning aircraft during a mission and was rescued by a submarine.

Life and Career Before the Presidency

Bush came from a wealthy family and attended private schools. After high school, he joined the Navy to fight in World War II before going to Yale University. He graduated from Yale with honors in 1948, earning a degree in economics.

Bush began his career right out of college working in the oil industry in Texas and created a lucrative career for himself. He became active in the Republican Party. In 1967, he won a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. In 1971, he was U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. He served as the chairman of the Republican National Committee (1973-74). He was the chief liaison to China under President Ford. From 1976 to 1977, he served as the director of the CIA. From 1981 to 1989, he served as Vice President under Reagan.

Becoming the President

Bush gained the nomination in 1988 to run for president and chose Dan Quayle to run as his vice president . He was opposed by Democrat Michael Dukakis. The campaign was extremely negative and centered around attacks instead of plans for the future. Bush won with 54 percent of the popular vote and 426 out of 537 electoral votes.

George Bush’s Presidency

Much of George Bush's attention was focused on foreign policies.

• Invasion of Panama (1989): Codenamed Operation Just Cause, the invasion was the result of continuing dissatisfaction with the actions of general and dictator Manuel Noriega. His side lost the election but refused to step down. Because of U.S. interests in the canal zone and Noriega’s shifting allegiance to the Soviet Union, Bush sent troops into Panama to depose General Manuel Noriega in December 1989. Noriega was heavily involved in drug trafficking. The attack was a success, with Noriega removed from power.
• Persian Gulf War (1990-91): Saddam Hussein’s Iraqi forces invaded and occupied Kuwait in August of 1990. Other Middle Eastern states, such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia, became alarmed and called on the U.S. and other allies to assist. From January to February 1991, a U.S.-led coalition fought and defeated the Iraqi forces in Kuwait. This action was given the name Desert Storm. When the Iraqi forces were removed from Kuwait, Bush stopped all military activity and did not pursue deposing Saddam Hussein. Bush’s handling of the invasion in Kuwait is often considered to have been his greatest presidential success.
• From 1990 to 1991, the Soviet Union began breaking up as the Communist Party let go of its stranglehold on the country. The Berlin Wall came down in 1990.
• Economically, Bush boxed himself into a corner with his campaign promise "Read my lips: No new taxes." However, he was required to sign a bill into law to raise taxes to try and reduce the deficit.
• Savings and Loan bailout (1989): At the time, the savings and loan bailout of 1989 was considered to be the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. Bush signed into law a ​bailout plan paid for by taxpayers.
• Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska (1989): The oil tanker hit Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound on March 23rd and subsequently lost 10.8 million gallons of oil. The disaster was further compounded by slow emergency response and impacted over 1,300 miles of coastline.
• Clean Air Act (1990): President Bush officially added his support to the Clean Air Act, hastening its long-delayed passage in Congress.
• Daily Point of Light Award (1990): Bush created the Daily Point of Light Award to recognize ordinary Americans for taking voluntary action to solve serious social problems in the communities. Over the course of his presidency, Bush recognized 1,020 Daily Points of Light award recipients representing all 50 states who had worked to address problems ranging from childhood AIDS to adult illiteracy and from gang violence to homelessness. Today, the Points of Light organization continues to award Daily Point of Light recognition annually. The 5,000th Daily Point of Light Award was awarded by President Barack Obama on July 15, 2013.
• Americans with Disabilities Act (1990): The ADA was a civil rights law designed to grant similar protections as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to people with disabilities.

Life After the Presidency

After losing the 1992 election to Bill Clinton , Bush largely retired from public service. When his eldest son, George W. Bush, won the presidency in 2000, Bush Sr. made frequent public appearances in support of his son and many political and social causes. In 2005, he joined with former President Clinton to raise funds for the victims of Hurricane Katrina, which devastated the Gulf Coast region in 2005. In a matter of months, the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund raised more than $100 million in donations.

In 2011, President Barack Obama honored Bush by awarding him the Presidential Medal of Freedom. 

Suffering from Parkinson's disease since 2012, Bush died at his home in Houston, Texas on November 30, 2018, at age 94. In a statement issued from the G20 summit in Buenos Aires, President Donald Trump praised Bush’s leadership and accomplishments. “Through his essential authenticity, disarming wit, and unwavering commitment to faith, family, and country, President Bush inspired generations of his fellow Americans to public service — to be, in his words, ‘a thousand points of light,’” the statement read in part. Former President George H.W. Bush is buried on the grounds of the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library in College Station, Texas, next to Barbara and their daughter Robin, who died at age three.

Historical Significance

Bush was president when the Berlin Wall fell and the Soviet Union fell apart. He sent troops into Kuwait to help fight Iraq and Saddam Hussein in the first Persian Gulf War. In 1989, he also ordered the removal of General Noriega from power in Panama by sending in troops.

George H W Bush Quotes

"Appeasement does not work. As was the case in the 1930s, we see in  Saddam Hussein  an aggressive dictator threatening his neighbors."

“I think the 24-hour news cycle has helped exaggerate the differences between the parties. You can always find someone on TV somewhere carping about something. That didn't happen 20 years ago.”

“I do not like broccoli. And I haven't liked it since I was a little kid and my mother made me eat it. And I'm President of the United States and I'm not going to eat any more broccoli.”

• "Home." George H.W. Bush Presidential Library Center.
• "Home." Points of Life, 2019.
• Trump, Donald. "President Trump message on the death of former President George H.W. Bush." U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Italy, December 1, 2018.
• George W. Bush - Forty-Third President of the United States
• 5 Presidents Who Were Sued By Members of Congress
• The 1990/1 Gulf War
• U.S. Policy in the Middle East: 1945 to 2008
• Iraq | Facts and History
• Understanding the Bush Doctrine
• Do You Have to Be Rich to Be President?
• The Relationship Between U.S. and Great Britain After World War II
• Crimes of Saddam Hussein
• Biography of Saddam Hussein, Dictator of Iraq
• The Architecture of Presidential Library Buildings
• Biography of Barbara Bush: First Lady of the United States
• Did Oil Drive the US Invasion of Iraq?
• Biography of Jimmy Carter, 39th President of the United States
• US Presidents With No Political Experience
• Unitary Executive Theory and the Imperial Presidency

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All achievers

George h. w. bush, 41st president of the united states.

Listen to this achiever on What It Takes

What It Takes is an audio podcast produced by the American Academy of Achievement featuring intimate, revealing conversations with influential leaders in the diverse fields of endeavor: public service, science and exploration, sports, technology, business, arts and humanities, and justice.

Some political people do lie all the time, and step over their friend to achieve the objective themselves. But I’m one who believes that one’s word of honor is about one of the most fundamentally important things there is.

George Herbert Walker Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts and raised in Greenwich, Connecticut, an affluent suburb of New York City. His father, Prescott Bush, was managing partner of the international investment banking house of Brown Brothers, Harriman and Company. The senior Bush later entered Republican politics and served as United States Senator from Connecticut from 1962 to 1972. In Greenwich, George Bush attended Greenwich Country Day School before entering Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts. At Andover, he played varsity baseball, was captain of the basketball and soccer teams, and president of the senior class. When George Bush graduated from Andover, he had already been admitted to Yale University, but the United States had entered World War II, and he enlisted in the U.S. Navy Reserve instead. At age 18, he became the youngest pilot in the United States Navy. During the war, he was shot down in combat over the Pacific and earned the Distinguished Flying Cross.

A few months before the end of the war, while on rotation home, he married Barbara Pierce, whose father published the magazines Redbook and McCall’s. After the war, Bush entered Yale, where in only three years he earned a B.A. in economics and a Phi Beta Kappa key. Although he was offered a job at his father’s firm, Brown Brothers, Harriman and Company, Bush moved, with his wife and infant son, to West Texas, where he worked for Dresser Industries, an oilfield supply company. He started at the bottom, sweeping warehouses and painting machinery, but soon became a salesman of drilling bits. By 1950, he had gone into business for himself, forming the Bush-Overbey Company with partner John Overbey in Midland, Texas. This company, which dealt in oil and gas properties, grew and took on more partners. In 1954, George Bush co-founded and became the president of Zapata Offshore Company.

Having earned a fortune of his own, Bush became active in Republican Party politics. By 1964, he become chairman of the Republican Party of Harris County. That same year, he ran for the U.S. Senate, but was defeated in the Democratic landslide that returned Lyndon Johnson to the White House.

Bush had better luck in the election of 1966, when he became the first Republican ever to represent Houston in Congress. Bush was easily re-elected in 1968. By 1970 he was ready to try for the Senate again, but was defeated by Lloyd Bentsen.

Presidents Nixon and Ford selected Bush for a series of high-profile appointments: Ambassador to the United Nations in 1971, Chairman of the Republican National Committee in 1973, envoy to China in 1974 and Director of Central Intelligence in 1976. When Jimmy Carter was elected President in 1976, he appointed a new Director and George Bush returned to private life.

In 1980, Bush made his own run for the presidency. In early primaries that year, George Bush made a strong showing, but by the time the Republicans met for their convention in Detroit, it was clear that Ronald Reagan would be the nominee, and George Bush had dropped out of the race. Many Republicans were surprised when Reagan selected Bush as his running mate. At the time, they were considered leaders of opposite wings of the Party, Reagan a conservative and Bush a moderate, but Bush campaigned effectively for the ticket. The pair won handily and were re-elected by a landslide in 1984.

George Bush sought the presidency again in 1988, and won the Republican nomination over a large field of candidates. His election that November was a decisive one, though not the landslide he and Reagan had enjoyed in 1984.

The two proudest accomplishments of Bush’s presidency were the passage of the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act (the ADA) and the successful prosecution of the war to liberate Kuwait from Iraqi occupation. This effort saw the U.S. leading a grand coalition, including Arab countries which had long distrusted the United States. This experience of cooperation led to a renewal of the stalled Mideast peace process.

A sluggish economy undermined President Bush’s chances for re-election in 1992. The third-party candidacy of businessman H. Ross Perot, Jr. split off a fragment of the Reagan-Bush electoral coalition, and President Bush was defeated by the Democratic candidate, Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton. After leaving office, George Bush avoided criticizing his successor, and lent his support to the controversial North American Free Trade Agreement, which was initially drafted during his own administration.

After being defeated for re-election in 1992, George Bush had the pleasure of seeing two of his sons achieve high office. George W. Bush was elected Governor of Texas in 1994, and Jeb Bush won election as Governor of Florida in 1998, but the political achievements of the Bush family did not end there. Only once before in U.S. history had the son of a former U.S. president succeeded to the presidency. The second President of the United States, John Adams, was not well enough to travel to Washington for his son John Quincy Adams’s inauguration in 1825. But in 2001, former President George H. W. Bush was still in vigorous good health, and sat proudly by as his son George W. Bush was sworn in as 43rd President of the United States.

The elder President Bush surprised almost everyone when he fulfilled an old ambition and parachuted from an airplane for the first time since his wartime service. He was 72 years old at the time, and repeated the feat to celebrate his 75th, 80th, 85th and 90th birthdays. On his 80th birthday, he parachuted — not once, but twice — onto the grounds of his presidential library.

During his son’s presidency, George H. W. Bush forged a highly visible partnership with a one-time political rival, former President Clinton, joining forces to mobilize international support for disaster relief after the 2005 tsunami in Indonesia. In 2011, President Barack Obama recognized George Herbert Walker Bush’s lifetime of service, awarding him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, in a ceremony at the White House.

At the time of his death at age 94, he was the oldest ex-president in American history. His passing was noted with the praise of leaders from around the world and from both sides of his country’s political divide. The historical reputation of George H.W. Bush’s presidency has grown with the years, and the man himself is remembered as an exemplar of courtesy and integrity in public life.

“This aggression will not stand.”

With these words, George Herbert Walker Bush committed the United States to the liberation of the oil-rich Kingdom of Kuwait, after it had been occupied by the Republic of Iraq in August of 1990. Over considerable opposition, Bush rallied the country to the cause, and assembled an unprecedented international coalition.

George H. W. Bush devoted his life to his family and to his country. He enlisted in the Naval Reserve and flew combat missions in World War II while still a teenager. After enjoying success in business, and raising his family, he entered political life, serving as Congressman, Vice President and finally President of the United States.

His administration saw the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, renewal of the Voting Rights Act, and successful American military actions in Kuwait and Panama. Over the course of his career, he involved himself in many of the most contentious political debates of the age, but through it all he retained the personal goodwill of political allies and adversaries alike.

Was there an experience that changed your life?

George H.W. Bush: I think the major event that shaped my life was being a naval aviator. I got my commission and wings at 18 years old, and then I went into combat at 19. And I think, as I look back on it, that whole experience probably shaped my life more than any incident, or any event. Although I remember when I was shot down in that war. I remember how terrified I was. And it made me feel close to my family, and to God, and to life, and I was scared. Then we lost a child, there was that incident, a four-year-old little girl. It had a profound effect on me and on Barbara. You know, when you lose a child some families go apart. There’s a common wisdom that the loss of a loved one for parents divides them later on. People cite divorce statistics. In our case it was just the other way around. And our family has been close, close, close. And Barbara and I have been married for over 50 years, and I think that horrible incident drew us even closer together.

How do you define integrity?

George H.W. Bush: The word integrity to me means being honest. It means that your word is good for something. I was in business years ago out in West Texas in the late ’40s and early ’50s. You didn’t need escrow agreements and 25 lawyers. Your word was your bond. You shook hands with a person and the deal was kept, it was made. Nobody would run away from a handshake. Integrity is having your word of honor so sacrosanct that others trust you.

Is there integrity in world politics today?

George H.W. Bush: Much more than you’d believe from the current wisdom: that everybody in politics is selfish, everybody is in there to glorify himself, or herself, that all politicians are corrupt.

I’m disturbed by the attack on political figures. The assumption that everyone is guilty until proven innocent is just 180 degrees different than the justice system ought to be. And I don’t know what it takes to change that. I think the attacks that hurt me the most were not those that differed with me on abortion, or guns, or prayer in school, or on balanced budgets, or on taxes. The ones that hurt the most were those that challenged my character. Didn’t trust my word. And I think there’s an adversarial feeling in the press that “All politicians are going to lie to me, and therefore it’s my obligation to get to the truth.” It’s a very unhealthy view. And some political people do lie all the time, and step over their friend to achieve the objective themselves. But I’m one who believes that one’s word of honor is about one of the most fundamentally important things there is.

What was the proudest moment of your career?

George H.W. Bush: This may sound like a cliché, but I’ll put it this way. The proudest thing in my life is that my children came home. The proudest moment of my presidency, domestically, was when I signed a piece of civil rights legislation known as the ADA, doing something for the disabled. A massive piece of civil rights legislation that put disabled people, 50 million of them, into the mainstream, or at least removed legal obstacles to their being in the mainstream. The proudest moment internationally was when we prevailed over a brutal dictator. Formed a coalition that overcame public opinion in this country, cynicism in the press, reluctance in the Congress to do what was right, to say that a country — in this instance, Iraq — with the fourth largest army in the world, was not going to brutalize its neighbor, take over its neighbor by force. It was proud for me because I was privileged to be the commander-in-chief, but I’m not quite egotistical enough to feel that it was anything but a team effort. A classic victory of young soldiers working together, of sound diplomats doing their best. And of a country coming together to make a profound moral statement: aggression will not stand.

What were the biggest disappointments in your career?

George H.W. Bush: Nobody likes to lose. I used to call home when I was a 14-year-old soccer player away at school and tell my mother, “I got three goals today.” And she’d shake me off over the long distance phone and say, “It doesn’t matter, how did the team do?” When I lost a race for the United States Senate, I thought the world was going to end for me politically, and 18 years later I was elected President of the United States. The biggest disappointment was that I wasn’t able to communicate properly to the American people — with the proper conviction and the proper ability — where the country really stood. The pessimists, the naysayers, the change-wanters overwhelmed me, and I wasn’t good enough. I wasn’t articulate enough to have the country understand that we weren’t in a recession, that we were in a rather booming economy in the last half of my presidency. That was a personal shortcoming, a failure on my path. My predecessor could handle it pretty well, Ronald Reagan.

I don’t want to put a bitter note on the press, but there’s an unaccountability. The charge that got me the most was against my character. It was alleged that I went to Paris to meet with Iranians in 1988, to talk them into holding Americans hostage until after the presidential election. I fought for my country. The fact that this charge could be given credence by the press got right to my soul. The fact that it caused the Congress to spend $2 million running down this outrageous charge against my very soul really, really affected me. It still does, and it will ’til the day I die. I fought for my country, and to suggest that I would make an insidious deal like that with the Iranians so that Ronald Reagan and I could win an election was horrible. I fault the press for that. I fault them for unaccountable charges that were subsequently shown to be totally false. I fought the Congress from pursuing this outrageous allegation against my character. Good friends on the Democratic side insisted on the hearing. In a sense, I’m glad they did, because there was total vindication and these charges were shown to be totally erroneous.

I went to a Missing In Action POW meeting just before the election. Some idiot got up and started yelling at me that I knew there were live Americans in Vietnam, and I was unwilling to bring them home. That had nothing to do with Vietnam prisoners. What it had to do with was character. Would an American president, would I, who fought for my country and did my level best, leave an American incarcerated, knowing that we could do something about it? And the answer was, no. It’s the attack on character, it’s the attack on your very fiber, your being, that hurts. And who’s guilty? Well, I think to some degree the press is much more unaccountable and ferociously adversarial. And I think there’s some that have accepted the view that, well, this might well be true, the man doesn’t have the character. And I did. I made mistakes, screwed things up real bad on a lot of things. Couldn’t get things done the way I wanted, but it wasn’t because I was a couple of quarts low on character.

All public figures are subject to criticism attacks. How do you respond to attacks?

George H.W. Bush: If you’re attacked personally you have to basically ignore it. You’ve got to go back in history and recognize that there’s nothing new here. It’s more vindictive, more outrageous, more unaccountable. The way that Franklin Roosevelt was treated in the presidency by the press is entirely different than the way President Clinton, or me, or President Reagan were treated. There’s been an evolution of incivility. But that isn’t to say that there weren’t, in our history, ferociously nasty editorials and charges and counter-charges that weren’t true. You have to have a relatively thick skin, you’ve got to turn the other cheek. You’ve got to try to do what your little kids in high schools do, make friends, and go the extra mile to see that the critic knows where you’re coming from. But it can be ugly. There’s a pack mentality today. And one hound gets out in front and the rest of the pack are baying at the heels of whoever it is that’s being pursued. That’s not a good thing. And so, what do you do when you’re under fire? Try to tell the truth. Try to give it your best shot. Don’t take it too personally, and get on with your life.

Some people say that President Roosevelt allowed the Japanese to attack Pearl Harbor.

George H.W. Bush: I think that’s absurd. I don’t believe it for a minute, that he would have on his conscience the death of those people, and the battleship that you can see today, some bodies still in it, out there at Pearl Harbor, that he would have that guilt on his hands. I don’t believe it for a minute. I think there have been cases in history where the disclosure of information would cost more lives than the price for not disclosing. I think Commanders-in-Chief face dilemmas, but I don’t think Roosevelt would ever be guilty of permitting a Pearl Harbor, so as he could mobilize public opinion to bring the United States into the war on the side of our allies against fascism, and on the side of our allies against imperialism. An allegation can be made against a public figure, or a private figure, or a neighbor. Say it once loudly and get enough coverage, or spread enough disinformation, and the person can be severely damaged.

I’ll give you a personal example. It was alleged that I was out of touch. “Bush is a president that’s out of touch. He came from a privileged background, doesn’t understand the hurt around this country.” I went down to see a technology show, and one of the items in the show was a brand new technology for check-out counters. It showed a machine that had never been invented before and, if my recollection is correct, wasn’t even on the market at this point. The guy brought in a crumpled milk carton and ran it across this scanner and it did something that no other scanner could possibly do. I made some comment. “Amazing, this is a wonderful thing.” And the people that produced this were saying, “This is the state-of-the-art, and we’ve got more to come.” It was wonderful. A lazy little journalist with a famous name working for The New York Times , the son of a decent and honorable father, but a lazy little journalist, was sitting in another room. He didn’t see this. He wrote that, “Here is Bush, he’s out of touch. He saw a scanner. He didn’t even know that at supermarkets you can scan something.” It played right into the hands of the press that wanted to show I was out of touch and it was picked up. We pointed out to the press afterwards that, one, the guy wasn’t there; two, this was brand new technology. CBS, not my favorite, came and defended me. Another one of the wire service reporters said that I got a bum rap, but the people don’t remember that. What they remember is that I was out of touch, that I didn’t even know what a grocery scanner was. You can’t fight back against that kind of thing. You can do a better job in communicating. I plead guilty to not being the world’s greatest communicator. But that was a myth, that was a lie, that was bad for me. And yet it lives on, people remember it. The fact that Bush was out of touch, he didn’t even know there was a grocery counter scanner. Now, what’s the equity, what’s the fairness in that kind of reporting, that kind of cynical attack? But the answer is, you can’t let them get you down, you’ve got to keep on trying to do your best.

It gets back to what my mother said, “Do your best, try your hardest, be honest.” Those high achieving kids — I hope they’re listening to that advice. Because if they get to be president, if they get to win the Nobel Peace Prize, it’s those kind of values that are going to matter.

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George H.W. Bush Biography

NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro speaks with presidential biographer, Jon Meacham, about the late George H.W. Bush and his impact.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

GEORGE HW BUSH: I, George Herbert Walker Bush, do solemnly swear...

LULU GARCIA-NAVARRO, HOST:

We're remembering the life of George H.W. Bush this morning. The 41st president died Friday evening. He's remembered as a president, the father of a president, and a dedicated public servant. A lot was going on when he was sworn into office in 1989, and he would face many challenges after.

(SOUNDBITE OF RECORDING MONTAGE)

BUSH: All of us agree that the gravest domestic threat facing our nation today is drugs.

TOM BROKAW: A historic moment tonight - the Berlin Wall can no longer contain the East German people.

BUSH: Last night, I ordered U.S. military forces to Panama.

PETER JENNINGS: President Bush today signed legislation that will go a long way towards bringing 43 million Americans with disabilities into the economic mainstream.

BUSH: Just two hours ago, allied air forces began an attack on military targets in Iraq and Kuwait.

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "MACNEIL–LEHRER NEWSHOUR")

ROGER MUDD: As Clarence Thomas took the oath to deny that he had ever sexually harassed Anita Hill...

JENNINGS: President Bush picked an appropriately symbolic setting today to sign the North American Free Trade Agreement between the U.S., Mexico and Canada.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: We are joined now by his biographer, Jon Meacham. Welcome to the program.

JON MEACHAM: Thank you.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: Mr. Meacham, the man you describe in your book is, in many ways, someone that we might describe as the last Republican moderate. Does that sound right to you?

MEACHAM: He's a - it's a vanishing species (laughter) - not even endangered. He was a remarkable figure in that, really, his political life mirrors the journey of the country - born in New England but moves to the Sunbelt, moves to Texas, never fully at home politically in Texas in the way his son was, for instance. And someone who - his father was a senator from Connecticut - George H.W. Bush very much believed in the role of reason in politics as opposed to passion. He believed in pragmatism over ideology. And even in real time - even in 1989 to 1993, you could see the world beginning to change around him into a more partisan, into a shriller world. And he was never particularly comfortable with that.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: Yeah, you wrote in an op-ed in The New York Times that he was, quote, "a gentleman who came of age in an ever-uglier arena, the embodiment of a postwar era of consensus that, in our time, seems as remote as Agincourt."

MEACHAM: Yeah, or Thermopylae - you know, pick your allusion.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: (Laughter) Yes.

MEACHAM: It really was. And he - I spent a lot of time working with his diary. He kept a presidential diary - very candid. It was almost therapeutic for him. He would talk into a tape recorder. And one of the things that was a recurrent theme was the annoyance with CNN political talk shows...

GARCIA-NAVARRO: Really (laughter)?

MEACHAM: ...With reflexive political criticism.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: I would say he's not alone in that, probably.

MEACHAM: Well, it's - you know, as Mark Twain once said, history may not repeat itself, but it does rhyme. You know, so the world, you know, and, in fact, a lot of what we have now is rooted in the Republican, partisan House rebellion against George H.W. Bush being a statesman. He believed he had to break a pledge not to raise taxes. He believed that that was important to control the deficit, to set the conditions for prosperity - which, in fact, happened.

But Newt Gingrich and his firebrands broke away from him - almost unimaginable for you to rebel against a president of your own party. And what they learned was that if they rebelled against the statesman-like, they could go to the country and win with these ever more energized but divided bases. And President Bush fought against it. Another analog that comes from this era is - remember, Pat Buchanan challenged him in 1992...

GARCIA-NAVARRO: That's right.

MEACHAM: ...And did very well - 40, 41 percent in New Hampshire. And in many ways, Buchanan is a predicate for the incumbent president.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: There is, of course, an instinct when people die to speak no ill. But his legacy was complicated. There are many black Americans today who remember him differently from others. He really pushed the war on drugs, which led to the mass incarceration of African-American men. He was the man who used Willie Horton to stoke racial fears. We only have about a minute left, but in his later conversations, did he ever look back at that legacy critically?

MEACHAM: He knew that he was not perfect. He knew that, as he once put it to me, politics is not a pure undertaking, not if you want to win. It's not. He would've resisted both those examples that you cite. But let's be very clear - George Herbert Walker Bush was an important American president. He was a decent human being. He was not perfect. He was a man of the arena. He did things to get power that we can look on with totally justified critical judgment. To my mind, we have to judge people on the totality of their lives. And what did he do with that power when he ultimately had it?

GARCIA-NAVARRO: Jon Meacham's biography is "Destiny And Power: The American Odyssey Of George Herbert Walker Bush." Thank you so much for being with us.

MEACHAM: Thank you.

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George H. W. Bush

President of the united states from 1989 to 1993 / from wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, dear wikiwand ai, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:.

Can you list the top facts and stats about George H. W. Bush?

Summarize this article for a 10 year old

George Herbert Walker Bush [lower-alpha 1] (June 12, 1924 – November 30, 2018) was an American politician, diplomat, and businessman who served as the 41st president of the United States from 1989 to 1993. [2] A member of the Republican Party , he also served as the 43rd vice president from 1981 to 1989 under Ronald Reagan , and in various other federal positions prior to that.

Born into a wealthy, established family in Milton, Massachusetts , Bush was raised in Greenwich, Connecticut . He attended Phillips Academy and served as a pilot in the United States Navy Reserve during World War II before graduating from Yale and moving to West Texas , where he established a successful oil company. Following an unsuccessful run for the United States Senate in 1964, he was elected to represent Texas's 7th congressional district in 1966. President Richard Nixon appointed Bush as the ambassador to the United Nations in 1971 and as chairman of the Republican National Committee in 1973. President Gerald Ford appointed him as the chief of the Liaison Office to the People's Republic of China in 1974 and as the director of Central Intelligence in 1976. Bush ran for president in 1980 but was defeated in the Republican presidential primaries by Reagan, who then selected Bush as his vice presidential running mate. In the 1988 presidential election , Bush defeated Democrat Michael Dukakis .

Foreign policy drove Bush's presidency as he navigated the final years of the Cold War and played a key role in the reunification of Germany . He presided over the invasion of Panama and the Gulf War , ending the Iraqi occupation of Kuwait in the latter conflict. Though the agreement was not ratified until after he left office, Bush negotiated and signed the North American Free Trade Agreement , which created a trade bloc consisting of the United States, Canada and Mexico. Domestically, Bush reneged on a 1988 campaign promise by enacting legislation to raise taxes to justify reducing the budget deficit. He championed and signed three pieces of bipartisan legislation in 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act , the Immigration Act and the Clean Air Act Amendments . He also appointed David Souter and Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court. Bush lost the 1992 presidential election to Democrat Bill Clinton following an economic recession , his turnaround on his tax promise, and the increased emphasis of foreign policy in a post–Cold War political climate. [3]

After leaving office in 1993, Bush was active in humanitarian activities, often working alongside Clinton. With the victory of his son, George W. Bush , in the 2000 presidential election , the two became the second father–son pair to serve as the nation's president, following John Adams and John Quincy Adams . Another son, Jeb Bush , unsuccessfully sought the Republican presidential nomination in the 2016 primaries . Historians generally rank Bush as an above-average president.

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Archives & Research

Like the other Presidential Libraries, the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum is also a research institution. The George H.W. Bush Library and Museum's textual and audiovisual archives and museum collections document the life and times of George H.W. Bush, 41st President of the United States. The Research Room is open Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. by confirmed appointment requested at least 24 hours prior. Please contact [email protected] or (979) 691-4041 to schedule.

Explore the Archives and Museum Collections

Pages of records, photographs, video recordings, foreign head of state artifacts, hours of audio, about archives and research.

The George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum is administered by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and is located on the campus of Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. The Bush Library and Museum's archives holds more than 40 million pages of official records and personal papers documenting the life of George H. W. Bush, 41st President of the United States.

The presidential records of George Bush (1989-1993) comprise the core of the archival holdings. The library also contains the vice presidential records of both George Bush (1981-1989) and Dan Quayle (1989-1993) as well as donated historical materials that document George Bush's private and public career.

In addition to these textual records, the Bush Library has an extensive audiovisual collection containing more than two million photographs and 10,000 videotapes.

These materials are preserved and made available for research and museum exhibitions. Together, they document the life and career of George Bush and form an important historical record of the critical years in the late 20th century. For more information about our archives or museum collections, or how to conduct research at the Bush Library and Museum, visit our Archives and Research site.

My Journey Through the Best Presidential Biographies

The Best Biographies of George H.W. Bush

07 Monday Jan 2019

Posted by Steve in Best Biographies Posts , President #41 - GHW Bush

≈ 9 Comments

American history , biographies , book reviews , George HW Bush , Herbert Parmet , Jon Meacham , presidential biographies , US Presidents

But now, despite his heroics in combat, his business acumen, his extraordinary capitalist grit and his unobtrusive but earnest political ambition, George H.W. Bush suddenly seems a quiet and unassuming figure from a long-passed era.

Bush 41’s presidency ended nearly a quarter-century ago but it still seems premature to consider the “best biographies” of him due, in part, to the recency of his death, his still-evolving legacy and the scarcity of biographies covering his life. And, in my opinion, the definitive biography of Bush 41 has yet to be written…

I read two biographies of Bush: a relatively dated book by noted historian (and author) Herbert Parmet and a much newer one by renowned biographer (and historian) Jon Meacham. In many ways the biographies are yin and yang , seemingly very different…but exceptionally complementary. Neither is ideal, but together they are clearly worth more than the sum of their parts.

* “ Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush ” (2015) by Jon Meacham

The author’s proximity to his subject is the defining feature of this biography. Meacham came to know Bush (and his family) extremely well during the decade-plus he spent writing this book. Meacham was even selected to eulogize Bush at his recent funeral. Thus, “Destiny and Power” affords readers the opportunity to see the world through Bush’s eyes. And in a very palpable way this biography reads like the memoirs Bush never wrote for himself.

But Bush’s pre-presidency passes too quickly and with too little depth. And while his presidency is covered at a more deliberate pace it often feels too forgiving. While Meacham is critical of Bush on occasion, pointing out flaws or failures, the book exudes an undeniable air of sympathy and affinity.

Nevertheless, Meacham is able to provide insight into Bush’s character and his world view that is likely to prove unique among Bush 41’s biographers – past and future. And although it failed to live up to my high expectations, this is a must-read on George H.W. Bush — 4 stars ( Full review here )

* “ George Bush: Life of a Lone Star Yankee ” (1997) by Herbert Parmet

Parmet was a long-time historian, professor and prolific author who died recently. His biography of Bush is not quite cradle-to-grave; it ends with the Bush presidency (leaving aside his retirement years and political legacy). But, otherwise, it is both comprehensive and thorough.

The best aspect of this biography is Parmet’s review of Bush’s early years. Nowhere have I seen better coverage of Bush 41’s ancestry, his military service, his congressional career, his service with the UN or the CIA. By comparison, Bush’s national political career is fine but not exceptional; pages devoted to President Bush’s response to Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait is particularly noteworthy, however.

What Jon Meacham does well in “Destiny and Power” tends to be in short supply here; Meachem sees the world from his subject’s perspective (but not from a distance) while Parmet observes events through a reporter’s eyes. To Parmet, things just happen ; understanding why is comparatively unimportant. For Meacham, understanding Bush’s mindset is of paramount importance; seeing things from an impartial third-party point of view is less critical.

In the end, Parmet’s and Meacham’s coverage of Bush’s life are surprisingly synergistic. But for Bush’s pre-presidency, Parmet’s coverage gets the nod — 3¾ stars ( Full review here )

Best Biography of George HW Bush: ***Too early to call***

Solid “One-Two” Punch: Parmet’s “George Bush” followed by Meacham’s “Destiny and Power”

Follow-up :

– “ George H. W. Bush: The American Presidents Series ” by Timothy Naftali

9 thoughts on “The Best Biographies of George H.W. Bush”

January 7, 2019 at 12:14 pm

Follow-up suggestion: 41: A Portrait of My Father by George W. Bush

January 7, 2019 at 12:19 pm

Thanks, great suggestion! For the moment I’m only including on my “follow-up” list biographies that veer toward history and away from memoirs / autobiography. But I do need to go back and read memoirs, autobiographies and books like this which provide a personal perspective inaccessible in traditional biographies.

January 7, 2019 at 12:25 pm

“When the World Seemed New” would be a good follow-up as well. It does cover his whole life, but the prime focus is Bush’s presidency, specifically his foreign policy and its impact on the world.

August 2, 2020 at 9:03 am

I agree “41” is a good follow-up, as offers a rare opportunity to read such a personal biography of one president written by another. It’s also a quick read, and Steve will can do it in one sitting. I also get that it is a bit of a memoir of W. himself. It can be put in it’s own sub-category of bios written by family members or close friends. I’ve just recently picked up Margaret Truman’s portrait of her father, after enjoying “41” so much.

January 7, 2019 at 10:50 pm

Steve, as one of the avid readers of your site, I can’t help but think that Bush I is one of those that I will probably have more choices than your’s by the time I get to certain presidents, due to my reading schedule (one bio per president, and four or five a year). I won’t hit Bush until 2026 and there are almost certain to be more bios of him by that time. Probably even a new Carter or two, not to mention Ford.

August 2, 2020 at 9:10 am

I like your pace, Teach! I am hopefully wrapping up my one-of-each this year, completing my journey that began in 2015. GHWB lived such a full, fascinating life, that it’s hard to imagine there won’t be some brilliant biographies to come. I’ve preordered Jonathan Alter’s new bio of Carter due out next month!

June 1, 2022 at 8:44 am

Suggestion to add to your follow-up list for POTUS 41: “The Man I Knew” by his post-presidency Chief of Staff, Jean Becker. It is one of my favorite president-related books I have ever read. My wife (who doesn’t read books often) and I both read it, and we both cried while reading certain portions of it. Not only is the book really informative (about POTUS 41, but also POTUS 43, 42 and 44), but it is quite inspirational. It made me long to have a man of that type of charcter in the White House again. It is more y about George H.W. Bush as a person than as a political figure, but it was an absolutely delightful read. One of my favorite books of any kind that I have read over the past decade.

February 5, 2024 at 11:36 pm

It might not be a traditional biography but how about What It Takes by Richard Ben Cramer? Focused on the 1988 election, but I think it goes pretty deeply into the backgrounds of the candidates including GHWB.

February 6, 2024 at 4:58 am

Great suggestion – I’ve never read this one and had almost forgotten about it until you mentioned it. Well…another post-it note with a good book idea going up on the wall… 🙂

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The 10 Best Books on President George H. W. Bush

Essential books on george h. w. bush.

There are countless books on George H. W. Bush, and it comes with good reason, after being elected America’s forty-first President , he brought to the White House a dedication to traditional American values and a determination to direct them toward making the United States “a kinder and gentler nation” in the face of a dramatically changing world.

“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,” he remarked.

In order to get to the bottom of what inspired one of history’s most consequential figures to the height of political power, we’ve compiled a list of the 10 best books on George H. W. Bush.

Destiny and Power by John Meacham

Drawing on President Bush’s personal diaries, on the diaries of his wife, Barbara, and on extraordinary access to the forty-first president and his family, Meacham paints an intimate and surprising portrait of an intensely private man who led the nation through tumultuous times.

From the Oval Office to Camp David, from his study in the private quarters of the White House to Air Force One, from the fall of the Berlin Wall to the first Gulf War to the end of Communism, Destiny and Power charts the thoughts, decisions, and emotions of a modern president who may have been the last of his kind. This is the human story of a man who was, like the nation he led, at once noble and flawed.

41: A Portrait of My Father by George W. Bush

Forty-six men have served as President of the United States. Countless books have been written about them. But never before has a President told the story of his father, another President, through his own eyes and in his own words.

A unique and intimate biography, the book covers the entire scope of the elder President Bush’s life and career, including his service in the Pacific during World War II, his pioneering work in the Texas oil business, and his political rise as a Congressman, U.S. Representative to China and the United Nations, CIA Director, Vice President, and President.

The book shines new light on both the accomplished statesman and the warm, decent man known best by his family. In addition, George W. Bush discusses his father’s influence on him throughout his own life, from his childhood in West Texas to his early campaign trips with his father, and from his decision to go into politics to his own two-term Presidency.

The Quiet Man by John Sununu

In this major reassessment of George Herbert Walker Bush, the 41st president of the United States, his former Chief of Staff offers a long overdue appreciation of the man and his universally underrated and misunderstood presidency. Though George H. W. Bush is remembered for orchestrating one of the largest and most successful military campaigns in history – the Gulf War – Sununu argues that conventional wisdom misses many of Bush’s other great achievements.

During his presidency, the Berlin Wall fell and the Soviet Union collapsed. Bush’s calm and capable leadership during this dramatic time helped shape a world in which the United States emerged as the lone superpower. Sununu reminds us that President Bush’s domestic achievements were equally impressive, including strengthening civil rights, enacting environmental protections, and securing passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the 1990 agreement which generated budget surpluses and a decade of economic growth.

When the World Seemed New by Jeffrey A. Engel

The end of the Cold War was the greatest shock to international affairs since World War II. In that perilous moment, Saddam Hussein chose to invade Kuwait, China cracked down on its own pro-democracy protesters, and regimes throughout Eastern Europe teetered between democratic change and new authoritarians. Not since FDR in 1945 had a U.S. president faced such opportunities and challenges.

As the presidential historian Jeffrey Engel reveals in this page-turning history, behind closed doors from the Oval Office to the Kremlin, George H. W. Bush rose to the occasion brilliantly. Distrusted by such key allies as Margaret Thatcher and dismissed as too cautious by the press, Bush had the experience and the wisdom to use personal, one-on-one diplomacy with world leaders.

Bush knew when it was essential to rally a coalition to push Iraq out of Kuwait. He managed to help unify Germany while strengthening NATO. Based on unprecedented access to previously classified documents and interviews with all of the principals, When the World Seemed New  is a riveting, fly-on-the-wall account of a president with his hand on the tiller, guiding the nation through a pivotal time and setting the stage for the twenty-first century.

The Man I Knew by Jean Becker

As chief of staff, Jean Becker had a ringside seat to the never-boring story of George Herbert Walker Bush’s life post-presidency, including being at his side when he died and subsequently facing the challenge – and great honor – of being in charge of his state funeral. Full of heart and wisdom, The Man I Knew is a vibrant behind-the-scenes look into the ups and downs of heading up the office of a former president by one of the people who knew him best.

This book tells the story of how, after his devastating loss to Bill Clinton in 1992, President George H.W. Bush rebuilt his life, found a way to make a difference, and how, by the time he died in November 2018, was revered by his country and the world.

Bush’s post-presidency journey was filled with determination, courage, love, hope, humor, fun, and big ideas. He became best friends with the man who defeated him; developed the odd habit of jumping out of airplanes; and learned how to adjust to life in a wheelchair, after having lived most of his life as a high-energy athlete. He joyously saw two sons become governors of their states, one of whom would go on to become President of the United States.

All the Best, George Bush: My Life in Letters and Other Writings

“Who knew that beneath George Bush’s buttoned-up propriety pulsed the warm heart of a prolific and occasionally poetic writer with a wacky sense of humor?” ( People ) Though reticent in public, George Bush openly shared his private thoughts in correspondence throughout his life. This collection of letters, diary entries, and memos is the closest we’ll ever get to his autobiography.

Organized chronologically, readers will gain insights into Bush’s career highlights the oil business, his two terms in Congress, his ambassadorship to the UN, his service as an envoy to China, his tenure with the Central Intelligence Agency, and of course, the vice presidency, the presidency, and the post-presidency.

They will also observe a devoted husband, father, and American. Ranging from a love letter to Barbara and a letter to his mother about missing his daughter, Robin, after her death from leukemia to a letter to his children written just before the beginning of Desert Storm, this collection is remarkable for Bush’s candor, humor, and poignancy.

I Call Him “Mr. President” by Ken Raynor

Ken Raynor – head professional at Cape Arundel Golf Club for thirty-eight years – tells the story of how the President befriended him during Bush’s annual summer sabbatical to seaside Kennebunkport, Maine. Raynor’s personal relationship with Bush led him to experience everything from fishing trips to the wilds of Newfoundland to countless outings on the golf course, including Bush’s last as commander-in-chief.

Along the way, Raynor assisted Bush, a WWII veteran, in welcoming world leaders, former presidents, celebrities, and PGA Tour stars to the quaint Cape Arundel Golf Club and saw the excitement in their eyes during the outings. But he most cherishes his time after the rounds, in the Bush family home on nearby Walker’s Point or in a tiny fishing boat, when the president would put his feet up, stare out at the Atlantic, and recount the days’ events.

In this gem among books on George H. W. Bush, Raynor reflects on the life lessons he gained from a friendship born outdoors that has continued to develop over decades, during golf outings that have ranged from Maine to Augusta National to the White House putting green, international fishing trips, retreats at Camp David, flying in Marine One, and many other unforgettable experiences. Raynor has likely played more rounds with a POTUS than any PGA professional in history.

Texas Titans by Charles Denyer

The friendship between George H.W. Bush and James A. Baker, III began over fifty years ago on the tennis courts of the Houston Country Club when they found themselves paired as a doubles team, winning back-to-back championships in 1966 and 1967. While both men were admittedly weak servers, Bush was the net-and-volley guy, with Baker holding down the baseline with his groundstroke skills. That same approach of complementary skill sets and teamwork spilled over into their political careers for decades to come.

As Bush’s exploits are more commonly known, for those unaware, Baker served as undersecretary of commerce, secretary of the treasury, secretary of state, and White House chief of staff – twice, while also chairing or playing a lead role in five successive presidential elections for three different candidates from 1976 to 1992.

Texas Titans is a story about two of America’s most consequential statesmen of the past fifty years. Two men from opposite areas of the country who found friendship on the tennis courts at the Houston Country Club. Two men who helped transform a world during an era of immense challenges and change. Two men who became – and still are – Texas titans.

A World Transformed by George H. W. Bush and Brent Scowcroft

Within these pages, the former President and his national security advisor, Brent Scowcroft, provide a fascinating account of an administration faced with unprecedented obstacles and unrivaled opportunities as they forged a foreign policy at the end of the Cold War. Solidarity comes to power in Poland. East and West Germans dance on the wall that separated them for half a century. And on Christmas Day, 1991, the hammer-and-sickle flag descends from the Kremlin for the last time.

Being Poppy by Richard Ben Cramer

The forty-first president of the United States and the patriarch of America’s most powerful political dynasty never wrote a memoir. But bestselling author and Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Richard Ben Cramer took the full measure of President Bush in his thousand-page epic. The book traces how seminal moments in President Bush’s life formed his character and foretold his legacy. The result is a loving portrait that remains as fresh, relevant, and insightful as the day it was first published.

George and Barbara Bush by Ellie LeBlond Sosa

“To begin with I was in love and I am in love so that’s not hard,” Barbara Bush told her granddaughter Ellie LeBlond Sosa on her porch in Kennebunkport, Maine.

Sosa had asked for the secret to her and President George H. W. Bush’s 77-year love affair that withstood World War II separation, a leap of faith into the oil fields of West Texas, the painful loss of a child, a political climb to the highest office, and after the White House, the transition back to a “normal” life.

Through a lifetime’s worth of letters, photographs, and stories, Sosa and coauthor Kelly Anne Chase paint the portrait of the enduring relationship of George and Barbara Bush. Sharing intimate interviews with the Bushes and family friends, this is a never-before-seen look into the private life of a very public couple.

If you enjoyed this guide to essential books on George H. W. Bush, check out our list of The 10 Best Books on President Ronald Reagan !