George H. W. Bush
41st President of the United States
(January 20, 1989 to January 20, 1993)
Full Name: George Herbert Walker Bush
Nickname: "Poppy"
Born: June 12, 1924, in Milton, Massachusetts
Died: November 30, 2018, in Houston Texas
Father: Prescott Sheldon Bush (1895-1972)
Mother: Dorothy Wear Walker Bush (1901-1992)
Married: Barbara Pierce (1925-2018), on January 6, 1945
Children: George Walker Bush (1946- ); Pauline Robinson "Robin" Bush (1949-53); John Ellis "Jeb" Bush (1953- ); Neil Mallon Bush (1955- ); Marvin Pierce Bush (1956- ); Dorothy Walker "Doro" Bush (1959- )
Religion: Episcopalian
Education: Graduated from Yale University (1948)
Occupation: Businessman, public official
Political Party: Republican
Other Government Positions:
- Member of U.S. House of Representatives, 1967-71
- U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, 1971-72
- Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, 1976-77
- Vice President, 1981-89 (under Reagan)
Presidential Salary: $200,000/year + $50,000 expense account
Presidential Election Results:
Year Candidate Popular Votes Electoral Votes
1988 George H. W. Bush 48,881,278 426
(map) Michael Dukakis 41,805,374 111
Year Candidate Popular Votes Electoral Votes
1992 Bill Clinton 44,909,889 370
(map) George H. W. Bush 39,104,545 168
H. Ross Perot 19,742,267
Vice President: J. Danforth Quayle (1989-93)
Cabinet:
- Secretary of State
- James A. Baker, III (1989-92)
Lawrence S. Eagleburger (1992-93) - Secretary of the Treasury
- Nicholas F. Brady (1989-93)
- Secretary of Defense
- Richard B. Cheney (1989-93)
- Attorney General
- Dick Thornburgh (1989-91)
William P. Barr (1991-93) - Secretary of the Interior
- Manuel Lujan (1989-93)
- Secretary of Agriculture
- Clayton Yeutter (1989-91)
Edward R. Madigan (1991-93) - Secretary of Commerce
- Robert Mosbacher (1989-92)
Barbara H. Franklin (1992-93) - Secretary of Labor
- Elizabeth H. Dole (1989-90)
Lynn Morley Martin (1990-93) - Secretary of Health and Human Services
- Louis W. Sullivan (1989-93)
- Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
- Jack Kemp (1989-93)
- Secretary of Transportation
- Samuel Skinner (1989-91)
Andrew H. Card (1992-93) - Secretary of Energy
- James Watkins (1989-93)
- Secretary of Education
- Lauro F. Cavazos, Jr. (1989-91)
Lamar Alexander (1991-93) - Secretary of Veterans Affairs
- Edward J. Derwinski (1989-92)
Supreme Court Justices:
David Souter (1990-2009)
Clarence Thomas (1991- )
Notable Events:
- 1989
- On June 5, Bush condemned China's actions during the Tiananmen Square Massacre.
- On November 9, the Berlin Wall fell, marking the symbolic end of Communist rule in Eastern Europe.
- On December 20, U.S. forces invaded Panama to capture Manuel Noriega, the country's military dictator, to bring him to trial in the U.S. on drug trafficking charges.
- 1990
- On July 26, Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act into law.
- 1991
- On January 17, led by U.S. forces, the Persian Gulf War against Iraq began after Iraq invaded Kuwait the previous August.
- On December 26, the Soviet Union was dissolved.
Internet Biographies:
- George Bush -- from The Presidents of the United States of America
- Compiled by the White House.
- George Bush -- from The American President
- From the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia, in addition to information on the Presidents themselves, they have first lady and cabinet member biographies, listings of presidential staff and advisers, and timelines detailing significant events in the lives of each administration.
- George H.W. Bush -- from Encyclopaedia Britannica
- Facts about Bush and his presidency.
- George H.W. Bush: A Life of High Purpose and Distinction -- from the George Bush Presidential Library Foundation
- Information and videos about Bush's life, including his official obituary.
- Biography of President George Bush -- from the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum
- Bush's biography with photographs.
- George Bush -- from Character Above All
- From a PBS broadcast of the same name, this essay excerpt by Michael R. Beschloss discusses some of the issues and events that molded Bush.
- George Bush -- from The George Bush Web Site
- Standard biography. This site had images, sounds, and film clips that add a lot to the overall presentation. Current Bush news can also be found here. Also in French.
- George Bush: The Unauthorized Biography -- by Webster G. Tarpley & Anton Chaitkin
- As with most unauthorized biographies, the authors of this biography are not fans of Bush. The first sentence of the introduction gives the reader a sense of the authors' viewpoint: "The thesis of this book is simple: if George Bush were to be re- elected in November 1992 for a second term as the president of the United States, this country and the rest of the world would face a catastrophe of gigantic proportions."
- Lieutenant Junior Grade George Bush, USNR -- from Naval History Heritage Command
- Focusing on Bush's naval career, this site explains why Bush earned the Distinguished Flying Cross, where he was stationed, and gives a short bibliography.
Videos:
1 / 4
George H.W. Bush - U.S. President | Mini Bio | BIOPres. Bush Played in the First College World Series - a Presidential Story Ep. 14Pres. Reagan Made VP Bush Acting President - a Presidential Story Ep. 29George H.W. Bush: Biography of the 41st American PresidentRemembering President George H.W. Bush, dead at 941 / 4
Other Internet Resources:
- George H.W. Bush Presidential Library Center
- Located in College Station, Texas, this facility is scheduled to open in 1997. This site contains biographies, photographs, speeches, museum pieces and more.
- Health and Medical History of George Bush
- Medical background of each president with references. Compiled by John Sotos, MD.
Points of Interest:
Additional Facts:
- In 1943, Bush was the youngest pilot in the Navy at that time.
- Bush was captain of the Yale University baseball team. He played in the first two College World Series.
- To celebrate his 75th, 80th, 85th, and 90th birthdays Bush went skydiving.
- Bush did not like broccoli. "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!"
- Bush was the first sitting vice-president to win a presidential election since Martin Van Buren in 1836.
Quotes:“No problem of human making is too great to be overcome by human ingenuity, human energy, and the untiring hope of the human spirit.”
“If anyone tells you that America’s best days are behind her, they’re looking the wrong way.”
“Don’t try to fine-tune somebody else’s view.”
“I want a kinder, gentler nation.”
“Read my lips: no new taxes.”
“We are a nation of communities… a brilliant diversity spread like stars, like a thousand points of light in a broad and peaceful sky.”
“I like a colorful sock. I’m a sock man.”
“I do not mistrust the future; I do not fear what is ahead. For our problems are large, but our heart is larger. Our challenges are great, but our will is greater. And if our flaws are endless, God’s love is truly boundless.”
“No problem of human making is too great to be overcome by human ingenuity, human energy, and the untiring hope of the human spirit.”
“If anyone tells you that America’s best days are behind her, they’re looking the wrong way.”
“Don’t try to fine-tune somebody else’s view.”
“I want a kinder, gentler nation.”
“Read my lips: no new taxes.”
“We are a nation of communities… a brilliant diversity spread like stars, like a thousand points of light in a broad and peaceful sky.”
“I like a colorful sock. I’m a sock man.”
“I do not mistrust the future; I do not fear what is ahead. For our problems are large, but our heart is larger. Our challenges are great, but our will is greater. And if our flaws are endless, God’s love is truly boundless.”