George H. W. Bush Biography

The George H. W. Bush biography tells the tale of young man and son of a United States Senator, who rose to become the 41st President of the United States of America. Regardless of political affiliations, George H. W. Bush is an American to be admired for his accomplishments in life. He is the shining example of how anything is possible in America.

George H. W. Bush was born June 12, 1924 in Milton, Massachusetts but was raised in Greenwich, Connecticut. His father, Prescott Bush, was elected United States Senator from Connecticut in 1952 to 1963. At the age of 18, after being accepted into Yale University, he delayed his education to enlist and became the youngest fighter pilot in the Navy. During WWII, Bush’s plane was shot down over the Pacific Ocean in combat earning him the Distinguished Flying Cross for bravery in action. After the war, he resumed his education at Yale University graduating with his B.A. in economics and receiving a Phi Beta Kappa key in just three years. At the age of 21, he courted and married Barbara Pierce, the daughter of a magazine publisher. Their marriage produced six children with only five surviving. Their eldest son George went on to become the 43rd American President.

After graduation, George H. W. Bush began a career in the West Texas oil industry working his way up from the bottom to a salesman. In 1950, he formed a partnership and went into business for himself with the Bush Overby Company. By 1954, Bush co-founded and served as president of Zapata Offshore Company.

Having grown up in a politically active family, pursuing public service came naturally to him. He successfully ran for Congress twice and served two terms as the Republican Representative to Congress from the state of Texas. After two failed runs for Senate, Bush built his political resume after he was appointed by Presidents Nixon and Ford to serve as Ambassador to the United Nations, Chairman of the Republican National Committee in 1973, Chief of the U. S. Liaison Office in the People's Republic of China in 1974, and Director of the Central Intelligence Agency in 1976.

In 1980, after failing to secure the Republican nomination, George H. W. Bush was chosen as the running mate for Ronald Reagan and became Vice President. In 1988, George H. W. Bush was successful in receiving the Republican nomination. Bush chose Senator Dan Quayle of Indiana as his running mate, and defeated Michael Dukakis to become the 41st President of the United States. Bush’s re-election run was derailed when Ross Perot ran as a third party candidate successfully splitting the vote. Bush lost the election to Bill Clinton in 1992 and returned to private life.

On his 72nd, 80th and 85th birthdays, George H. W. Bush celebrated by parachuting out of an airplane. George H. W. Bush lent his name and energy to team up with President Bill Clinton to support disaster relief after the 2005 tsunami that killed over 230,000 people.