George H.W. Bush

What's on your ballot?

Find out with Ballotpedia's Sample Ballot Lookup tool

# George H.W. Bush

From Ballotpedia

Jump to: navigation, search

This page was current at the end of the official's last term in office covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

George H.W. Bush

Republican Party

Prior offices

Chief of the U.S. Liaison Office in the People's Republic of China

* * *

Director of the Central Intelligence Agency

* * *

Vice President of the United States

* * *

President of the United States

* * *

Education

High school

Phillips Academy

Bachelor's

Yale University

Military

Service / branch

U.S. Navy

Years of service

1942 - 1945

Personal

Religion

Christian: Episcopalian

Profession

Politician, businessman

## Contents

* 1 Biography
* 2 Career
* 3 State of the Union addresses
* 4 Elections
* 4.1 1992 presidential election
* 4.2 1988 presidential election
* 4.3 1984 presidential election
* 4.4 1980 presidential election
* 5 Personal
* 6 Recent news
* 7 External links
* 8 Footnotes

George Herbert Walker Bush (b. on June 12, 1924, in Milton, Massachusetts) was the 41st President of the United States. He served from 1989 to 1993 and died on November 30, 2018, at age 94.[1]

Prior to serving as president, Bush served as vice president in Ronald Reagan's administration, director of the Central Intelligence Agency, chief of the U.S. envoy to China, chair of the Republican National Committee, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and U.S. House representative for the 7th District of Texas. He was also a World War II veteran, having served in the U.S. Navy.[2]

## Biography

Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts. He attended the Phillips Academy, where he met his future wife, Barbara Pierce, in 1941. Immediately after graduation, Bush enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He flew 58 missions during his time in the Navy, and was shot down once in the Pacific. He earned the Distinguished Flying Cross award.[2]

When he returned from service, Bush married Barbara Pierce. He attended Yale University, earning a degree in economics, before forming the Bush-Overbey Oil Development Co. in Texas with John Overbey in 1951.[3][2] He also co-founded the Zapata Petroleum Corporation in 1953. He served as president of the company until 1964. He served as chairman from 1964 to 1966 before selling his shares.[4] He began his career in politics in 1963, when he became the chair of the Republican Party of Harris County.[2] He ran for a seat in the U.S. Senate in 1964 but was defeated by Democratic incumbent Ralph Yarborough. Bush won election to the U.S. House seat representing the 7th District of Texas in 1966 and 1968.He tried again for the same Senate seat in 1970, but was defeated by Democrat Lloyd Bentsen.[4]

President Nixon appointed Bush as permanent ambassador to the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in 1971, a position he held for two years before Nixon requested he chair the Republican National Committee in 1973. When Gerald Ford became president, Bush was appointed to lead the U.S. Liaison Office in the People's Republic of China, where he served for just over a year. He assumed his final appointed position in 1975, becoming the director of the Central Intelligence Agency until the Carter administration took office in 1977. He then returned to the private sector, serving as chair of Houston's First National Bank.[4]

He entered into the race for the United States presidency in 1979, but fellow Republican Ronald Reagan won the nomination and asked Bush to run in the general election as vice president. The Reagan-Bush ticket won the general election and the pair were re-elected in 1984. Bush assumed the role of president for about eight hours on July 13, 1985, while President Reagan underwent surgery on colon cancer. Following Reagan's second term, Bush ran and won the general election for the presidency in 1988. He was sworn in on January 20, 1989. Bush lost re-election in 1992 to then-Governor of Arkansas Bill Clinton.[4]

He made appearances and helped his son, George W. Bush run for the presidency in 2000.[2] In 2005, he and Clinton formed the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund to provide relief for those affected by Hurricane Katrina. In 2011, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.[3]

Bush died on November 30, 2018, at age 94.

## Career

Below is an abbreviated outline of Bush's academic, professional, and political career:[2][3]

* 1942-1945: Lieutenant Junior Grade in the U.S. Navy
* 1948: Graduated from Yale University
* 1951: Formed the Bush-Overbey Oil Development Co.
* 1953-1964: Co-founded and served as president of Zapata Petroleum Corporation
* 1963: Chair of the Harris County Republican Party
* 1964: Lost election to the U.S. Senate representing Texas
* 1964-1966: Chairman of the Zapata Petroleum Corporation
* 1967-1971: U.S. representative for Texas' 7th Congressional District
* 1971-1972: U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations
* 1973-1974: Chair of the Republican National Committee
* 1974-1975: Chief of the U.S. Liaison Office in the People's Republic of China
* 1976-1977: Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
* 1980: Lost primary election for U.S. presidency to Ronald Reagan
* 1981-1989: Vice president of the United States under Ronald Reagan
* 1989-1993: President of the United States
* 2005: Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund started
* 2009: U.S.S. George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier commissioned
* 2011: Recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom

## State of the Union addresses

Every year in office, the president of the United States addresses Congress on the present state of affairs as well as the administration's goals for the coming year.[5] Addresses made by presidents in their inauguration years are not technically "State of the Union" addresses and are typically held in February.[6] Following are transcripts from Bush's State of the Union addresses.

* January 28, 1992
* January 29, 1991
* January 31, 1990
* February 9, 1989

## Elections

### 1992 presidential election

In 1992, Bush lost the general election to Bill Clinton (D) for the United States presidency.

U.S. presidential election, 1992

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | Electoral votes
| Democratic  | Bill Clinton/Al Gore | 43.1% | 44,909,889 | 370
| Republican  |  George H.W. Bush/Dan Quayle Incumbent | 37.5% | 39,104,545 | 168
| Independent  |  Ross Perot/James Stockdale  | 19% | 19,742,267 | 0
| Libertarian  |  Andre Marrou/Nancy Lord  | 0.3% | 291,628 | 0
| Populist  |  James "Bo" Gritz  | 0.1% | 107,002 | 0
Total Votes | 104,155,331 | 538
Election results via: 1992 official election results

Other candidates that appeared on the ballot received less than 0.1% of the vote. Those candidates included: Lenora Fulani, Howard Phillips, John Hagelin, Ron Daniels, Lyndon LaRouche, James Mac Warren, Drew Bradford, Jack Herer, John Quinn Brisben, Helen Halyard, John Yiamouyiannis, Delbert Ehlers, Earl Dodge, Jim Boren, Eugene Hem, Isabelle Masters, Robert J. Smith and Gloria Estella La Riva.[7]

### 1988 presidential election

In 1988, Bush defeated Michael Dukakis (D) in the general election for the United States presidency.

U.S. presidential election, 1988

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | Electoral votes
| Republican  | George H.W. Bush/Dan Quayle | 53.5% | 48,886,597 | 426
| Democratic  |  Michael Dukakis/Lloyd Bentsen  | 45.8% | 41,809,476 | 111
| Libertarian  |  Ron Paul/Andre Marrou  | 0.5% | 431,750 | 0
| New Alliance  |  Lenora Fulani/Joyce Dattner  | 0.2% | 217,221 | 0
Total Votes | 91,345,044 | 537
Election results via: 1988 official election results

Other candidates that appeared on the ballot received less than 0.1% of the vote. Those candidates included: David Duke, Eugene McCarthy, James Griffen, Lyndon LaRouce, William Marra, Edward Winn, James Warren, Herbert Lewin, Earl Dodge, Larry Holmes, Willa Kenoyer, Delmar Dennis, Jack Herer, Louis Youngkeit and John Martin.[8]

### 1984 presidential election

In 1984, Bush ran as vice president to Ronald Reagan, who defeated Walter Mondale for re-election to the United States presidency.

U.S. presidential election, 1984

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | Electoral votes
| Republican  | Ronald Reagan/George H.W. Bush Incumbent | 59% | 54,455,472 | 525
| Democratic  |  Walter Mondale/Geraldine Ferraro  | 40.7% | 37,577,352 | 13
| Libertarian  |  David Bergland/James Lewis  | 0.2% | 228,111 | 0
Total Votes | 92,260,935 | 538
Election results via: 1992 official election results

Other candidates that appeared on the ballot received less than 0.1% of the vote. Those candidates included: Lyndon LaRouche Jr., Sonia Johnson, Bob Richards, Dennis Serrette, Gus Hall, Melvin Mason, Larry Holmes, Delmar Dennis, Edward Winn, Earl Dodge, John Anderson, Gerald Baker and Arthur Lowery.[9]

### 1980 presidential election

In 1980, Bush ran as vice president to Ronald Reagan, who defeated Democratic incumbent Jimmy Carter for the United States presidency.

U.S. presidential election, 1980

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | Electoral votes
| Republican  | Ronald Reagan/George H.W. Bush | 50.9% | 43,903,230 | 489
| Democratic  |  Jimmy Carter/Walter Mondale  | 41.1% | 35,480,115 | 49
| Independent  |  John Anderson/Patrick Lucey  | 6.6% | 5,719,850 | 0
| Libertarian  |  Edward Clark/David Koch  | 1.1% | 921,128 | 0
| Citizens  |  Barry Commoner/LaDonna Harris  | 0.3% | 233,052 | 0
Total Votes | 86,257,375 | 538
Election results via: 1980 official election results

Other candidates that appeared on the ballot received less than 0.1% of the vote. Those candidates included: Gus Hall, John Rarick, Clifton DeBerry, Ellen McCormack, Maureen Smith, Deirdre Griswold, Benjamin Bubar, David McReynolds, Percy Greaves Jr., Andrew Pulley, Richard Congress, Kurt Lynen, Bill Gahres, Frank Shelton, Martin Wendelken and Harley McLain.[10]

## Personal

Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Bush was married to his wife Barbara until her death on April 17, 2018, with whom he had six children, including former President George W. Bush and former Governor of Florida Jeb Bush.[3] His daughter Robin died at age three from leukemia.[4] His father, Prescott Bush, also served as a senator, representing Connecticut from 1952-1963.[3]

Bush died on November 30, 2018, at age 94.[1]

## Recent news

This section links to a Google news search for the term George + H.W. + Bush.

George H.W. Bush News Feed

## External links

* George Bush Presidential Library and Museum website
* Official White House biography

## Footnotes

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Politico, "George H.W. Bush dies at 94," November 30, 2018
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Biography.com, "George H.W. Bush biography," accessed May 5, 2014
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 CNN, "George H.W. Bush Fast Facts," January 14, 2013
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Encyclopedia Americana, "George H.W. Bush," accessed May 6, 2014
5. ↑ Congressional Research Service, "The President’s State of the Union Address: Tradition, Function, and Policy Implications," January 24, 2014
6. ↑ The American Presidency Project, "State of the Union Addresses and Messages," accessed October 14, 2014
7. ↑ FEC, "1992 Presidential Election Results," accessed November 26, 2013
8. ↑ U.S. Election Atlas, "1988 Presidential Election Results," accessed May 6, 2014
9. ↑ U.S. Election Atlas, "1984 Presidential Election Results," accessed May 6, 2014
10. ↑ U.S. Election Atlas, "1980 Presidential Election Results," accessed May 6, 2014

v • e

U.S. Executive Branch

Elected offices|

President Joe Biden • Vice President Kamala Harris

* * *

Executive departments|

Department of Defense • Department of State • Department of Homeland Security • Department of Justice • Department of Commerce • Department of Education • Department of the Treasury • Department of Agriculture • Department of Energy • Department of Labor • Department of Transportation • Department of the Interior • Department of Health and Human Services • Department of Veterans Affairs • Department of Housing and Urban Development

* * *

Cabinet-level offices|

Environmental Protection Agency • Office of Management and Budget • U.S. Mission to the United Nations • Council of Economic Advisors • Small Business Administration • White House Chief of Staff

* * *

Federally appointed offices|

Federal Reserve System • National Security Advisor • White House Press Secretary • U.S. Postmaster General • Central Intelligence Agency • Federal Bureau of Investigation • Internal Revenue Service • Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives • National Security Agency • Congressional Budget Office • Federal Election Commission • Transportation Security Administration • Drug Enforcement Administration • Federal Communications Commission

* * *

Glossary|

Appointment confirmation process • United States Constitution • Electoral College • Deferred action • Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) • Deferred Action for Parents of U.S. Citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) • Impeachment of federal officials • Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) • North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) • P5+1 and E3+3 • Trade adjustment assistance (TAA) • Trade promotion authority (TPA)

* * *

Retrieved from "https://ballotpedia.orghttps://ballotpedia.org/index.php?title=George_H.W._Bush&oldid=8447448"

Categories:

* Pages using DynamicPageList dplreplace parser function
* 1980 presidential candidate
* 1988 presidential candidate
* 1992 presidential candidate
* U.S. presidents
* U.S. vice presidents
* Former member, U.S. House
* Republican Party
* Directors of the CIA
* Ambassadors to the United Nations
* Federal appointments, Nixon administration
* Federal appointments, Ford administration
* Historical U.S. presidents