George H.W. Bush - wikipedia George H.W. Bush This article is about the 41st President of the United States. For his son, the 43rd President, see George W. Bush. 41st President of the United States 41st President of the United States George H.W. Bush 41st President of the United States In office January 20, 1989 -- January 20, 1993 Vice President Dan Quayle Preceded by Ronald Reagan Succeeded by Bill Clinton 43rd Vice President of the United States In office January 20, 1981 -- January 20, 1989 President Ronald Reagan Preceded by Walter Mondale Succeeded by Dan Quayle 11th Director of Central Intelligence In office January 30, 1976 -- January 20, 1977 President Gerald Ford Deputy Vernon A. Walters E. Henry Knoche Preceded by William Colby Succeeded by Stansfield Turner 2nd Chief of the U.S. Liaison Office to the People 's Republic of China In office September 26, 1974 -- December 7, 1975 President Gerald Ford Preceded by David K.E. Bruce Succeeded by Thomas S. Gates 49th Chair of the Republican National Committee In office January 19, 1973 -- September 16, 1974 Preceded by Bob Dole Succeeded by Mary Smith 10th United States Ambassador to the United Nations In office March 1, 1971 -- January 18, 1973 President Richard Nixon Preceded by Charles Yost Succeeded by John A. Scali Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas 's 7th district In office January 3, 1967 -- January 3, 1971 Preceded by John Dowdy Succeeded by Bill Archer Personal details George Herbert Walker Bush ( 1924 - 06 - 12 ) June 12, 1924 ( age 94 ) Milton, Massachusetts, U.S. Political party Republican Spouse ( s ) Barbara Pierce ( m. 1945 ; d. 2018 ) Children George Robin Jeb Neil Marvin Dorothy Parents Prescott Bush Dorothy Walker Bush Relatives See Bush family Education Yale University ( BA ) Signature Website Presidential Library Military service Allegiance United States Service / branch United States Navy Years of service 1942 -- 1945 Rank Lieutenant ( Junior Grade ) Unit Fast Carrier Task Force Battles / wars World War II Awards Distinguished Flying Cross Air Medal Presidential Unit Citation This article is part of a series about George H.W. Bush Family Bibliography Electoral history 1966 U.S. House election Vice President of the United States 1980 presidential campaign 1980 Reagan - Bush Campaign Reagan assassination attempt Deregulation 1984 Reagan - Bush Campaign Bush - Ferraro debate President of the United States Presidency Timeline 1988 election Convention `` No new taxes '' Inauguration Thousand points of light Foundation Gulf War Invasion of Panama Operation Restore Hope NAFTA Environmental policy Foreign policy International presidential trips Judicial appointments Pardons 1992 election Convention Legacy Presidential Library Medal of Freedom Bush School of Government Reagan Award USS George H.W. Bush ( CVN - 77 ) George Herbert Walker Bush ( born June 12, 1924 ) is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States from 1989 to 1993. Prior to assuming the presidency, Bush served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States from 1981 to 1989. A member of the Republican Party, he had previously been a Congressman, Ambassador and Director of Central Intelligence. During his career in public service, he was known simply as George Bush ; since 2001, he has often been referred to as `` George H.W. Bush '', `` Bush 41 '', or `` George Bush Senior '' in order to distinguish him from his eldest son, George W. Bush, the 43rd president of the United States. He is the nation 's oldest living president and vice president, as well as the longest - lived president in history. A member of the Bush family, he was born in Milton, Massachusetts to Prescott Bush and Dorothy Walker Bush. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Bush postponed his university studies, enlisted in the U.S. Navy on his 18th birthday, and became the youngest aviator in the U.S. Navy at the time. He served until September 1945, then attended Yale University. Graduating in 1948, he moved his family to West Texas, where he entered the oil business and became a millionaire by the age of 40 in 1964. Soon after founding his own oil company, Bush became involved in politics and won election to the House of Representatives from Texas ' 7th district in 1966. In 1971, President Richard Nixon appointed Bush as Ambassador to the United Nations, and in 1973, Bush became the Chairman of the Republican National Committee. The following year, President Gerald Ford appointed Bush as the ambassador to China and later reassigned Bush to the position of Director of Central Intelligence. Bush ran for president in 1980 but was defeated in the Republican primary by Ronald Reagan. Reagan chose Bush as his running mate, and Bush became vice president after the Reagan -- Bush ticket won the 1980 election. During his eight - year tenure as vice president, Bush headed administration task forces on deregulation and fighting the War on Drugs. In 1988, Bush ran a successful campaign to succeed Reagan as President, defeating Democratic opponent Michael Dukakis. Foreign policy drove the Bush presidency : military operations were conducted in Panama and the Persian Gulf ; the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, and the Soviet Union dissolved two years later. Though the agreement was not ratified until after he left office, Bush also signed the North American Free Trade Agreement ( NAFTA ), which created a trade bloc consisting of the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Domestically, Bush reneged on a 1988 campaign promise and, after a struggle with Congress, signed an increase in taxes that Congress had passed. In the wake of a weak recovery from an economic recession, along with continuing budget deficits and the diminution of foreign politics as a major issue in a post-Cold War political climate, he lost the 1992 presidential election to Democrat Bill Clinton. Bush left office in 1993. His presidential library was dedicated in 1997, and he has been active -- often alongside Bill Clinton -- in various humanitarian activities. With George W. Bush 's victory in the 2000 presidential election, Bush and his son became the second father -- son combination to serve as president, following John Adams and John Quincy Adams. Bush 's second son, Jeb Bush, served as the 43rd Governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. Contents 1 Early life and education 1.1 World War II 2 Marriage and college years 3 Faith 4 Business career 5 Early political career ( 1963 -- 1980 ) 5.1 Congressional years ( 1967 -- 1971 ) 5.2 Ambassador to the United Nations ( 1971 -- 1973 ) 5.3 Chairman of the Republican National Committee ( 1973 -- 1974 ) 5.4 Envoy to China ( 1974 -- 1975 ) 5.5 Director of Central Intelligence ( 1976 -- 1977 ) 5.6 Other positions ( 1977 -- 1981 ) 6 1980 presidential campaign 7 Vice presidency ( 1981 -- 1989 ) 7.1 First term, 1981 -- 1985 7.2 Second term, 1985 -- 1989 8 1988 presidential campaign 9 Presidency ( 1989 -- 1993 ) 9.1 Domestic policy 9.1. 1 Economy 9.1. 2 Education 9.1. 3 Major initiatives 9.2 Points of Light 9.3 Daily Point of Light Award 9.4 Judicial appointments 9.4. 1 Supreme Court 9.4. 2 Other courts 9.5 Foreign policy 9.5. 1 Panama 9.5. 2 Soviet Union 9.5. 3 Gulf War 9.5. 4 Somali Civil War 9.5. 5 Japan 9.5. 6 Israel 9.6 NAFTA 9.7 Pardons 9.8 Honorary degrees 9.9 Awards and honors 9.10 1992 presidential campaign 9.11 Public image 10 Post-presidency ( 1993 -- present ) 10.1 Clinton presidency 10.2 George W. Bush presidency 10.3 Obama presidency 10.3. 1 2016 election 10.4 Trump presidency 10.5 Health 10.6 Sexual misconduct allegations 10.7 Longevity 11 Presidential library 12 See also 13 References 14 Further reading 14.1 Primary sources 15 External links Early life and education See also : Bush family George H.W. Bush, c. 1925 George Herbert Walker Bush was born at 173 Adams Street in Milton, Massachusetts, on June 12, 1924, to Prescott Sheldon Bush and Dorothy ( Walker ) Bush. The Bush family moved from Milton to Greenwich, Connecticut, shortly after his birth. Growing up, he used the nickname `` Poppy ''. Bush began his formal education at the Greenwich Country Day School in Greenwich. Beginning in 1938, he attended Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, where he held a number of leadership positions that included president of the senior class, secretary of the student council, president of the community fund - raising group, a member of the editorial board of the school newspaper, and captain of both the varsity baseball and soccer teams. World War II Shipmates of the submarine USS Finback rescue Bush The United States formally entered World War II in December 1941, following Japan 's surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. Six months later, Bush enlisted into the U.S. Navy immediately after he graduated from Phillips Academy on his eighteenth birthday. He became a naval aviator, taking training for aircraft carrier operations aboard USS Sable. After completing the 10 - month course, he was commissioned as an ensign in the United States Naval Reserve at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi on June 9, 1943 ( just three days before his 19th birthday ), which made him the youngest naval aviator to that date. In September 1943, he was assigned to Torpedo Squadron 51 ( VT - 51 ) as the photographic officer. The following year, his squadron was based in USS San Jacinto as a member of Air Group 51, where his lanky physique earned him the nickname `` Skin ''. During this time, the task force was victorious in one of the largest air battles of World War II : the Battle of the Philippine Sea. After Bush 's promotion to lieutenant ( junior grade ) on August 1, 1944, San Jacinto commenced operations against the Japanese in the Bonin Islands. Bush piloted one of four Grumman TBM Avengers of VT - 51 that attacked the Japanese installations on Chichijima. His crew for the mission, which occurred on September 2, 1944, included Radioman Second Class John Delaney and Lt. ( jg ) William White. During their attack, the Avengers encountered intense anti-a fire ; Bush 's aircraft was hit by flak and his engine caught fire. Despite the fire in his aircraft, Bush completed his attack and released bombs over his target, scoring several damaging hits. With his engine ablaze, Bush flew several miles from the island, where he and one other crew member of the TBM bailed out ; the other man 's parachute did not open. Bush waited for four hours in an inflated raft, while several fighters circled protectively overhead, until he was rescued by the submarine USS Finback, on lifeguard duty. For the next month, he remained in Finback and participated in the rescue of other aviators. Several of those shot down during the attack were executed, and their livers were eaten by their captors. This experience shaped Bush profoundly, leading him to ask, `` Why had I been spared and what did God have for me ? '' Bush in his TBM aboard San Jacinto in 1944 In November 1944, Bush returned to San Jacinto and participated in operations in the Philippines until his squadron was replaced and sent home to the United States. Through 1944, he flew 58 combat missions for which he received the Distinguished Flying Cross, three Air Medals, and the Presidential Unit Citation awarded to San Jacinto. Bush was then reassigned to a training wing for torpedo bomber crews at Norfolk Navy Base, Virginia. His final assignment was to a new torpedo squadron, VT - 153, based at Naval Air Station Grosse Ile, Michigan. Bush was honorably discharged from the U.S. Navy in September 1945, one month after the surrender of Japan. Marriage and College years When Bush was still in the Navy, he married Barbara Pierce ( 1925 -- 2018 ) in Rye, New York on January 6, 1945. The marriage produced six children : George W. ( b. 1946 ), Robin ( 1949 -- 1953 ), Jeb ( b. 1953 ), Neil ( b. 1955 ), Marvin ( b. 1956 ), and Doro ( b. 1959 ). At the time of his wife 's death on April 17, 2018, George H.W. had been married to Barbara for 73 years ; theirs was the longest presidential marriage in American history. They had become the longest - married presidential couple in January 1999 when their marriage surpassed the 54 year ( 1764 -- 1818 ) marriage of John and Abigail Adams. After Bush received his military discharge, he enrolled at Yale University. He earned an undergraduate degree in economics on an accelerated program that enabled him to graduate in two and a half years, rather than the usual four. He was a member of the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity and was elected its president. He also captained the Yale baseball team and played in the first two College World Series as a left - handed first baseman. Bush was the team captain during his senior year in 1948, and he met Babe Ruth before a game ; the event took place only weeks before Ruth 's death. Like his father, he was also a member of the Yale cheerleading squad. Late in his junior year, he was initiated into the Skull and Bones secret society ; his father Prescott Bush had been initiated into the same society in 1917. He was elected to Phi Beta Kappa when he graduated from Yale in 1948 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics. Faith Bush 's Christian faith was shaped by his upbringing in the Episcopal Church, though by the end of his life his apparent religious beliefs have been considered more in line with Evangelical Christian doctrine and practices. Several key moments in Bush 's life led to a deepening of his faith in Jesus Christ, including his narrow escape from Japanese forces in 1944 and the tragic death of his three - year - old child, Robin, in 1953. This strong faith would inspire many themes that later would become apparent in his public life, such as his Thousand Points of Light speech, his support for prayer in schools, and his strong support of the pro-life movement. After his wife 's death in April 2018, Bush released a statement through his spokesman, saying in part, `` We have faith she is in heaven, and we know life will go on - as she would have it. So cross the Bushes off your worry list. '' Business career After graduating from Yale, Bush moved his young family to West Texas. His father 's business connections proved useful as he ventured into the oil business, starting as an oil field equipment salesman for Dresser Industries, a subsidiary of Brown Brothers Harriman ( where Prescott Bush had served on the board of directors for 22 years ). While working for Dresser, Bush lived in various places with his family : Odessa, Texas ; Ventura, Bakersfield and Compton, California ; and Midland, Texas. ( According to eldest son George W. Bush, then age two, the family lived in one of the few duplexes in Odessa with an indoor bathroom, which they `` shared with a couple of hookers ''. ) Bush started the Bush - Overbey Oil Development company in 1951 and in 1953 co-founded the Zapata Petroleum Corporation, an oil company that drilled in the Permian Basin in Texas. In 1954 he was named president of the Zapata Offshore Company, a subsidiary which specialized in offshore drilling. In 1959 ( shortly after the subsidiary became independent ), Bush moved the company and his family from Midland to Houston. He continued serving as president of the company until 1964, and later chairman until 1966, when he won election to the U.S. House of Representatives. By that time, Bush had become a millionaire. Early political career ( 1963 -- 1980 ) Congressional years ( 1967 -- 1971 ) Bush in 1969 Bush 's career in politics began in 1963 when he was elected chairman of the Harris County, Texas Republican Party. The following year, he ran against incumbent Democrat Ralph W. Yarborough in the U.S. Senate race. He presented himself as a young Conservative Republican in contrast to the aging liberal Democrat Yarborough. He campaigned against civil rights legislation pending before Congress, stating that he believed it gave too much power to the federal government. Bush lost the election 56 % to 44 %, though he did outpoll Republican presidential nominee Barry Goldwater, who lost by an overwhelming margin to Lyndon B. Johnson. Bush and the Harris County Republicans played a role in the development of the new Republican Party of the late 20th century. First, Bush worked to absorb the John Birch Society members, who were trying to take over the Republican Party. Second, during and after the civil rights movement, Democrats in the South who were committed to segregation left their party, and although the `` country club Republicans '' had differing ideological beliefs, they found common ground in hoping to expel the Democrats from power. President Dwight D. Eisenhower with Bush In 1966, Bush was elected to a seat in the United States House of Representatives from the 7th District of Texas ; he won 57 percent of the ballots cast in a race against Democrat Frank Briscoe, who was the district attorney of Harris County. Bush was the first Republican to represent Houston in the U.S. House. Bush 's representative district included Tanglewood, the Houston neighborhood that was his residence ; his family had moved into Tanglewood in the 1960s. His voting record in the House was generally conservative : Bush voted for the Civil Rights Act of 1968, although it was generally unpopular in his district. He supported the Nixon administration 's Vietnam policies, but broke with Republicans on the issue of birth control, which he supported. Despite being a first - term congressman, Bush was appointed to the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, where he voted to abolish the military draft. He was elected to a second term in 1968. In 1970, Nixon convinced Bush to relinquish his House seat in order to run for the Senate against Ralph Yarborough, who was a fierce Nixon critic. In the Republican primary, Bush easily defeated conservative Robert J. Morris by a margin of 87.6 % to 12.4 %. Nixon came to Longview, Texas to campaign for Bush and gubernatorial candidate Paul Eggers, a Dallas lawyer who was a close friend of U.S. Senator John G. Tower. Former Congressman Lloyd Bentsen, a more moderate Democrat and native of Mission in south Texas, defeated Yarborough in the Democratic primary. Yarborough endorsed Bentsen, who defeated Bush, 53.4 to 46.6 %. As Bush 's congressional career waned, he moved out of Houston and sold his first Tanglewood house, but for periods of time continued to reside in Tanglewood. Ambassador to the United Nations ( 1971 -- 1973 ) Bush as ambassador to the United Nations, 1971 Following his 1970 loss, Bush was well known as a prominent Republican businessman from the `` Sun Belt '', a group of states in the Southern part of the country. Nixon noticed and appreciated the sacrifice Bush had made of his Congressional position, so he appointed him Ambassador to the United Nations. He was confirmed unanimously by the Senate, and served for two years, beginning in 1971. Chairman of the Republican National Committee ( 1973 -- 1974 ) Amidst the Watergate scandal, Nixon asked Bush to become chairman of the Republican National Committee in 1973. Bush accepted, and held this position when the popularity of both Nixon and the Republican Party plummeted. He defended Nixon steadfastly, but later as Nixon 's complicity became clear, Bush focused more on defending the Republican Party, while still maintaining loyalty to Nixon. As chairman, Bush formally requested that Nixon eventually resign for the good of the Republican party. Nixon did this on August 9, 1974 ; Bush noted in his diary that `` There was an aura of sadness, like somebody died... The ( resignation ) speech was vintage Nixon -- a kick or two at the press -- enormous strains. One could n't help but look at the family and the whole thing and think of his accomplishments and then think of the shame... ( President Gerald Ford 's swearing - in offered ) indeed a new spirit, a new lift. '' Envoy to China ( 1974 -- 1975 ) Bush as United States Liaison to China, circa 1975 President Gerald Ford appointed Bush to be Chief of the U.S. Liaison Office in the People 's Republic of China. Since the United States at the time maintained official relations with the Republic of China on Taiwan and not the People 's Republic of China, the Liaison Office did not have the official status of an embassy and Bush did not formally hold the position of `` ambassador '', though he unofficially acted as one. The 14 months that he spent in China were largely seen as beneficial for U.S. - China relations. After Ford assumed the presidency, Bush was under serious consideration for being nominated as vice president. Ford eventually narrowed his list to Nelson Rockefeller and Bush. White House Chief of Staff Donald Rumsfeld reportedly preferred Rockefeller over Bush. Rockefeller was finally named and confirmed. Bush was again passed over for the vice presidency by Ford when the president chose Bush 's future presidential rival, Senator Bob Dole, to replace Rockefeller on the 1976 presidential ticket. Director of Central Intelligence ( 1976 -- 1977 ) Bush, as CIA Director, listens at a meeting following the assassinations in Beirut of Francis E. Meloy Jr. and Robert O. Waring, 1976. In 1976 Ford brought Bush back to Washington to become Director of Central Intelligence ( DCI ), replacing William Colby. He served in this role for 357 days, from January 30, 1976, to January 20, 1977. The CIA had been rocked by a series of revelations, including those based on investigations by the Church Committee regarding illegal and unauthorized activities by the CIA, and Bush was credited with helping to restore the agency 's morale. In his capacity as DCI, Bush gave national security briefings to Jimmy Carter both as a presidential candidate and as president - elect, and discussed the possibility of remaining in that position in a Carter administration, but did not do so. He was succeeded by Deputy Director of Central Intelligence E. Henry Knoche, who served as acting Director of Central Intelligence until Stansfield Turner was confirmed. Other positions ( 1977 -- 1981 ) After Democrat Jimmy Carter took power in 1977, Bush became chairman on the Executive Committee of the First International Bank in Houston. He later spent a year as a part - time professor of Administrative Science at Rice University 's Jones School of Business beginning in 1978, the year it opened ; Bush said of his time there, `` I loved my brief time in the world of academia. '' Between 1977 and 1979, he was a director of the Council on Foreign Relations foreign policy organization. 1980 presidential campaign See also : United States presidential election, 1980 1980 campaign logo Bush had decided in the late 1970s that he was going to run for president in 1980 ; in 1979, he attended 850 political events ( `` cattle calls '' ) and traveled more than 250,000 miles ( 400,000 km ) to campaign for the nation 's highest office. In the contest for the Republican Party nomination, Bush stressed his wide range of government experience, while competing against rivals Senator Howard Baker of Tennessee, Senator Bob Dole of Kansas, Congressman John Anderson of Illinois ( who would later run as an independent ), Congressman Phil Crane, also of Illinois, former Governor John Connally of Texas, former Minnesota Governor Harold Stassen, and the front - runner Ronald Reagan, former actor, and Governor of California. Ronald Reagan, moderator John Breen, and Bush participate in the Nashua, New Hampshire Presidential Debate, 1980 At the outset of the 1980 primary race, Bush focused heavily on winning the January 21 Iowa caucuses ; five months earlier he had won the Iowa Straw Poll. Reagan, however, far ahead in the polls, campaigned little. Bush represented the centrist wing in the GOP, whereas Reagan represented conservatives. Bush famously labeled Reagan 's supply side - influenced plans for massive tax cuts `` voodoo economics ''. His strategy proved useful, to some degree, as he won in Iowa with 31.5 % to Reagan 's 29.4 %. After the win, Bush stated that his campaign was full of momentum, or `` the Big Mo ''. As a result of the loss, Reagan replaced his campaign manager, reorganized his staff, and concentrated on the New Hampshire primary. The two men agreed to a debate in the state, organized by the Nashua Telegraph, but paid for by the Reagan campaign. Reagan invited the other four candidates as well, but Bush refused to debate them, and eventually they left. The debate proved to be a pivotal moment in the campaign ; when the moderator, John Breen, ordered Reagan 's microphone turned off, his angry response, `` I am paying for this microphone, '' struck a chord with the public. Bush ended up losing New Hampshire 's primary with 23 % to Reagan 's 50 %. Bush lost most of the remaining primaries as well, and formally dropped out of the race in May of that year. With his political future in doubt, Bush sold his house in Houston and bought his grandfather 's estate in Kennebunkport, Maine, known as `` Walker 's Point ''. At the Republican Convention, Reagan selected Bush as his vice presidential nominee, placing him on the winning Republican presidential ticket of 1980. Vice presidency ( 1981 -- 1989 ) See also : Presidency of Ronald Reagan First term, 1981 -- 1985 As vice president, Bush generally maintained a typically low profile while he recognized the constitutional limits of the office ; he avoided decision - making or criticizing Reagan in any way. As had become customary, he and his wife moved into the Vice President 's residence at Number One Observatory Circle, about two miles from the White House. After selling the house in Tanglewood, the Bushes declared a room in The Houstonian Hotel in Houston as their official voting address. The Bushes attended a large number of public and ceremonial events in their positions, including many state funerals, which became a common joke for comedians. Mrs. Bush found the funerals largely beneficial, saying, `` George met with many current or future heads of state at the funerals he attended, enabling him to forge personal relationships that were important to President Reagan. '' As the President of the Senate, Bush stayed in contact with members of Congress and kept the president informed on occurrences on Capitol Hill. President Ronald Reagan with Bush On March 30, 1981 ( early into the administration ), Reagan was shot and seriously wounded by John Hinckley Jr. in Washington, D.C. Bush was in Fort Worth, Texas, and immediately flew back to Washington because he was next in line to the presidency. Reagan 's cabinet convened in the White House Situation Room, where they discussed various issues, including the availability of the Nuclear Football. When Bush 's plane landed, he was advised by his aides to proceed directly to the White House by helicopter as an image of the government still functioning despite the attack. Bush rejected the idea, responding, `` Only the President lands on the South Lawn. '' This made a positive impression on Reagan, who recovered and returned to work within two weeks. From then on, the two men would have regular Thursday lunches in the Oval Office. During a Tulsa, Oklahoma Republican fundraiser in June 1981, Bush stated that President Reagan was unwilling to make additional tax cut compromises with Congress. In September 1981, Bush traveled to Mexico to participate in Independence Day celebrations there. He said in a statement that President Reagan was `` deeply committed to strengthening the friendship and cooperation between our countries ''. In November 1981, Bush toured western Texas to offer support for beleaguered Director of the Office of Management and Budget David Stockman, who he believed was intelligent but needed to adjust to managing journalists. During a December 1981 interview, Bush stated that he was convinced news leaks by unnamed administration officials were correct and had succeeded in hurting President Reagan : `` I really feel we have been undisciplined in this White House. We 've not served the president well by these leaks. '' On April 28, 1982, Bush met with Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Kuan Yew for a wide - ranging discussion that included speaking about regional security, the world economy, and Soviet expansionism in Southeast Asia, and later that month, Bush confirmed he was considering traveling to China during his impending trip to Asia and the Pacific amid a news conference in Seoul, South Korea. In November 1982, Bush toured Africa, the first instance of American government visiting there since the Reagan administration began. Bush told reporters that while he would allow for heads of state to dictate how each meeting would transpire, there was an expectation on his part for discussions on the independence of Namibia, adding that the US was going to retain the position of no settlement in Namibia until Cuban troops in Angola were withdrawn. On November 15, Bush met with United States Secretary of State George P. Shultz and Yuri Andropov in Moscow, Russia to discuss human rights and arms reductions. Bush later said, `` The meeting was frank, cordial and substantive. It gave both sides the opportunity to exchange views on the state of their relations. '' At the end of January 1983, Bush began a seven - day tour of West Europe intended to promote the arms reduction commitment being advocated for by the Reagan administration. During a February 8 news conference in Paris, Bush said the US 's invitations for the Soviet Union to consent to a reduction in medium - range missiles were supported by Western Europe, which he stated had also consented to the deployment of new American missiles starting in the latter part of the year. The following day, Bush defended American nuclear arms policy when answering British Secretary General of the Committee on Nuclear Disarmament Bruce Kent. In September 1983, Bush met with President of Romania Nicolae Ceaușescu, insisting during the meeting that President Reagan intended to push for arms reductions at the Geneva talks with the Soviet Union. Shortly thereafter, Bush said the US wanted better relations with all countries within the East Bloc though stressed NATO would retaliate in the event of any threatening of European military stability by the Soviets, and the vice president assailed the Soviet Union for the Berlin Wall and destroying the Korean Air Lines jetliner. In December 1983 Bush flew to El Salvador and warned that country 's military leaders to end their death squads and hold fully free elections or face the loss of U.S. aid. `` It is not just the President, it is not just me or the Congress. If these death - squad murders continue, you will lose the support of the American people and that would indeed be a tragedy. '' Bush 's aides feared for his safety and thought about calling the meeting off when they discovered apparent blood stains on the floor of the presidential palace of Álvaro Magaña. Bush was never told of the aides ' concerns and a tense meeting was held in which some of Magaña 's personnel brandished semiautomatic weapons and refused requests to take them outside. Bush was assigned by Reagan to chair two special task forces, on deregulation and international drug smuggling. The deregulation task force reviewed hundreds of rules, making specific recommendations on which ones to amend or revise, in order to curb the size of the federal government. The drug smuggling task force coordinated federal efforts to reduce the quantity of drugs entering the United States. Both were popular issues with conservatives, and Bush, largely a moderate, began courting them through his work. In January 1984, Bush reported Reagan 's stance on Moscow had projected a strong image toward the Soviets as well as heightened the possibility of an arms agreement. On February 10, 1984, President Reagan designated Bush to lead the American delegation to the funeral of Yuri V. Andropov and convey America 's `` hope for an improved dialogue and cooperation which can lead to a more constructive relationship between our two countries. '' On February 24, Bush spoke on the progress made in Grenada as a result of the Reagan administration coming into play following Vietnam, Watergate, and the presidency of Jimmy Carter while talking to the American Soybean Association : `` When the president faced this crisis in Grenada he did n't wait until we were taken hostage, he acted before the crisis became a humiliation. '' On June 14, 1984, Bush cast a tie - breaking vote in the Senate in favor of 10 - warhead MX missile. In September 1984, Bush said President Reagan likely would state his responsibility for the failure to protect the Beirut American embassy from bombing but stressed the difficulty of pressure. Second term, 1985 -- 1989 Reagan and Bush ran for reelection in 1984. The Democratic opponent, Walter Mondale, made history by choosing a woman, New York Representative Geraldine Ferraro, as his running mate. She and Bush squared off in a single televised vice presidential debate. Ferraro served as a contrast to the Ivy - League educated Bush ; she represented a `` blue - collar '' district in Queens, New York. This distinction and her popularity among female journalists left Bush at a disadvantage. Regardless, the Reagan - Bush ticket won in a landslide against the Mondale - Ferraro ticket. Early into his second term as vice president, Bush and his aides were planning a run for the presidency in 1988. By the end of 1985, a committee had been established and over two million dollars was raised for Bush. In mid-March 1985, Bush attended the funeral of Konstantin Chernenko, telling reporters in Geneva, Switzerland that he had `` brought a message with me to Moscow from President Reagan. It is a message of peace. '' During this trip, Bush pledged the US would proceed with a planned military pullout from Grenada during a rally, met with President of Nicaragua Daniel Ortega for discussions on the four - point plan for peace of the Sandinista government in Brazil, and stated America would be committed in combatting the Sandinista regime within Nicaragua during an address in Honduras. On July 13, 1985, Bush became the first vice president to serve as acting president when Reagan underwent surgery to remove polyps from his colon ; Bush served as the acting president for approximately eight hours. In October 1985, Bush toured Pearl Harbor while he received a briefing on Pacific Fleet operations. He told reporters of an improvement in Sino - American relations and disclosed Taiwan as a major topic in his discussions with Chinese officials. In 1986, the Reagan administration was shaken by a scandal when it was revealed that administration officials had secretly arranged weapon sales to Iran. The officials had used the proceeds to fund the anti-communist Contras in Nicaragua, which was a direct violation of law. The scandal became known as the Iran - Contra Affair. When news of the public embarrassment broke to the media, Bush, like Reagan, stated that he had been `` out of the loop '' and unaware of the diversion of funds, although this was later questioned. His diaries from that time stated `` I 'm one of the few people that know fully the details '' and as a result of six pardons by Bush, the independent counsel 's final report on the Iran - Contra Affair pointedly noted : `` The criminal investigation of Bush was regrettably incomplete. '' In March 1986, Bush outlined the government 's policy on the combating of terrorism. In an interagency task force report presented to President Reagan, Bush publicly stated that the strategy of the federal government was to retaliate without `` wantonly '' terminating human lives. In early April 1986, Bush was hoping to preserve peace when he traveled to the Persian Gulf. In May, Bush underwent a procedure to remove a malignant growth from his left cheek. His spokesman Marlin Fitzwater said that doctors had found the growth weeks earlier. British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Bush, 1986 During an appearance at a conference in January 1987, Bush confirmed the torture and subsequent murder of William Francis Buckley. In February 1987, Bush addressed the National Religious Broadcasters, warning the group that intolerance was unacceptable and particularly called for racial tolerance. `` We must let our children know hatred has no place in America. The Ku Klux Klan is an embarrassment to Christ, whose gospel is love, and an embarrassment to our nation, whose gospel is freedom. '' In March 1987, Bush announced the resignation of advisor Fred Khedouri as well as implementation of Charles Greenleaf in the same role, and visited a drug rehabilitation center during a two - day swing through Florida, expressing the view that education was the sole means of ending drug issues throughout the US. In September 1987, Bush embarked on a month long trip to Poland and European allied countries. On September 22, Bush cast a tie breaking vote in the Senate to save the Strategic Defense Initiative from receiving a 800 million cut in funding. On September 25, Bush reemployed Peter Teeley as Director of Communications for his office and presidential campaign. On September 28, Bush delivered a televised address pledging that the US would forever be aligned with Poland. Bush 's campaign director Roger Ailes and others were concerned that Bush was seen as a `` wimp. '' Bush put that image to rest when he displayed evident fury during an interview with Dan Rather. As vice president, Bush officially opened the 1987 Pan American Games in Indianapolis. In 1988, the guided missile cruiser USS Vincennes accidentally shot down Iran Air Flight 655, killing 290 passengers. Bush said that he would `` never apologize for the United States of America. Ever. I do n't care what the facts are. '' 1988 presidential campaign Main article : United States presidential election, 1988 Campaign logo John Ashcroft and Vice President Bush campaign in St. Louis, Missouri, 1988 In the January 26, 1987, issue of Time magazine, journalist Robert Ajemian reported in an article entitled `` Where Is the Real George Bush ? '' that one of Bush 's friends had urged him to spend several days at Camp David thinking through his plans for his prospective presidency. Bush responded in exasperation, `` Oh, the vision thing. '' This oft - cited quote became a shorthand for the charge that Bush failed to contemplate or articulate important policy positions in a compelling and coherent manner. The phrase has since become a metonym for any politician 's failure to incorporate a greater vision in a campaign, and has often been applied in the media to other politicians or public figures. As early as 1985, Bush had been planning a presidential run ; he entered the Republican primary for President of the United States in October 1987. His challengers for the Republican presidential nomination included U.S. Senator Bob Dole of Kansas, U.S. Representative Jack Kemp of New York, former Governor Pete DuPont of Delaware, and conservative Christian televangelist Pat Robertson. Bush was considered the early frontrunner for the nomination, but he came in third in the Iowa caucus, behind winner Dole and runner - up Robertson. Much as Reagan had done in 1980, Bush reorganized his staff and concentrated on the New Hampshire primary. With Dole ahead in New Hampshire, Bush ran television commercials portraying the senator as a tax raiser ; he rebounded to win the state 's primary. Following the primary, Bush and Dole had a joint media appearance, when the interviewer asked Dole if he had anything to say to Bush, Dole said, in response to the ads, `` yeah, stop lying about my record ! '' in an angry tone. This is thought to have hurt Dole 's campaign to Bush 's benefit. Bush continued seeing victory, winning many Southern primaries as well. Once the multiple - state primaries such as Super Tuesday began, Bush 's organizational strength and fundraising lead were impossible for the other candidates to match, and the nomination was his. As the 1988 Republican National Convention approached, there was much speculation who Bush would choose to be his running mate. He selected little - known U.S. Senator Dan Quayle of Indiana, who was favored by conservatives. Despite Reagan 's popularity, Bush trailed Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis, then Governor of Massachusetts, in most polls. Bush was occasionally criticized for his lack of eloquence when compared to Reagan, but he delivered a well - received speech at the 1988 Republican National Convention. Known as the `` thousand points of light '' speech, the presentation described Bush 's vision of America. He endorsed the Pledge of Allegiance, capital punishment, and gun rights, and drew upon his long - standing Christian beliefs to support both prayer in schools and opposed abortion. The speech at the convention included Bush 's famous pledge : `` Read my lips : no new taxes. '' The 1988 presidential electoral votes by state The general election campaign between the two men was described in 2008 as one of the dirtiest in modern times. Bush blamed Dukakis for polluting the Boston Harbor as the Massachusetts governor. Bush also pointed out that Dukakis was opposed to a law that would require all students to say the Pledge of Allegiance, a topic well covered in Bush 's nomination acceptance speech. Dukakis 's unconditional opposition to capital punishment led to a pointed question being asked during the presidential debates. Moderator Bernard Shaw asked Dukakis if Dukakis would hypothetically support the death penalty if his wife, Kitty, were raped and murdered. Dukakis 's response of no, as well as a provocative ad about convicted felon Willie Horton, contributed toward Bush 's characterization of Dukakis as `` soft on crime ''. Bush defeated Dukakis and his running mate, Lloyd Bentsen, in the Electoral College, by 426 to 111 ( Bentsen received one vote from a faithless elector ). In the nationwide popular vote, Bush took 53.4 % of the ballots cast while Dukakis received 45.6 %. Bush became the first serving vice president to be elected president since Martin Van Buren in 1836 as well as the first person to succeed someone from his own party to the presidency via election to the office in his own right since Herbert Hoover in 1929. Presidency ( 1989 -- 1993 ) Main article : Presidency of George H.W. Bush Chief Justice William Rehnquist administers the Presidential Oath of Office to George H.W. Bush during his January 20, 1989 inauguration ceremony at the United States Capitol Bush was inaugurated on January 20, 1989, succeeding Ronald Reagan. He entered office at a period of change in the world ; the fall of the Berlin Wall came early in his presidency, the collapse of Soviet Union came in 1991. He ordered military operations in Panama and the Persian Gulf, and, at one point, was recorded as having a record - high approval rating of 89 %. In his Inaugural Address, Bush said : I come before you and assume the Presidency at a moment rich with promise. We live in a peaceful, prosperous time, but we can make it better. For a new breeze is blowing, and a world refreshed by freedom seems reborn ; for in man 's heart, if not in fact, the day of the dictator is over. The totalitarian era is passing, its old ideas blown away like leaves from an ancient, lifeless tree. A new breeze is blowing, and a nation refreshed by freedom stands ready to push on. There is new ground to be broken, and new action to be taken. The Bush Cabinet Office Name Term President George H.W. Bush 1989 -- 1993 Vice President Dan Quayle 1989 -- 1993 Secretary of State James Baker 1989 -- 1992 Lawrence Eagleburger 1992 -- 1993 Secretary of Treasury Nicholas Brady 1989 -- 1993 Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney 1989 -- 1993 Attorney General Dick Thornburgh 1989 -- 1991 William Barr 1991 -- 1993 Secretary of the Interior Manuel Lujan 1989 -- 1993 Secretary of Agriculture Clayton Yeutter 1989 -- 1991 Edward Madigan 1991 -- 1993 Secretary of Commerce Robert Mosbacher 1989 -- 1992 Barbara Hackman Franklin 1992 -- 1993 Secretary of Labor Elizabeth Dole 1989 -- 1990 Lynn Martin 1991 -- 1993 Secretary of Health and Human Services Louis Sullivan 1989 -- 1993 Secretary of Education Lauro Cavazos 1989 -- 1990 Lamar Alexander 1990 -- 1993 Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Jack Kemp 1989 -- 1993 Secretary of Transportation Samuel Skinner 1989 -- 1992 Andrew Card 1992 -- 1993 Secretary of Energy James Watkins 1989 -- 1993 Secretary of Veterans Affairs Ed Derwinski 1989 -- 1993 Chief of Staff John H. Sununu 1989 -- 1991 Samuel Skinner 1991 -- 1992 James Baker 1992 -- 1993 Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency William Reilly 1989 -- 1993 Director of the Office of Management and Budget Richard Darman 1989 -- 1993 Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy William Bennett 1989 -- 1991 Bob Martinez 1991 -- 1993 United States Trade Representative Carla Anderson Hills 1989 -- 1993 Domestic policy Economy Early in his term, Bush faced the problem of what to do with leftover deficits spawned during the Reagan years. At $220 billion in 1990, the deficit had tripled since 1980. Bush was dedicated to curbing the deficit, believing that America could not continue to be a leader in the world without doing so. He began an effort to persuade the Democratic controlled Congress to act on the budget ; with Republicans believing that the best way was to cut government spending, and Democrats convinced that the only way would be to raise taxes, Bush faced problems when it came to consensus building. In the wake of a struggle with Congress, Bush was forced by the Democratic majority to raise tax revenues ; as a result, many Republicans felt betrayed because Bush had promised `` no new taxes '' in his 1988 campaign. Perceiving a means of revenge, Republican congressmen defeated Bush 's proposal, which would enact spending cuts and tax increases that would reduce the deficit by $500 billion over five years. Scrambling, Bush accepted the Democrats ' demands for higher taxes and more spending, which alienated him from Republicans and gave way to a sharp decrease in popularity. Bush would later say that he wished he had never signed the bill. Near the end of the 101st Congress, the president and congressional members reached a compromise on a budget package that increased the marginal tax rate and phased out exemptions for high - income taxpayers. Although he originally demanded a reduction in the capital gains tax, Bush relented on this issue as well. This agreement with the Democratic leadership in Congress proved to be a turning point in the Bush presidency ; his popularity among Republicans never fully recovered. Bush 's approval ratings ( red ) compared to his disapproval ratings ( blue ) for his four - year presidency Coming at around the same time as the budget deal, America entered into a mild recession, lasting for six months. Many government programs, such as welfare, increased. As the unemployment rate edged upward in 1991, Bush signed a bill providing additional benefits for unemployed workers. The year 1991 was marked by many corporate reorganizations, which laid off a substantial number of workers. Many now unemployed were Republicans and independents, who had believed that their jobs were secure. By his second year in office, Bush was told by his economic advisors to stop dealing with the economy, as they believed that he had done everything necessary to ensure his reelection. By 1992, interest and inflation rates were the lowest in years, but by midyear the unemployment rate reached 7.8 %, the highest since 1984. In September 1992, the Census Bureau reported that 14.2 % of all Americans lived in poverty. At a press conference in 1990, Bush told reporters that he found foreign policy more enjoyable. Education On April 5, 1989, Bush submitted to Congress the Educational Excellence Act of 1989, a seven program education legislative proposal with the intent of achieving `` a better - educated America. '' The proposal was opposed by Republicans seeking to shrink government 's role in education and met with a lack of enthusiasm by Democrats. A week after submitting the proposal, Bush said his administration was seeking to provide waivers on `` some regulations for poorer communities '' and create `` a kind of performance - driven partial deregulation of education '' that would grant federal funding when schools showed high levels of accountability coupled with academic performance. Later in the year, from September 27 -- 28, Bush held a two - day summit with American governors dedicated solely to education reform at the University of Virginia, the group forming a consensus to overhaul the American education system for the country 's students to be closer in test scores in science, mathematics, and literacy. In the 1990 State of the Union Address, Bush revealed his interest in his administration spearheading the increase in American high school graduation rates to 90 % along with making American students `` first in the world '' in the subjects of math and science by 2000. In a speech in the White House East Room on April 18, 1991, Bush called for both public and private citizens to become involved with education reform : `` To those who want to see real improvement in American education, I say there will be no renaissance without revolution. It 's time we held our schools, and ourselves, accountable for results. '' On June 3, Bush advocated for community participation in reforming the national education system and insisting America 2000 would fail `` if we try to do it from Washington itself. '' On October 4, Bush met with representatives of the New American Schools Development Corp. at Camp David as the organization sought 200 million USD for education reform to aid with the forming of `` new learning environments ''. In a November 25 appearance in Columbus, Ohio, Bush joined Governor of Ohio George Voinovich in formally announcing a state version of his education policy, `` Ohio 2000 ''. Bush concurrently declared he would be involved with a reform of troubled schools and charged the Democrat - controlled Congress with `` fighting tooth and nail against our most important reforms ''. On July 23, 1992, Bush signed the Higher Education Amendments of 1992, a resuming of `` many programs in the Higher Education Act of 1965. '' Major initiatives See also : Environmental policy of the United States § The George H.W. Bush Administration ( 1989 -- 1993 ) During a speech to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, Bush announced a vision to complete Space Station Freedom, resume exploration of the Moon and begin exploration of Mars. Although a space station was eventually constructed -- work on the International Space Station began in 1998 -- other work has been confounded by NASA budgetary issues. In 1998, Bush received the Rotary National Award for Space Achievement 's National Space Trophy for his pioneering leadership of the U.S. space program. During his presidency, Bush signed a number of major bills into law, including the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 ; this was one of the most pro-civil rights bills in decades. He is also the only president to successfully veto a civil rights act, having vetoed the job - discrimination protection Civil Rights Act of 1990. Bush feared racial quotas would be imposed, but later approved watered - down Civil Rights Act of 1991. He worked to increase federal spending for education, childcare, and advanced technology research. He also signed the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act which provides monetary compensation of people who had contracted cancer and a number of other specified diseases as a direct result of their exposure to atmospheric nuclear testing undertaken by the United States during the Cold War, or their exposure to high levels of radon while doing uranium mining. In dealing with the environment, Bush reauthorized the Clean Air Act, requiring cleaner burning fuels. He quarreled with Congress over an eventually signed bill to aid police in capturing criminals, and signed into law a measure to improve the nation 's highway system. Bush signed the Immigration Act of 1990, which led to a 40 percent increase in legal immigration to the United States. Bush became a life member of the National Rifle Association early in 1988 and had campaigned as a `` pro-gun '' candidate with the NRA 's endorsement. In March 1989, he placed a temporary ban on the import of certain semiautomatic rifles. This action cost him endorsement from the NRA in 1992. Bush publicly resigned his life membership in the organization after receiving a form letter from NRA depicting agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms as `` jack - booted thugs. '' He called the NRA letter a `` vicious slander on good people. '' Points of Light Main article : Points of Light President Bush devoted attention to voluntary service as a means of solving some of America 's most serious social problems. He often used the `` thousand points of light '' theme to describe the power of citizens to solve community problems. In his 1989 inaugural address, President Bush said, `` I have spoken of a thousand points of light, of all the community organizations that are spread like stars throughout the Nation, doing good. '' Four years later, in his report to the nation on The Points of Light Movement, President Bush said, `` Points of Light are the soul of America. They are ordinary people who reach beyond themselves to touch the lives of those in need, bringing hope and opportunity, care and friendship. By giving so generously of themselves, these remarkable individuals show us not only what is best in our heritage but what all of us are called to become. '' In 1990, the Points of Light Foundation was created as a nonprofit organization in Washington to promote this spirit of volunteerism. In 2007, the Points of Light Foundation merged with the Hands On Network with the goal of strengthening volunteerism, streamlining costs and services and deepening impact. Points of Light, the organization created through this merger, has approximately 250 affiliates in 22 countries and partnerships with thousands of nonprofits and companies dedicated to volunteer service around the world. In 2012, Points of Light mobilized 4 million volunteers in 30 million hours of service worth $635 million. On October 16, 2009, President Barack Obama held a Presidential Forum on Service hosted by former President George H.W. Bush and Points of Light at the George Bush Presidential Library Center on the campus of Texas A&M University. The event celebrated the contributions of more than 4,500 Daily Point of Light award winners and honored President Bush 's legacy of service and civic engagement. In 2011, Points of Light paid tribute to President George H.W. Bush and volunteer service at Washington, D.C. 's Kennedy Center. President Bush was joined by Presidents Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush to highlight the role volunteer service plays in people 's lives. Daily Point of Light Award President Bush created the Daily Point of Light Award in 1989 to recognize ordinary Americans from all walks of life taking direct and consequential voluntary action in their communities to solve serious social problems. The President focused great attention on these individuals and organizations, both to honor them for their tremendous work and to call the nation to join them and multiply their efforts. By the end of his administration, President Bush had recognized 1,020 Daily Points of Light representing all 50 states and addressing issues ranging from care for infants and teenagers with AIDS to adult illiteracy and from gang violence to job training for the homeless. The Daily Point of Light continues to be awarded by Points of Light and President Bush continues to sign all of the awards. On July 15, 2013, President Barack Obama welcomed President Bush to the White House to celebrate the 5,000 th Daily Point of Light Award. They bestowed the award on Floyd Hammer and Kathy Hamilton of Union, Iowa, for their work founding Outreach, a nonprofit that delivers free meals to hungry children in 15 countries. Judicial appointments Supreme Court Main article : George H.W. Bush Supreme Court candidates Bush appointed the following Justices to the Supreme Court of the United States : David Souter -- 1990 Clarence Thomas -- 1991 Other courts Main article : List of federal judges appointed by George H.W. Bush In addition to his two Supreme Court appointments, Bush appointed 42 judges to the United States Courts of Appeals, and 148 judges to the United States district courts. Among these appointments was Vaughn R. Walker, who would later be revealed to be the earliest known gay federal judge. Bush also experienced a number of judicial appointment controversies, as 11 nominees for 10 federal appellate judgeships were not processed by the Democratically - controlled Senate Judiciary Committee. Foreign policy Bush speaks on the telephone regarding Operation Just Cause as General Brent Scowcroft and Chief of Staff John H. Sununu look on, 1989 Main article : Foreign policy of the George H.W. Bush administration Panama Main article : United States invasion of Panama In the 1980s, Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega, a once U.S. - supportive leader who was later accused of spying for Fidel Castro and using Panama to traffic drugs into the United States, was one of the most recognizable names in America and was constantly in the press. The struggle to remove him from power began in the Reagan administration, when economic sanctions were imposed on the country ; this included prohibiting American companies and government from making payments to Panama and freezing $56 million in Panamanian funds in American banks. Reagan sent more than 2,000 American troops to Panama as well. Unlike Reagan, Bush was able to remove Noriega from power, but his administration 's unsuccessful post-invasion planning hindered the needs of Panama during the establishment of the young democratic government. In May 1989, Panama held democratic elections, in which Guillermo Endara was elected president ; the results were then annulled by Noriega 's government. In response, Bush sent 2,000 more troops to the country, where they began conducting regular military exercises in Panamanian territory ( in violation of prior treaties ). Bush then removed an embassy and ambassador from the country, and dispatched additional troops to Panama to prepare the way for an upcoming invasion. Noriega suppressed an October military coup attempt and massive protests in Panama against him, but after a U.S. serviceman was shot by Panamanian forces in December 1989, Bush ordered 24,000 troops into the country with an objective of removing Noriega from power ; `` Operation Just Cause '' was a large - scale American military operation, and the first in more than 40 years that was not related to the Cold War. The mission was controversial, but American forces achieved control of the country and Endara assumed the presidency. Noriega surrendered to the United States and was convicted and imprisoned on racketeering and drug trafficking charges in April 1992. President Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush visited Panama in June 1992, to give support to the first post-invasion Panamanian government. Soviet Union See also : Dissolution of the Soviet Union, New world order ( politics ), A World Transformed, and History of the United States ( 1980 - 91 ) § The end of the Cold War Bush and Mikhail Gorbachev in Helsinki summit in 1990 In 1989, just after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Bush met with Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev in a conference on the Mediterranean island of Malta. The administration had been under intense pressure to meet with the Soviets, but not all initially found the Malta Summit to be a step in the right direction ; General Brent Scowcroft, among others, was apprehensive about the meeting, saying that it might be `` premature '' due to concerns where, according to Condoleezza Rice, `` expectations ( would be ) set that something was going to happen, where the Soviets might grandstand and force ( the U.S. ) into agreements that would ultimately not be good for the United States. '' But European leaders, including François Mitterrand and Margaret Thatcher, encouraged Bush to meet with Gorbachev, something that he did December 2 and 3, 1989. Though no agreements were signed, the meeting was viewed largely as being an important one ; when asked about nuclear war, Gorbachev responded, `` I assured the President of the United States that the Soviet Union would never start a hot war against the United States of America. And we would like our relations to develop in such a way that they would open greater possibilities for cooperation... This is just the beginning. We are just at the very beginning of our road, long road to a long - lasting, peaceful period. '' The meeting was received as a very important step to the end of the Cold War. Another summit was held in July 1991, where the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty ( START I ) was signed by Bush and Gorbachev in Moscow. The treaty took nine years in the making and was the first major arms agreement since the signing of the Intermediate Ranged Nuclear Forces Treaty by Reagan and Gorbachev in 1987. The contentions in START would reduce the strategic nuclear weapons of the United States and the USSR by about 35 % over seven years, and the Soviet Union 's land - based intercontinental ballistic missiles would be cut by 50 %. Bush described START as `` a significant step forward in dispelling half a century of mistrust ''. After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, President Bush and Gorbachev declared a U.S. - Russian strategic partnership, marking the end of the Cold War. Gulf War Main article : Gulf War President Bush visits American troops in Saudi Arabia on Thanksgiving Day, 1990 On August 2, 1990, Iraq, led by Saddam Hussein, invaded its oil - rich neighbor to the south, Kuwait ; Bush condemned the invasion and began rallying opposition to Iraq in the US and among European, Asian, and Middle Eastern allies. Secretary of Defense Richard Bruce `` Dick '' Cheney traveled to Saudi Arabia to meet with King Fahd ; Fahd requested US military aid in the matter, fearing a possible invasion of his country as well. The request was met initially with Air Force fighter jets. Iraq made attempts to negotiate a deal that would allow the country to take control of half of Kuwait. Bush rejected this proposal and insisted on a complete withdrawal of Iraqi forces. The planning of a ground operation by US - led coalition forces began forming in September 1990, headed by General Norman Schwarzkopf. Bush spoke before a joint session of the U.S. Congress regarding the authorization of air and land attacks, laying out four immediate objectives : `` Iraq must withdraw from Kuwait completely, immediately, and without condition. Kuwait 's legitimate government must be restored. The security and stability of the Persian Gulf must be assured. And American citizens abroad must be protected. '' He then outlined a fifth, long - term objective : `` Out of these troubled times, our fifth objective -- a new world order -- can emerge : a new era -- freer from the threat of terror, stronger in the pursuit of justice, and more secure in the quest for peace. An era in which the nations of the world, East and West, North and South, can prosper and live in harmony... A world where the rule of law supplants the rule of the jungle. A world in which nations recognize the shared responsibility for freedom and justice. A world where the strong respect the rights of the weak. '' With the United Nations Security Council opposed to Iraq 's violence, Congress authorized the use of military force with a set goal of returning control of Kuwait to the Kuwaiti government, and protecting America 's interests abroad. Bush meets with Robert Gates, General Colin Powell, Secretary Dick Cheney and others about the situation in the Persian Gulf and Operation Desert Shield, January 15, 1991 Early on the morning of January 17, 1991, allied forces launched the first attack, which included more than 4,000 bombing runs by coalition aircraft. This pace would continue for the next four weeks, until a ground invasion was launched on February 24, 1991. Allied forces penetrated Iraqi lines and pushed toward Kuwait City while on the west side of the country, forces were intercepting the retreating Iraqi army. Bush made the decision to stop the offensive after a mere 100 hours. Critics labeled this decision premature, as hundreds of Iraqi forces were able to escape ; Bush responded by saying that he wanted to minimize U.S. casualties. Opponents further charged that Bush should have continued the attack, pushing Hussein 's army back to Baghdad, then removing him from power. Bush explained that he did not give the order to overthrow the Iraqi government because it would have `` incurred incalculable human and political costs... We would have been forced to occupy Baghdad and, in effect, rule Iraq. '' Bush 's approval ratings skyrocketed after the successful offensive. Additionally, President Bush and Secretary of State Baker felt the coalition victory had increased U.S. prestige abroad and believed there was a window of opportunity to use the political capital generated by the coalition victory to revitalize the Arab - Israeli peace process. The administration immediately returned to Arab - Israeli peacemaking following the end of the Gulf War ; this resulted in the Madrid Conference, later in 1991. Somali Civil War Main article : Somali Civil War Faced with a humanitarian disaster in Somalia that was exacerbated by a complete breakdown in civil order, the United Nations had created the UNOSOM I mission in April 1992 to aid the situation through humanitarian efforts, though the mission failed. The Bush administration proposed American aid to the region by assisting in creating a secure environment for humanitarian efforts and UN Resolution 794 was unanimously adopted by the Security Council on December 3, 1992. A lame duck president, Bush launched Operation Restore Hope the following day under which the United States would assume command in accordance with Resolution 794. Fighting would escalate and continue into the Clinton administration. Japan During an April 28, 1989 appearance in the press room of the White House, Bush announced that the U.S. would continue a deal with Japan to produce the FSX advanced fighter jet. He said that promises had been made that American jobs and technology would be safe and the proposal would bolster security for both the U.S. and Japan. On November 21, 1989, Bush signed a measure that guaranteed reparations to Japanese - Americans who were relocated into internment camps during World War II. Congress authorized US $20,000 ( equivalent to $39,485 in 2017 ) for each survivor. On March 12, 1990, Bush met for an hour with former Prime Minister of Japan Noboru Takeshita to discuss shared economic issues and `` the fact that their solution will require extraordinary efforts on both sides of the Pacific. '' On December 6, 1991, Japanese Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa apologized to the United States for the attack on Pearl Harbor. The following day -- which was the fiftieth anniversary of the attack -- Bush accepted Japan 's apology for the attack that drew the United States into World War II. Bush urged that progress be made in improving relations between the U.S. and Japan. Israel On June 18, 1990, White House Press Secretary Marlin Fitzwater confirmed President Bush had sent Prime Minister of Israel Yitzhak Shamir a letter in which he congratulated the latter on his election and urged him to support the proposed `` Shamir initiative for peace '', which would involve the participation of Palestinian Arabians in local elections. On June 20, Bush suspended American dialogue with the Palestine Liberation Organization for the latter 's refusal to condemn the Palestinian guerrilla raid of an Israeli beach the previous month. On August 11, 1992, following a meeting between President Bush and Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, Bush announced he would seek the approval of Congress to bestow Israel up to $10 billion in loan guarantees to assist the country with its absorbing of Soviet Union immigrants. NAFTA Main article : North American Free Trade Agreement Standing : President Carlos Salinas, President Bush, Prime Minister Brian Mulroney ; Seated : Jaime Serra Puche, Carla Hills, and Michael Wilson at the NAFTA Initialing Ceremony, October 1992 The Bush administration and the Progressive Conservative Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney spearheaded the negotiations of the North American Free Trade Agreement ( NAFTA ). The agreement would eliminate the majority of tariffs on products that were traded among the United States, Canada, and Mexico. This would encourage trade among the countries. The treaty also restricted patents, copyrights, and trademarks, and outlined the removal of investment restrictions among the three countries. President Bush announced the completion of NAFTA during a Rose Garden appearance on August 12, 1992, calling it the `` beginning of a new era ''. The agreement came under heavy scrutiny amongst mainly Democrats, who charged that NAFTA resulted in a loss of American jobs. NAFTA also contained no provisions for labor rights ; according to the Bush administration, the trade agreement would generate economic resources necessary to enable Mexico 's government to overcome problems of funding and enforcement of its labor laws. Bush needed a renewal of negotiating authority to move forward with the NAFTA trade talks. Such authority would enable the president to negotiate a trade accord that would be submitted to Congress for a vote, thereby avoiding a situation in which the president would be required to renegotiate with trading partners those parts of an agreement that Congress wished to change. While initial signing was possible during his term, negotiations made slow, but steady, progress. President Clinton would go on to make the passage of NAFTA a priority for his administration, despite its conservative and Republican roots -- with the addition of two side agreements -- to achieve its passage in 1993. The treaty has since been defended as well as criticized further. The American economy has grown 54 % since the adoption of NAFTA in 1993, with 25 million new jobs created ; this was seen by some as evidence of NAFTA being beneficial to the United States. With talk in early 2008 regarding a possible American withdrawal from the treaty, Carlos M. Gutierrez, current United States Secretary of Commerce, writes, `` Quitting NAFTA would send economic shock waves throughout the world, and the damage would start here at home. '' But John J. Sweeney, President of the AFL - CIO, wrote in The Boston Globe that `` the U.S. trade deficit with Canada and Mexico ballooned to 12 times its pre-NAFTA size, reaching $111 billion in 2004. '' Pardons Main article : List of people pardoned by George H.W. Bush In keeping with tradition, Bush issued a series of pardons during his last days in office. On December 24, 1992, he granted executive clemency to six former government employees implicated in the Iran - Contra scandal of the late 1980s, most prominently former Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger. Bush described Weinberger, who was scheduled to stand trial on January 5, 1993, for criminal charges related to Iran - Contra, as a `` true American patriot ''. In addition to Weinberger, Bush pardoned Duane R. Clarridge, Clair E. George, Robert C. McFarlane, Elliott Abrams, and Alan G. Fiers Jr., all of whom had been indicted and / or convicted of criminal charges by an Independent Counsel headed by Lawrence Walsh. Honorary Degrees George H.W. Bush has received honorary degrees from several American and International Universities, including : Year School and location Degree 1981 Howard University, Washington, D.C. Doctor of Laws ( LL. D ) 1981 Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, Connecticut Doctor of Laws ( LL. D ) 1982 Miami University, Oxford, Ohio Doctor of Laws ( LL. D ) Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio Doctor of Humane Letters ( L.H.D. ) Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas Doctorate 1990 Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma Doctor of Economics 1990 Liberty University, Lynchburg, Virginia Doctor of Humanities ( HH. D. ) 1991 Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey Doctor of Laws ( LL. D ) 1995 College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia Doctor of Laws ( LL. D ) 1999 Central Connecticut State University, New Britain, Connecticut Doctor of Laws ( LL. D ) 1999 Washington College, Chestertown, Maryland Doctor of Public Service ( D.P.S. ) 2009 University of Macau, Macau, China Doctor of Social Sciences 2011 Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire Doctor of Laws ( LL. D ) 2014 Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts Doctor of Laws ( LL. D ) 2016 National Intelligence University, Bethesda, Maryland Doctor of Strategic Intelligence This list is incomplete ; you can help by expanding it. Awards and honors In 1990, Time magazine named him the Man of the Year. In 1991, the U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation awarded Bush its Lone Sailor award for his naval service and his subsequent government service. In 1993, he was made an Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath by Queen Elizabeth II. In 2009, he received the PGA Tour Lifetime Achievement Award. 1992 presidential campaign Main article : United States presidential election, 1992 In early 1992, Bush announced that he would seek a second term. A coalition victory in the Persian Gulf War and high approval ratings made re-election seem likely. As a result, many leading Democrats declined to seek their party 's presidential nomination. On the negative side, Bush 's popularity was reduced by an economic recession and doubts of whether he properly ended the Gulf War. Conservative political columnist Pat Buchanan challenged Bush for the Republican nomination. He shocked political pundits by finishing second, with 37 % of the vote in the New Hampshire primary. Bush responded by adopting more conservative positions on issues, in an attempt to undermine Buchanan 's base. Once he had secured the nomination, Bush faced his Democratic challenger, Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton. Clinton attacked Bush as a politician who was not doing enough to assist the working middle - class and being `` out of touch '' with the common man, a notion reinforced by reporter Andrew Rosenthal 's false report that Bush was `` astonished '' to see a demonstration of a supermarket scanner. The 1992 presidential electoral votes by state In early 1992, the race took an unexpected twist when Texas billionaire H. Ross Perot launched a third party bid, claiming that neither Republicans nor Democrats could eliminate the deficit and make government more efficient. His message appealed to voters across the political spectrum disappointed with both parties ' perceived fiscal irresponsibility. Perot later bowed out of the race for a short time, then reentered. Clinton had originally been in the lead, until Perot reentered, tightening the race significantly. As Election Day neared, the polls suggested that the race was a dead - heat, but Clinton pulled out on top, with 370 electoral votes to Bush 's 168 votes. Perot won 19 % of the popular vote, one of the highest totals for a third party candidate in U.S. history, drawing equally from both major candidates, according to exit polls. Several key factors led to Bush 's defeat. The ailing economy that arose from recession may have been the main factor in Bush 's loss. On Election Day, 7 in 10 voters said that the economy was either `` not so good '' or `` poor ''. On the eve of the 1992 election, after unemployment reports of 7.8 % appeared ( the highest since 1984 ), Economic recession had contributed to a sharp decline in his approval rating -- to just 37 %. Conservative Republicans pointed out that Bush 's 1990 agreement to raise taxes contradicted his famous `` Read my lips : no new taxes '' pledge. In doing so, Bush alienated many members of his conservative base, losing their support for his re-election. According to one survey, of the voters who cited Bush 's broken `` No New Taxes '' pledge as `` very important '', two thirds voted for Bill Clinton. Bush had raised taxes in an attempt to address an increasing budget deficit, which has largely been attributed to the Reagan tax cuts and military spending of the 1980s. The tax revenue increase had not hurt his approval ratings to the extent that it prevented it from reaching 89 % during the Gulf War, four months after the tax vote. By February 1991 his approval rating rose to its highest level -- 89 %. Public image Bush visits NAS JRB, New Orleans personnel before he receives briefs on the status of Joint Task Force Katrina relief efforts, October 2005 George Bush was widely seen as a `` pragmatic caretaker '' president who lacked a unified and compelling long - term theme in his efforts. Indeed, Bush 's sound bite where he refers to the issue of overarching purpose as `` the vision thing '' has become a metonym applied to other political figures accused of similar difficulties. `` He does not say why he wants to be there '', wrote columnist George Will, `` so the public does not know why it should care if he gets his way ''. His Ivy League and prep school education led to warnings by advisors that his image was too `` preppy '' in 1980, which resulted in deliberate efforts in his 1988 campaign to shed the image, including meeting voters at factories and shopping malls, abandoning set speeches. His ability to gain broad international support for the Gulf War and the war 's result were seen as both a diplomatic and military triumph, rousing bipartisan approval, though his decision to withdraw without removing Saddam Hussein left mixed feelings, and attention returned to the domestic front and a souring economy. A New York Times article mistakenly depicted Bush as being surprised to see a supermarket barcode reader ; the report of his reaction exacerbated the notion that he was `` out of touch ''. Amid the early 1990s recession, his image shifted from `` conquering hero '' to `` politician befuddled by economic matters ''. Although Bush became the first elected Republican president since Hoover in 1932 to lose a reelection bid ( facing a 34 % approval rating leading up to the 1992 election ), the mood did not last. Despite his defeat, Bush climbed back from election day approval levels to leave office in 1993 with a 56 % job approval rating. By December 2008, 60 % of Americans gave Bush 's presidency a positive rating. Post-presidency ( 1993 -- present ) Clinton presidency Upon leaving office, Bush retired with his wife, Barbara, and temporarily moved into a friend 's house near the Tanglewood community of Houston as they prepared to build a permanent retirement house nearby. Ultimately they built their retirement house in the community of West Oaks, near Tanglewood. They had a presidential office within the Park Laureate Building on Memorial Drive. Mimi Swartz of National Geographic wrote that `` The Bushes are too studiously sedate to live in River Oaks ''. They spend the summer at Walker 's Point in Kennebunkport, Maine. In 1993, Bush was awarded an honorary knighthood ( GCB ) by Queen Elizabeth II. He was the third American president to receive the honor, the others being Dwight D. Eisenhower and Ronald Reagan. In 1993, Bush was targeted in an assassination plot when he visited Kuwait to commemorate the coalition 's victory over Iraq in the Gulf War. Kuwaiti authorities arrested 17 people who were allegedly involved in using a car bomb to kill Bush. Through interviews with the suspects and examinations of the bomb 's circuitry and wiring, the FBI established that the plot had been directed by the Iraqi Intelligence Service. A Kuwaiti court later convicted all but one of the defendants. Two months later, Clinton retaliated when he ordered the firing of 23 cruise missiles at Iraqi Intelligence Service headquarters in Baghdad. The day before the strike, U.S. Ambassador to the UN Madeleine Albright went before the Security Council to present evidence of the Iraqi plot. After the missiles were fired, Vice President Al Gore said the attack `` was intended to be a proportionate response at the place where this plot '' to assassinate Bush `` was hatched and implemented ''. In September 1993, Bush and other living former presidents were invited back to the White House for an Arab - Israeli peace accord. They also made the case to Clinton for a repeal of NAFTA. In April 1994, Bush attended the funeral of Richard Nixon. In the 1994 gubernatorial elections, his sons George W. and Jeb concurrently ran for Governor of Texas and Governor of Florida. The elder Bush frequently telephoned campaign headquarters for updates on the race. George W. won his race against Ann Richards while Jeb lost to Lawton Chiles. After the results came in, the elder Bush told ABC, `` I have very mixed emotions. Proud father, is the way I would sum it all up. '' Jeb would again run for governor of Florida in 1998 and win at the same time that his brother George W. won re-election in Texas just two years prior to his election as President. From 1993 to 1999 he served as the chairman of the board of trustees for Eisenhower Fellowships, and from 2007 to 2009 was chairman of the National Constitution Center. On September 28, 1994, Bush said he was opposed to sending American troops to Haiti, citing his loss of confidence in President of Haiti Jean - Bertrand Aristide while speaking to business and civic leaders in Houston. In an October 22, 1994 speech in Cancun, Mexico, Bush said history would vindicate him for not attempting to force Saddam Hussein out of power while in office : `` The Mideast peace talks that offer hope to the world would never have started if we had done that. The Arabs would never have talked to us. '' On July 17, 1995, Bush returned to the White House for the unveiling of his official portrait in an East Room ceremony attended by former members of his administration. In September 1995, Bush met with President of Vietnam Lê Đức Anh and party secretary Đỗ Mười in Vietnam. On September 2, Bush and his son George W. participated in a parade commemorating World War II in Fredericksburg, Texas, where the elder Bush reasoned the US had become united in the aftermath of the Pearl Harbor attack and stressed America would have to stay involved in world affairs to continue its unity. On July 26, 1996, Bush met with Republican presidential candidate Bob Dole and pledged he would do everything in his power to aid in securing a victory for Dole in the upcoming presidential election. The two met again in October while Dole was preparing for upcoming debates with President Clinton. Bush 's experience with debating Clinton prompting Dole to seek out his advice. In 1997, the Houston Intercontinental Airport was renamed George Bush Intercontinental Airport. In February 1997, Bush endorsed the chemical weapon banning treaty supported by United States Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, saying the US would need to approve the treaty ahead of the April deadline. In April 1997, Bush gave a speech at a convocation of a weekend conference analyzing his presidency and joined President Bill Clinton, former President Ford, and Nancy Reagan in signing the `` Summit Declaration of Commitment '' in advocating for participation by private citizens in solving domestic issues within the United States. In August 1997, Bush agreed to be interviewed by The New York Times, as long as he would not be portrayed as giving credit to himself over the balanced budget deal that was composed by President Clinton and House Speaker Newt Gingrich. During a telephone interview, he stated his belief that history would show that his administration laid the groundwork for the agreement. President Bush is Honorary Chairman of Points of Light, an international nonprofit dedicated to engaging more people and resources in solving serious social problems through voluntary service. In January 1999, Bush spoke in the Old Senate chamber as part of a lecture series for Senators in an address warning against the collapse of political decorum and invasions into the privacy of individuals. In February 1999, Bush was part of the American delegation to the funeral of Hussein of Jordan in Amman. In April 1999, Bush called for the release of former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet when Spain had him arrested and sought to try him for human rights violations. In May 1999, Bush and his wife Barbara honored six senior citizens during the annual Ageless Heroes honors in Chicago, Illinois. George W. Bush presidency George and Barbara Bush, 2001 His eldest son, George W. Bush, was inaugurated as the 43rd president of the United States on January 20, 2001, and re-elected in 2004. Through previous administrations, the elder Bush had ubiquitously been known as `` George Bush '' or `` President Bush '', but following his son 's election the need to distinguish between them has made retronymic forms such as `` George H.W. Bush '' and `` George Bush senior '' and colloquialisms such as `` Bush 41 '' and `` Bush the Elder '' much more common. H.W. Bush was traveling to Minnesota for a speaking engagement on the day of the September 11 attacks. George W. made multiple calls to get in contact with his father before the two men reconnected after the elder Bush had gone to a Brookfield, Wisconsin motel. Bush told biographer Jon Meacham that his son 's vice president, Dick Cheney, underwent a change following the September 11 attacks : `` His seeming knuckling under to the real hard - charging guys who want to fight about everything, use force to get our way in the Middle East. '' In December 2002, George W. sought counsel from the elder Bush regarding Iraq and informed him of `` my efforts to rally the Saudis, Jordanians, Turks, and others in the Middle East ''. Following the fall of Baghdad, Bush praised George W. in an April 2003 email to the incumbent president. In a September 14, 2003 interview with BBC, Bush stated his support for a continuation of his son 's war against terrorism and the US was in a better state in terms of protecting itself from terrorism than two years prior. While visiting Houston VA Medical Center on December 17, Bush told reporters of his satisfaction with the capture of Saddam Hussein. President and Mrs. Bush attended the state funeral of Ronald Reagan in June 2004, and of Gerald Ford in January 2007. One month later, he was awarded the Ronald Reagan Freedom Award in Beverly Hills, California, by former First Lady Nancy Reagan. Despite Bush 's political differences with Bill Clinton, reports have acknowledged that the two former presidents have become friends. He and Clinton appeared together in television ads in 2005, encouraging aid for victims of Hurricane Katrina and the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. In October 2004, Bush endorsed Pete Sessions and Ted Poe in Texas congressional races. In February 2006, Bush delivered a eulogy at the funeral of Coretta Scott King. On March 2, 2006, President Bush announced that his father would lead the American delegation to the inauguration of President - elect of the Republic of Portugal Anibal Cavaco Silva. In September 2006, Bush campaigned for New Jersey Senate candidate Thomas Kean Jr., praising him as well as stating his respect for Kean calling on the resignation of US Defense Secretary Rumsfeld. Kean went on to lose the election. The following month, he was honored by the National Italian American Foundation ( NIAF ) with the NIAF One America Award for fundraising, with Bill Clinton, for the victims of the 2004 tsunami and Hurricane Katrina. On February 18, 2008, Bush formally endorsed Senator John McCain for President of the United States. The endorsement offered a boost to McCain 's campaign, because the Arizona Senator had been facing criticism among many conservatives. During a trip to Tokyo, Japan, Bush said that he would campaign vigorously against Senator Hillary Clinton if she were to initiate a presidential bid. In March 2008, Bush met with President of the People 's Republic of China Hu Jintao, who praised Bush for his attempts at harmonizing relations between the US and China. During an address at the University of Kansas on November 16, 2008, Bush said that President - elect Obama would encounter diverse issues upon taking office and experience a wave of enthusiasm. On January 10, 2009, George H.W. and George W. Bush were both present at the commissioning of USS George H.W. Bush ( CVN - 77 ), the tenth and last Nimitz - class supercarrier of the United States Navy. Bush paid a visit to the carrier again on May 26, 2009. Obama presidency In June 2009, Bush came out in support for Sonia Sotomayor to receive fair hearings in her nomination for Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. `` She was called by somebody a racist once. That 's not right. I mean, that 's not fair. It does n't help the process. You 're out there name - calling. So let them decide who they want to vote for and get on with it. '' In October 2009, Bush criticized the rampant criticism of the current times, reflecting that he did not receive such `` day in and day out '' during his presidency and named Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow of MSNBC as examples ; he called the two `` sick puppies. '' Also during that month, on October 16, Bush joined President Barack Obama onstage at Texas A&M University for a promotion of volunteering. Following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, Bush was an avid golfer. In 2011, he was inducted in the World Golf Hall of Fame. On February 15, 2011, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom -- the highest civilian honor in the United States -- by President Barack Obama. On March 29, 2012, Bush endorsed Mitt Romney for the Republican presidential nomination in the 2012 Presidential election. NBC News reported that Bush had chosen to support Romney three months prior. In July 2013, Bush had his head shaved in a show of support for the two - year - old son of a member of his security detail, who had leukemia. On July 7, Bush met with Gabrielle Giffords for part of her week - long Rights and Responsibilities Tour advocating expanded background checks in relation to firearm purchases. In April 2014, Frederick D. McClure, chief executive of the Bush library foundation, organized a three - day gathering in College Park, Texas, to mark the 25th anniversary of the Bush administration. Also in early 2014, the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation presented the Profile in Courage Award to Bush and Mount Vernon awarded him its first Cyrus A. Ansary Prize. The Kennedy foundation award was presented by Jack Schlossberg, the late president 's grandson, to Lauren Bush Lauren, who accepted on her grandfather 's behalf. The Ansary prize was presented in Houston with Ansary, Barbara Lucas, Ryan C. Crocker, dean of the Bush school since January 2010, Barbara Bush, and Curt Viebranz in attendance with the former president. Bush directed $50,000 of the prize to the Bush school at Texas A&M, and $25,000 will fund an animation about the Siege of Yorktown for Mt. Vernon. Viebranz and Lucas represented Mount Vernon at the presentation. On June 12, 2014, Bush fulfilled a long - standing promise by skydiving on his 90th birthday. He made the parachute jump from a helicopter near his home at 11 : 15 a.m. in Kennebunkport, Maine. The jump marked the eighth time the former president had skydived, including jumps on his 80th and 85th birthday as well. He had tweeted about the incident prior to the jump, saying `` It 's a wonderful day in Maine -- in fact, nice enough for a parachute jump. '' Bush and his wife Barbara with Vice President Mike Pence and his wife Karen ( far left ), 2017. The woman adjacent to Mike Pence is his daughter Charlotte. On December 7, 2016, Bush and former Senator Bob Dole commemorated the 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor by appearing at the Bush Center of Texas A&M University. 2016 election In November 2014, George W. confirmed that his father wanted Jeb to launch a presidential bid in 2016. Jeb decided to run for president, but struggled and withdrew from the Republican primary in the wave of anti-establishment sentiment led by Donald Trump. Both Bushes emerged as frequent critics of Trump 's policies and speaking style, with Trump frequently criticizing George W. Bush 's presidency. George H.W. Bush later said that he voted for the Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton, in the general election instead of Trump. After Trump won the election, Bush sent him a congratulatory message. Trump presidency On February 5, 2017, George and Barbara Bush participated in the coin toss for Super Bowl LI. On May 18, 2017, after the death of Roger Ailes, Bush tweeted, `` He was n't perfect, but Roger Ailes was my friend & I loved him. Not sure I would have been President w / o his great talent, loyal help. RIP. '' On August 16, 2017, Bush and his son George W. released a joint statement in which they condemned the violence at the Unite the Right rally. On September 7, 2017, Bush partnered with former presidents Carter, Clinton, George W. Bush, and Obama to work with One America Appeal to help the victims of Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma in the Gulf Coast and Texas communities. Health In 1991, The New York Times revealed that Bush was suffering from Graves ' disease, a non-contagious thyroid condition that his wife Barbara also had. On February 24, 2000, Bush was standing at a reception for 90 minutes when he felt lightheaded. He was admitted to a hospital with an irregular heartbeat. When Bush was released three days later, his doctors said that he had retained the irregularity in his heartbeat. On March 11, 2007, Bush fainted on a golf course and was admitted to the Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, but was released the following morning. Bush suffers from vascular parkinsonism, a form of Parkinson 's disease that has forced him to use a motorized scooter or wheelchair since at least 2012. In July 2015, Bush suffered a severe neck injury. At age 91 in October that year, he was wearing a neck brace in his first public engagement since the accident when he threw the ceremonial first pitch for the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. Bush wrote a letter to president - elect Donald Trump in January 2017 to inform him that because of his poor health, he would not be able to attend Trump 's inauguration on January 20 ; he gave him his best wishes. On January 18, he was admitted to the intensive care unit at Houston Methodist Hospital, where he was sedated for a procedure to treat an acute respiratory problem that was stemming from pneumonia. Three months later, he experienced a recurrence of pneumonia and was hospitalized. On April 22, 2018 -- the day after his wife 's funeral -- the former president was hospitalized with a blood infection. The infection led to sepsis. One month later, he was briefly hospitalized again, after experiencing fatigue and low blood pressure. Sexual misconduct allegations In October 2017, during the # MeToo movement, actress Heather Lind accused Bush of groping her and telling an inappropriate joke. Eight other women subsequently made similar allegations, including Christina Baker Kline and Roslyn Corrigan ( who was 16 years old at the time of the alleged incident ). Bush has apologized for these incidents through his spokesman, Jim McGrath. Longevity On November 25, 2017, Bush became the longest - lived U.S. president when he surpassed the 93 years and 165 days lifespan of Gerald Ford, who died in 2006. Bush is currently 94 years, 78 days old, and he is the nation 's oldest living president as well as the oldest living vice president. He is also the first president to reach the age of 94, reaching that milestone on June 12, 2018. The longest - lived U.S. vice president is John Nance Garner, who died on November 7, 1967, 15 days short of his 99th birthday. Presidential Library Main article : George Bush Presidential Library The George Bush Presidential Library on the west campus of Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas The George Bush Presidential Library is the nation 's tenth presidential library and was built between 1995 and 1997. It contains the presidential and vice presidential papers of Bush and the vice presidential papers of Dan Quayle. It was dedicated on November 6, 1997 and opened to the public shortly thereafter ; the architectural firm of Hellmuth, Obata and Kassabaum designed the complex. The George Bush Presidential Library and Museum is located on a 90 - acre ( 360,000 m ) site on the west campus of Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, on a plaza adjoining the Presidential Conference Center and the Texas A&M Academic Center. The Library operates under NARA 's administration and the provisions of the Presidential Libraries Act of 1955. The Bush School of Government and Public Service is a graduate public policy school at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. The graduate school is part of the presidential library complex, and offers four programs : two master 's degree programs ( Public Service and Administration, and International Affairs ) and three certificate programs ( Advanced International Affairs, Nonprofit Management, and Homeland Security ). The Master in International Affairs ( MIA ) degree program offers concentrations in either National Security and Diplomacy or International Development and Economic Policy. See also Book : George H.W. Bush Electoral history of George H.W. Bush List of Presidents of the United States by previous experience Bush delivers a eulogy to Ronald Reagan, June 11, 2004, in the Washington National Cathedral Bush, along with President George W. Bush, First Lady Laura Bush, Bill Clinton, Condoleezza Rice, and Andrew Card pay their respects to Pope John Paul II during the pope 's funeral, 2005 George H.W. Bush with son President George W. Bush and China 's President Hu Jintao in Beijing, People 's Republic of China, August 10, 2008 Capt. Kevin E. O'Flaherty, commanding officer of the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush, escorts former President George H.W. Bush, 2009 Bush meets President Barack Obama in the Oval Office, January 30, 2010 References Jump up ^ `` Presidential Avenue : George Bush ''. Presidential Avenue. Archived from the original on October 8, 2007. Retrieved March 29, 2008. Jump up ^ Eun Kyung Kim ( 14 August 2015 ). `` Jenna Bush Hager welcomes second daughter -- named after George H.W. Bush ''. Today.com. The new bundle of joy is named after Jenna 's grandfather and former President George H.W. Bush, whose nickname growing up was `` Poppy. 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Jump up ^ Andrew Sparrow. `` Gordon Brown 's Labour conference speech - live ''. the Guardian. Jump up ^ Apple Jr, R.W. ( February 10, 1988 ). `` Bush and Simon Seen as Hobbled by Iowa 's Voting ''. The New York Times. Retrieved April 4, 2008. Jump up ^ `` New Hampshire : Picking a President ''. The History Channel. Archived from the original on April 24, 2008. Retrieved April 4, 2008. ^ Jump up to : `` 1988 : George H.W. Bush Gives the ' Speech of his Life ' ''. NPR. 2000. Retrieved April 4, 2008. ^ Jump up to : `` 1988 : Bush wins with ' no new taxes ' promise ''. BBC News. November 9, 1988. Retrieved April 4, 2008. Jump up ^ `` The Second Bush - Dukakis Presidential Debate ''. Commission on Presidential debates. October 13, 1988. Archived from the original on April 6, 2008. Retrieved April 4, 2008. ^ Jump up to : Freidel, Frank ; Sidey, Hugh ( 2006 ). `` George H.W. Bush ''. The Presidents of the United States of America. White House Historical Association. Retrieved 15 February 2017. Jump up ^ Gallup, George W. The Gallup Poll : Public Opinion, 1991, Published 1992, Rowman & Littlefield Jump up ^ `` George H.W. Bush : Inaugural Address ''. Bushlibrary.tamu.edu. January 20, 1989. Archived from the original on April 20, 2004. Jump up ^ `` Message to the Congress Transmitting Proposed Legislation on Educational Excellence ''. George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum. April 5, 1989. Jump up ^ Henry, Tamara ( April 5, 1989 ). `` Bush honors teacher, sends Congress education package ''. UPI. Jump up ^ Greene, John Robert ( 2005 ). The Presidency of George Bush ( 2nd ed. ). Lawrence : University Press of Kansas. pp. 83 -- 86. ISBN 978 - 0 - 7006 - 2079 - 1. Jump up ^ `` Public Papers - George Bush Library and Museum ''. bush41library.tamu.edu. Jump up ^ Santos, Lori ( April 13, 1989 ). `` President journeys to New Jersey to address his education proposals ''. UPI. Jump up ^ `` Summit Targets Gaps in Education : Bush, Governors Agree on Need to Revamp U.S. Approach ''. Los Angeles Times. September 28, 1989. Jump up ^ `` Highlights of President Bush 's State of the Union speech ''. UPI. January 31, 2006. Jump up ^ Sandler, Norman D. ( January 31, 1990 ). `` Bush urges deeper troop cuts in State of the Union ''. UPI. Jump up ^ Bass, Janet ( April 19, 1991 ). `` Bush presents education reform package ''. UPI. Jump up ^ `` Remarks to Education Leaders ''. June 3, 1991. So, what we talk about in the America 2000 strategy, you put into action. And the ideas for implementing a lot of our strategy has got to come from you all and thousands like you across this country. It ca n't succeed -- we can not dictate from Washington. I am not anti-Washington. I am not antibureaucracy. We 've got some wonderful people who have given their lives in these Departments, but this program, America 2000, can not succeed if we try to do it from Washington itself. Jump up ^ `` Bush Meets With Group Seeking to Improve Educational System ''. Los Angeles Times. October 5, 1991. Jump up ^ Ferraro, Thomas ( November 25, 1991 ). `` Bush makes plug for troubled schools ''. UPI. Jump up ^ `` Statement on Signing the Higher Education Amendments of 1992 ''. George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum. July 23, 1992. Jump up ^ `` George Bush : Remarks on the 20th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing ''. Presidency.ucsb.edu. July 16, 1969. Retrieved May 22, 2011. Jump up ^ Devroy, Ann. `` Bush Vetoes Civil Rights Bill ; Measure Said to Encourage Job Quotas ; Women, Minorities Sharply Critical ''. The Washington Post October 23, 1990, Print. Note : ( Andrew Johnson and Ronald Reagan had vetoed the Civil Rights Act of 1866 and the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987, respectively, but both were successfully overridden by Congress ). Jump up ^ Holmes, Steven A. ( October 23, 1990 ). `` President Vetoes Bill on Job Rights ; Showdown is Set ''. The New York Times. Retrieved March 21, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Encyclopedia of Minorities in American Politics : African Americans and Asian Americans ''. Jeffrey D. Schultz ( 2000 ). Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 282. ISBN 1 - 57356 - 148 - 7 Jump up ^ `` The Paper curtain : employer sanctions ' implementation, impact, and reform ''. Michael Fix ( 1991 ). The Urban Institute. p. 304. ISBN 0 - 87766 - 550 - 8 Jump up ^ Feldman, Richard ( 2011 ). Ricochet : Confessions of a Gun Lobbyist. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978 - 1 - 118 - 13100 - 8. Jump up ^ Carter, Gregg Lee ( 2002 ). Guns in American Society : An Encyclopedia of History, Politics, Culture, and the Law. 1. ABC - CLIO. p. 38. ISBN 978 - 1 - 57607 - 268 - 4. Jump up ^ Tatalovich, Raymond ; Byron W. Daynes ( 1998 ). Moral controversies in American politics : cases in social regulatory policy ( 2 ed. ). M.E. Sharpe. pp. 168 -- 175. ISBN 978 - 1 - 56324 - 994 - 5. ^ Jump up to : The Points of Light Movement : The President 's Report to the Nation. Executive Office of the President, 1993. 1993. Jump up ^ Perry, Suzanne ( October 15, 2009 ). `` After Two Tough Years, New Points of Light Charity Emerges ''. Chronicle of Philanthropy. Retrieved May 23, 2013. Jump up ^ Edward, Deborah ( 2008 ). `` Getting to Yes : The Points of Light and Hands On Network Merger '' ( PDF ). RGK Center for Philanthropy and Community Service, the University of Texas at Austin. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on September 21, 2013. Retrieved May 23, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Points of Light 2012 Year in Review '' ( PDF ). Points of Light. Retrieved May 23, 2013. Jump up ^ `` President Obama to Hold Presidential Forum on Service Hosted by former President George H.W. Bush ''. The White House, Office of the Press Secretary. September 11, 2009. Archived from the original on September 21, 2013. Jump up ^ Jaffe, Matthew ( March 21, 2011 ). `` Former Presidents Gather For Tribute to George H.W. Bush and Volunteer Service ''. ABC News. Archived from the original on August 22, 2016. Retrieved July 30, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Health Matters 07 / 10 / 13 ''. Leader - Telegram. July 10, 2013. Retrieved July 11, 2013. Jump up ^ Landler, Mark ( July 15, 2013 ). `` At White House Homecoming, Elder Bush 's ' Points of Light ' Shine On ''. The New York Times. Retrieved July 18, 2013. Jump up ^ Rucker, Philip ( July 15, 2013 ). `` Obama pays tribute to George H.W. Bush ''. The Washington Post. Retrieved July 18, 2013. Jump up ^ Levine, Dan ( April 6, 2011 ). `` Gay judge never considered dropping Prop 8 case ''. Reuters. Retrieved April 6, 2011. Jump up ^ Congressional Chronicle Archived September 30, 2011, at the Wayback Machine., C - SPAN ( March 7, 2000 ). ^ Jump up to : Franklin, Jane ( 2001 ). `` Panama : Background and Buildup to Invasion of 1989 ''. Rutgers University. Retrieved April 11, 2008. ^ Jump up to : `` Prudence in Panama : George H.W. Bush, Noriega, and economic aid, May 1989 -- May 1990 ''. Texas A&M University. April 25, 2007. Archived from the original on August 7, 2011. Retrieved April 11, 2008. Jump up ^ `` Richard B. Cheney ''. United States Department of Defense. Archived from the original on April 11, 2008. Retrieved July 30, 2008. Jump up ^ Baker, Russell ( January 3, 1990 ). `` Observer ; Is This Justice Necessary ? ''. The New York Times. Retrieved December 12, 2007. Jump up ^ John Pike, ed. ( April 27, 2005 ). `` Operation Just Cause ''. Retrieved December 12, 2007. Jump up ^ `` Interview with Dr. Condoleezza Rice ''. George Washington University. December 17, 1997. Retrieved April 11, 2008. Jump up ^ See Malta Summit for more information Jump up ^ `` The Malta Summit ; Transcript of the Bush - Gorbachev News Conference in Malta ''. The New York Times. Associated Press. December 4, 1989. Retrieved April 11, 2008. 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Jump up ^ Middle East Review of International Affairs Journal Volume 6, No. 1 -- March 2002 Underwriting Peace in the Middle East : U.S. Foreign Policy and the Limits of Economic Inducements Jump up ^ `` UNITED NATIONS OPERATION IN SOMALIA I, UN Dept of Peacekeeping ''. United Nations. Retrieved May 22, 2011. Jump up ^ Security Council Resolution 794 Jump up ^ Bush, George H., Address to the Nation on the Situation in Somalia, 4 / 12 / 92 Jump up ^ Atkinson, Rick ( 1994 ). `` Night of a Thousand Casualties ''. The Washington Post ( online, January 31 ). Retrieved November 4, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Bush Clears Way for FSX Fighter Deal With Japan ''. Los Angeles Times. April 30, 1989. Jump up ^ `` Bush Signs Japanese - American Reparation Guarantee ''. Los Angeles Times. November 22, 1989. Jump up ^ Sandler, Norman D. `` Former Japanese Prime Minister Meets Bush ''. UPI. Jump up ^ Ferraro, Thomas ( December 7, 1991 ). `` Bush says U.S. appreciates ' remorse ' of Japan ''. UPI. Jump up ^ `` Bush congratulates Shamir, pushes peace process ''. UPI. June 18, 1990. Jump up ^ `` Bush Suspends Talks With PLO : Terrorism : President assails the organization 's failure to denounce a splinter group 's raid on an Israeli beach ''. Los Angeles Times. June 21, 1990. Jump up ^ Heilbronner, Steven ( August 12, 1992 ). `` Bush strikes Irael loan deal with Rabin ''. UPI. Jump up ^ `` The President 's News Conference With Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin of Israel in Kennebunkport ''. August 11, 1992. Literally hundreds of thousands of Jews from Ethiopia and from the former Soviet Union now make their homes in Israel ; and this, more than anything else, is what the Jewish state is all about. In this regard, I am extremely pleased to announce that we were able to reach agreement on the basic principles to govern the granting of up to billion in loan guarantees. I 've long been committed to supporting Israel in the historic task of absorbing immigrants, and I 'm delighted that the Prime Minister and I have agreed to an approach which will assist these new Israelis without frustrating the search for peace. We can thus pursue these two humanitarian goals at one and the same time. Jump up ^ `` Frequently Asked Questions : NAFTA ''. Federal Express. Retrieved April 11, 2008. Jump up ^ Thomas, Helen ( August 12, 1992 ). `` Bush announces new trade pact with Mexico ''. UPI. Jump up ^ `` The NAFTA Labor Side Accord ''. Human Rights Watch. Retrieved April 11, 2008. Jump up ^ `` NAFTA ''. Duke University. Archived from the original on April 20, 2008. Retrieved July 30, 2016. ^ Jump up to : Gutierrez, Carlos M ( March 1, 2008 ). `` Stop Hating on NAFTA ''. The Washington Post. Retrieved April 11, 2008. Jump up ^ Sweeney, John J ( March 21, 2005 ). `` A Bad Deal on Free Trade ''. Boston Globe. Common Dreams News Center. 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Jump up ^ Walsh, Janet ( May 16, 1982 ). `` Bush praises Reagan disarmament plan ''. UPI.com. United Press International. Retrieved December 2, 2017. Jump up ^ `` University Awards & Recognition : Honorary Degrees Awarded ''. osu.edu. Ohio State University. Retrieved December 2, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Texas A&M Honorary Degrees ''. Texas A&M University. Retrieved February 15, 2017. Jump up ^ Killackey, Jim ( April 4, 1990 ). `` OSU to Make Bush an Honorary Doctor of Economics ''. The Oklahoman. Retrieved February 5, 2018. Jump up ^ `` Jeb Bush to deliver 2015 Commencement keynote address Liberty University ''. Liberty.edu. April 15, 2015. Retrieved October 28, 2017. Jump up ^ De Looper, John ( August 1, 2011 ). `` A Princeton Degree For a Yalie : George H.W. Bush Visits Princeton, 1991 ''. The Reel Mudd. Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library, Princeton University. Retrieved April 20, 2018. Jump up ^ `` Protesters disrupt Bush lecture ''. Rochester Sentinel. March 12, 1999. Retrieved March 17, 2018. Jump up ^ `` George H.W. Bush -- Remarks ''. washcoll.edu. Chestertown, Maryland : C.V. Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience, Washington College. Retrieved April 20, 2018. Jump up ^ `` US former president George H.W. Bush honoured by UM ''. umac.mo. University of Macau. Retrieved December 2, 2017. Jump up ^ Boutwell, Susan J. ( May 12, 2011 ). `` Former President George H.W. Bush Among Nine Dartmouth Honorary Degree Recipients ''. Dartmouth College. Retrieved July 30, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Honorary Degrees ''. harvard.edu. Harvard University. Jump up ^ Clarida, Matthew Q. ; Patel, Dev A. ( May 29, 2014 ). `` Bush, Bloomberg, and Others Awarded Honorary Degrees Thursday Morning ''. thecrimson.com. Retrieved December 2, 2017. Jump up ^ by NIU ( March 23, 2016 ). `` Former President George H.W. Bush Awarded Honorary Degree -- National Intelligence University ''. Ni-u.edu. Retrieved October 28, 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` Honours : Order of the Bath ''. The British Monarchy Today. Archived from the original on May 30, 2008. Retrieved March 28, 2008. ^ Jump up to : Goldberg, Jonah ( August 22, 2008 ). `` The Corner : The Supermarket Scanner Story Cont 'd ''. National Review. Retrieved June 26, 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` Maybe I 'm Amazed ''. Snopes.com. April 1, 2001. Archived from the original on May 27, 2012. Retrieved April 11, 2008. ^ Jump up to : Rosenthal, Andrew ( February 5, 1992 ). `` Bush Encounters the Supermarket, Amazed ''. The New York Times. Retrieved November 5, 2015. Jump up ^ `` The Perot Vote ''. President and Fellows of Harvard College. Retrieved April 23, 2008. Jump up ^ Holmes, Steven A ( October 27, 1992 ). `` The 1992 Campaign : The Independent ; Bush Aide calls Perot 's story ' paranoid ' ''. The New York Times. Retrieved April 14, 2008. Jump up ^ Toner, Robin ( October 25, 1992 ). `` The 1992 Campaign : The Overview ; Contest tightens as Perot Resurges and Clinton slips ''. The New York Times. Retrieved April 14, 2008. Jump up ^ Holmes, Steven A. ( November 5, 1992 ). `` THE 1992 ELECTIONS : DISAPPOINTMENT -- NEWS ANALYSIS An Eccentric but No Joke ; Perot 's Strong Showing Raises Questions On What Might Have Been, and Might Be -- ''. The New York Times. Retrieved September 5, 2010. Jump up ^ `` George Herbert Walker Bush : Campaigns and Elections ''. Miller Center of Public Affairs. Archived from the original on April 9, 2008. Retrieved April 11, 2008. Jump up ^ R.W. Apple Jr. ( November 4, 1992 ). `` THE 1992 ELECTIONS : NEWS ANALYSIS ; The Economy 's Casualty -- ''. The New York Times. Pennsylvania ; Ohio ; New England States ( Us ) ; Michigan ; West Coast ; New Jersey ; Middle East. Retrieved September 5, 2010. Jump up ^ Lazarus, David ( June 9, 2004 ). `` Downside of the Reagan Legacy ''. The San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved April 11, 2008. Jump up ^ WSJ Research ( 2015 ). `` How the Presidents Stack Up : A Look at U.S. Presidents ' Job Approval Ratings ( George H.W. Bush ) ''. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved November 4, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Presidency on Life Support ''. Pollingreport.com. Retrieved September 5, 2010. Jump up ^ Schmalz, Jeffrey ( November 4, 1992 ). `` Clinton Carves a Path Deep Into Reagan Country ''. The New York Times. Retrieved May 21, 2008. Jump up ^ The Illusory Power of Grover Norquist Timothy Noah November 27, 2012 Jump up ^ Presidential Approval Ratings -- Gallup Historical Statistics and Trends Gallup.com Jump up ^ `` The Independent, ' ' George H.W. Bush ''. The Independent. UK. January 22, 2009. Retrieved September 5, 2010. Jump up ^ `` The Prudence Thing : George Bush 's Class Act ''. Foreign Affairs. November 1, 1998. Retrieved September 5, 2010. Jump up ^ Ajemian, Robert ( January 26, 1987 ). `` Where Is the Real George Bush ? ''. Time. Retrieved May 3, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Quotations : Oxford Dictionaries Online ''. Askoxford.com. Archived from the original on February 4, 2003. Retrieved July 30, 2016. Jump up ^ Helen Thomas ; Craig Crawford. Listen Up, Mr. President : Everything You Always Wanted Your President to Know and Do. Scribner. ISBN 978 - 1 - 4391 - 4815 - 0. Jump up ^ `` Joseph A. Palermo : Meg Whitman 's `` Vision Thing '' ``. Huffington Post. September 26, 2009. Retrieved September 5, 2010. Jump up ^ `` It 's time to do the ' vision ' thing : Times Argus Online ''. Timesargus.com. September 29, 2009. Archived from the original on February 4, 2013. Retrieved September 5, 2010. Jump up ^ Zbigniew Mazurak. `` Blog Archive '' Sarah Palin as a GOP Nominee ? ``. The Reality Check. Retrieved September 5, 2010. Jump up ^ Rothkopf, David ( October 1, 2009 ). `` Obama does not want to become known as ' The Great Ditherer ' ''. Foreign Policy. Retrieved September 5, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Modest Bush Approval Rating Boost at War 's End : Summary of Findings -- Pew Research Center for the People & the Press ''. People-press.org. Retrieved September 5, 2010. Jump up ^ `` George H.W. Bush ''. American Experience. PBS. October 3, 1990. Retrieved September 5, 2010. Jump up ^ Langer, Gary ( January 17, 2001 ). `` Poll : Clinton Legacy Mixed ''. ABC News. Retrieved April 11, 2008. Jump up ^ Paul Steinhauser. `` CNN, Views soften on 2 former presidents, CNN poll finds ''. CNN. Retrieved September 5, 2010. Jump up ^ `` From White House to ' regular house ' ''. Associated Press at the Ocala Star - Banner. Saturday November 21, 1992. 2A. Retrieved from Google Books ( 2 of 84 ) on October 14, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Bushes upbeat for step - down ''. Fort Worth Star - Telegram. January 10, 1993. 1 News. Retrieved on October 15, 2012. `` Bush 's Houston office will be in the Park Laureate Building on Memorial Drive '' Jump up ^ Swartz, Mimi. `` Survival of the Richest. '' National Geographic. March 2006. Retrieved on June 4, 2014. Jump up ^ `` frontline : the long road to war : assassination ''. PBS. Retrieved September 5, 2010. Jump up ^ Meacham, Jon ( 2015 ). Destiny and Power : The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush. Random House. p. 543. ISBN 978 - 1400067657. Jump up ^ Dowd, Maureen ( April 28, 1994 ). `` The 37th President ''. The New York Times. Jump up ^ Meacham, p. 549. Jump up ^ Verhovek, Sam Howe ( November 9, 1994 ). `` THE 1994 ELECTIONS : THE NATION THE BUSHES ; Texas Elects George W. While Florida Rejects Jeb ''. Jump up ^ Dittrick, Paula ( September 28, 1994 ). `` Bush has lost confidence in Aristide ''. UPI. Jump up ^ `` Bush on Iraq ''. The New York Times. October 23, 1994. Jump up ^ `` Bush Portraits Unveiled at White House ''. The New York Times. July 18, 1995. Jump up ^ Bush, Barbara ( 2004 ). Reflections : Life After the White House. Scribner. pp. 85 -- 86. ISBN 978 - 0743255820. Jump up ^ `` Bush : U.S. united by world involvement ''. UPI. September 2, 1995. Jump up ^ `` Bush vows to help Dole win White House ''. UPI. July 26, 1996. Jump up ^ `` Dole Concludes Debate Preparation by Asking Bush for Advice ''. The New York Times. October 6, 1996. Jump up ^ `` Bush Backs Albright on Chemical Arms Ban ''. The New York Times. February 9, 1997. Jump up ^ Krauss, Clifford ( April 20, 1997 ). `` Bush Is a Self - Effacing Figure At Meeting on His Leadership ''. The New York Times. Jump up ^ Bennet, James ( April 29, 1997 ). `` Presidents Call for Big Citizenship, Not Big Government ''. The New York Times. Jump up ^ Rosenbaum, David E. ( August 8, 1997 ). `` In Balanced - Budget Deal, Bush Is Off the Seesaw ''. Jump up ^ `` Points of Light : Our Leadership ''. Points of Light. Retrieved May 23, 2013. Jump up ^ Bruni, Frank ( January 21, 1999 ). `` STATE OF THE UNION : THE EX-PRESIDENT ; In Speech to Senators, Bush Laments Decline of Civility and Privacy ''. The New York Times. Jump up ^ Broder, John ( February 9, 1999 ). `` DEATH OF A KING : THE AMERICANS ; Clinton Lauds King Hussein As Man of Vision and Spirit ''. The New York Times. Jump up ^ `` Former U.S. President Bush urges Pinochet release ''. CNN. April 12, 1999. Retrieved December 11, 2017 -- via Reuters. Jump up ^ `` Bush honors senior ' ageless heroes ' ''. UPI. May 18, 1999. Jump up ^ Bush, George W. 41 : A Portrait of My Father. Crown Publishers. p. 265. ISBN 978 - 0553447781. Jump up ^ Baker, Peter ( November 4, 2015 ). `` Elder Bush Says His Son Was Served Badly by Aides ''. The New York Times. Jump up ^ Meacham, pp. 571 - 572. Jump up ^ Meacham, p. 274. Jump up ^ `` Ex-president Bush backs war on terrorism ''. UPI. September 14, 2003. Jump up ^ `` Elder Bush says capture magical moment ''. UPI. December 17, 2003. Jump up ^ Wingfield, Brian ( June 12, 2004 ). `` The 40th President ; Faces in the Four Thousand ''. Jump up ^ Shane, Scott ( January 3, 2007 ). `` Ford Is Remembered at Funeral in Washington ''. The New York Times. Jump up ^ Healy, Patrick ( May 19, 2007 ). `` A Candidacy That May Test a Friendship 's Ties ''. The New York Times. Retrieved May 22, 2011. Jump up ^ `` People of the Year : Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush ''. ABC News. December 27, 2005. Retrieved September 5, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Pa Bush endorses another Texas candidate ''. UPI. October 27, 2004. Jump up ^ `` 4 U.S. presidents at Coretta King funeral ''. UPI. February 7, 2006. Jump up ^ `` President Announces Former President Bush to Lead U.S. Delegation to Attend Portuguese Inauguration ''. georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov. Jump up ^ `` Two Ex-Presidents, Often Allies, Are Divided by a Senate Race ''. New York Times. September 7, 2006. Jump up ^ `` Univision CEO Joe Uva to Receive One America Award ''. National Italian American Foundation. Archived from the original on June 12, 2012. Retrieved July 30, 2016. Jump up ^ `` George H.W. Bush Endorses McCain for President ''. The Washington Post. February 18, 2008. Retrieved March 28, 2008. Jump up ^ Neuman, Johanna ( February 18, 2008 ). `` Former President Bush Endorses McCain ''. Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 14, 2008. Retrieved March 28, 2008. Jump up ^ `` Elder Bush : ' Beat the hell ' out of Hillary ''. UPI. Jump up ^ `` Former U.S. president Bush visits China ''. UPI. March 8, 2008. Jump up ^ `` Elder Bush says Obama will face tough job ''. UPI. November 17, 2008. Jump up ^ `` Future USS George H.W. Bush to Transit ''. Naval Sea Systems Command Public Affairs. December 18, 2008. Retrieved December 22, 2008. Jump up ^ Jones, Matthew ( January 10, 2009 ). `` Carrier awaits a call to come to life in ceremony today ''. The Virginian Pilot. Landmark Communications. Retrieved January 10, 2009. Jump up ^ `` Former President Bush Visits Namesake Aircraft Carrier ''. Jump up ^ `` Bush defends Sotomayor nomination ''. UPI. June 12, 2009. Jump up ^ `` Elder Bush Decries Lack of Civility in Politics ''. CBS News. October 16, 2009. Jump up ^ Baker, Peter ( October 16, 2009 ). `` Two Presidents Share a Stage on the Subject of Service ''. The New York Times. Jump up ^ `` Bush, George H.W. '' Retrieved June 1, 2018. Jump up ^ For the transcript of Obama 's remarks honoring Bush, see `` 2010 Presidential Medal of Freedom Ceremony ''. The White House. February 15, 2011. Jump up ^ `` George H.W. Bush endorses Romney ''. UPI. March 29, 2012. Jump up ^ Edwards, Breanna ( July 24, 2013 ). `` George H.W. Bush shaves head ''. Politico. Jump up ^ `` Giffords meets with George H.W. Bush ''. UPI. July 7, 2013. Jump up ^ Baker, Peter, `` Bush 41 Reunion Looks to Burnish His Legacy '', New York Times, April 3, 2014. Retrieved April 4, 2014. Jump up ^ Edelman, Adam, `` George H.W. Bush honored with Kennedy Profile in Courage Award '', New York Daily News, May 4, 2014. Retrieved June 1, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Former U.S. President Honored with Ansary Prize ''. Mt. Vernon web page. Archived from the original on June 2, 2014. Retrieved March 18, 2016. Jump up ^ Senior staff, mountvernon.org. Viebranz is identified as president and CEO of George Washington 's Mount Vernon. Retrieved June 14, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Presidents Day 2014 - Barbara Lucas '', mountvernon.org. Lucas is identified as regent of Mount Vernon 's Ladies ' Association. Retrieved June 14, 2014. Jump up ^ `` George H.W. Bush SKYDIVES for His 90th Birthday ! ''. TMZ. June 12, 2014. Retrieved July 2, 2014. Jump up ^ Jackson, David ( June 12, 2014 ). `` George H.W. Bush takes one last skydive for 90th birthday ''. USA Today. Retrieved July 2, 2014. Jump up ^ @ GeorgeHWBush ( June 12, 2018 ). `` It 's a wonderful day in Maine -- in fact, nice enough for a parachute jump '' ( Tweet ) -- via Twitter. Jump up ^ Burliij, Terence ( December 7, 2016 ). `` George H.W. Bush and Bob Dole reunite for Pearl Harbor Anniversary ''. CNN. Jump up ^ `` Bush father, son want Jeb Bush to run for White House ''. azcentral.com. November 11, 2014. Jump up ^ Collins, Eliza. `` Bush 41, 43 wo n't be endorsing Trump ''. USA Today. Jump up ^ Selk, Avi ( November 4, 2017 ). `` White House attacks legacies of both Bush presidents after reports they refused to vote for Trump ''. The Washington Post. Retrieved November 4, 2017. Jump up ^ Bever, Lindsey ( November 9, 2016 ). `` George H.W. Bush 's message to Donald Trump ''. Washington Post. Jump up ^ George, Cindy ( February 4, 2017 ). `` Former President Bush ' fired up ' for coin toss at Houston 's Super Bowl ''. Houston Chronicle. Retrieved February 5, 2017. Jump up ^ Scott, Eugene ( May 18, 2017 ). `` Bush 41 praises Ailes, says he 's not sure he would have been president without him ''. CNN. Jump up ^ Estepa, Jessica ( August 16, 2017 ). `` George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush : We must reject ' hatred in all forms ' ''. USA Today. Jump up ^ Shelbourne, Mallory ( September 10, 2017 ). `` Former presidents fundraise for Irma disaster relief ''. The Hill. Retrieved 11 September 2017. Jump up ^ Altman, Lawrence ( May 10, 1991 ). `` In Strange Twist, Bush Is Suffering From Same Gland Disease as Wife ''. The New York Times. Retrieved June 5, 2018. Jump up ^ `` THE 2000 CAMPAIGN ; Ex-President Falls Ill ''. Associated Press. February 25, 2000. Jump up ^ `` Elder Bush Is Released After More Heart Tests ''. The New York Times. February 24, 2000. Jump up ^ `` President 's father faints on golf course ''. UPI. March 12, 2007. Jump up ^ `` Photo P012712PS - 0676 ''. The Whitehouse. January 27, 2012. Retrieved April 24, 2013. Jump up ^ Updegrove, Mark K. ( July 15, 2012 ). `` An Exclusive Conversation with President and Mrs. Bush ''. Parade. Retrieved February 15, 2017. Jump up ^ McAfee, Tierney ( October 12, 2015 ). `` PHOTO : George H.W. Bush Throws Out First Pitch at Astros Playoff Game in First Public Appearance Since Neck Injury ''. People. Retrieved January 31, 2016. Jump up ^ Garcia, Feliks ( January 18, 2017 ). `` George HW Bush sends personal note to Donald Trump on why he ca n't attend inauguration ''. The Independent. Retrieved January 18, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Former President George HW Bush hospitalised in Houston ''. The Telegraph. April 19, 2017. Retrieved April 19, 2017. Jump up ^ `` George H.W. Bush admitted to Houston hospital for blood infection ''. April 23, 2018. Jump up ^ Reporters, Telegraph ( April 23, 2018 ). `` George H.W. Bush admitted to hospital days after wife 's death '' -- via www.telegraph.co.uk. Jump up ^ https://edition.cnn.com/2018/04/23/politics/george-hw-bush/index.html Jump up ^ CNN, Maegan Vazquez,. `` George H.W. Bush hospitalized ''. CNN. Retrieved May 27, 2018. Jump up ^ Phillips, Kristine. `` Former president George H.W. Bush is hospitalized again, spokesman says ''. chicagotribune.com. Retrieved May 27, 2018. Jump up ^ `` George H.W. Bush apologizes after an actress accuses him of sexual assault in a # MeToo post on Instagram ''. Business Insider. Jump up ^ Eltagouri, Marwa ( October 27, 2017 ). `` Another woman accuses George H.W. Bush of groping and making a ' David Cop - a-feel ' joke ''. The Washington Post. Retrieved October 28, 2017. Jump up ^ `` 2nd actress accuses Bush of touching ''. themercury.com. October 26, 2017. Retrieved October 28, 2017. Jump up ^ Doubek, James ( October 26, 2017 ). `` George H.W. Bush Responds To Groping Allegations : The Two - Way ''. NPR. Retrieved October 29, 2017. Jump up ^ Kuperinsky, Amy ( November 17, 2017 ). `` Seventh woman alleges George H.W. Bush groped her during photo op ''. NJ.com. Jump up ^ Baker Kline, Christina ( October 26, 2017 ). `` George H.W. Bush Groped Me, Too ''. Slate. Retrieved November 13, 2017. Jump up ^ Jones, Athena ( November 17, 2017 ). `` New George H.W. Bush accuser says he groped her during 1992 re-election campaign ''. CNN. Retrieved November 17, 2017. Jump up ^ Bell, Chris ( November 17, 2017 ). `` George Bush Snr accused of groping by eighth woman ''. BBC. Jump up ^ Bowden, John ( November 25, 2017 ). `` Bush 41 becomes longest - living president in US history ''. The Hill. Washington, D.C. Retrieved November 25, 2017. Jump up ^ `` ( title ) ''. Archived from the original on June 14, 2018. Retrieved June 27, 2018. Jump up ^ Lewis, Janna ( January 22, 2009 ). `` Texans who were presidents, vice-presidents ''. Fort Hood Sentinel. Fort Hood, Texas. Retrieved April 22, 2018. Jump up ^ `` The Birth of the Tenth Presidential Library : The Bush Presidential Materials Project, 1993 -- 1994 ''. George Bush Presidential Library. Archived from the original on April 10, 2007. Retrieved March 22, 2007. Further reading Barilleaux, Ryan J. ; Stuckey, Mary E. ( 1992 ). Leadership and the Bush Presidency : Prudence or Drift in an Era of Change. New York : Praeger. ISBN 0 - 275 - 94418 - 2. Ducat, Stephen J. ( 2004 ). The Wimp Factor : Gender Gaps, Holy Wars, and the Politics of Anxious Masculinity. Boston : Beacon Press. ISBN 0 - 8070 - 4344 - 3. Duffy, Michael ; Goodgame, Dan ( 1992 ). Marching in Place : The Status Quo Presidency of George Bush. New York : Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0 - 671 - 73720 - 1. Fitzwater, Marlin ( 1995 ). Call the Briefing. New York : Times Books. ISBN 978 - 0 - 7388 - 3458 - 0. Greene, John Robert ( 2015 ). The Presidency of George Bush ( 2nd ed. ). Lawrence : University Press of Kansas. ISBN 978 - 0 - 7006 - 2079 - 1. Hyams, Joe ( 1991 ). Flight of the Avenger : George Bush at War. San Diego : Harcourt Brace Jovanovic. ISBN 0 - 15 - 131469 - 1. Kelley, Kitty ( 2004 ). The Family : The True Story of the Bush Dynasty. London : Doubleday. ISBN 0 - 385 - 50324 - 5. Meacham, Jon ( 2015 ). Destiny and Power : The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush. New York : Random House. ISBN 978 - 1 - 4000 - 6765 - 7. Naftali, Timothy ( 2007 ). George H.W. Bush. Times Books. ISBN 0 - 8050 - 6966 - 6. Patterson, James T. ( 2005 ). Restless Giant : The United States from Watergate to Bush v. Gore. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195122169. Podhoretz, John ( 1993 ). Hell of a Ride : Backstage at the White House Follies, 1989 -- 1993. New York : Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0 - 671 - 79648 - 8. Smith, Jean Edward ( 1992 ). George Bush 's War. New York : Henry Holt & Company. ISBN 0 - 8050 - 1388 - 1. Sununu, John H. ( 2015 ). The Quiet Man : The Indispensable Presidency of George H.W. Bush. Broadside Books. ISBN 978 - 0 - 06 - 238428 - 7. Tarpley, Webster G. ; Chaitkin, Anton ( 2004 ) ( 1991 ). George Bush : The Unauthorized Biography. Washington : Executive Intelligence Review. ISBN 0 - 930852 - 92 - 3. Updegrove, Mark K. ( 2017 ). The Last Republicans : Inside the Extraordinary Relationship between George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush. Harper. ISBN 9780062654120. Wicker, Tom ( 2004 ). George Herbert Walker Bush. Lipper / Viking. ISBN 0670033030. McBride, Tim ( June 12, 2009 ). `` The President Who Treated Me Like a Son ''. The Daily Beast. Retrieved October 8, 2014. American Experience, The Presidents : George H.W. Bush ( Television production ). American Experience, Public Broadcasting Service. 2008. Retrieved October 8, 2014. Primary sources Bush, George H.W. ( 1999 ). All the Best, George Bush : My Life in Letters and Other Writings. New York : Scribner. ISBN 0 - 684 - 83958 - X. Bush, George H.W. ; Scowcroft, Brent ( 1998 ). A World Transformed. New York : Knopf. ISBN 0 - 679 - 43248 - 5. Bush, George H.W. ; Bush, Barbara ( 2009 ). `` Interview with : George W. Bush, Barbara Bush '' ( Interview ). Interviewed by McGrath, Jim. Retrieved October 8, 2014. Bush, George W. ( 2014 ). 41 : A Portrait of My Father. Crown. ISBN 978 - 0553447781. Bush Koch, Dorothy ( 2006 ). My Father, My President : A Personal Account of the Life of George H.W. Bush. Grand Central Publishing. ISBN 0446579904. Jeffrey A. Engel, ed. ( 2011 ). The China Diary of George H.W. Bush : The Making of a Global President. Princeton UP. ISBN 1400829615. CS1 maint : Extra text : authors list ( link ) Jstor External links Listen to this article ( info / dl ) This audio file was created from a revision of the article `` George H.W. Bush '' dated 2012 - 12 - 17, and does not reflect subsequent edits to the article. ( Audio help ) More spoken articles Find more aboutGeorge H.W. Bushat Wikipedia 's sister projects Definitions from Wiktionary Media from Wikimedia Commons News from Wikinews Quotations from Wikiquote Texts from Wikisource Official George Bush Presidential Library and Museum White House biography Speeches and statements Full audio of a number of Bush speeches Miller Center of Public Affairs Media coverage `` George H.W. Bush collected news and commentary ''. The New York Times. Other United States Congress. `` George H.W. Bush ( id : B001166 ) ''. Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Extensive essays on Bush and shorter essays on each member of his cabinet and First Lady from the Miller Center of Public Affairs Appearances on C - SPAN `` Life Portrait of George H.W. Bush '', from C - SPAN 's American Presidents : Life Portraits, December 13, 1999 George H.W. Bush an American Experience documentary George H.W. Bush at Curlie ( based on DMOZ ) George H.W. Bush on IMDb George H.W. Bush 41st President of the United States ( 1989 -- 1993 ) 43rd Vice President of the United States ( 1981 -- 1989 ) Director of Central Intelligence ( 1976 -- 1977 ) UN Ambassador ( 1971 -- 1973 ) U.S. Representative for TX - 7 ( 1967 -- 1971 ) Life Presidential Library Bush School of Government and Public Service Bush compound Presidency Inauguration Environmental policy 1989 Malta Summit Invasion of Panama 1990 Chemical Weapons Accord Gulf War 1991 Madrid Conference National Space Council New world order Somali Civil War Unified Task Force Negotiations for the North American Free Trade Agreement Vomiting incident Presidential pardons International trips Oval Office desk Cabinet Judicial appointments Supreme Court controversies Speeches State of the Union Address ( 1990 1991 1992 ) Chicken Kiev speech Elections United States Senate elections, 1964 1970 United States House of Representatives elections, 1966 1968 Republican Party presidential primaries, 1980 1988 1992 Republican National Convention, 1980 1984 1988 `` a thousand points of light '' `` Read my lips : no new taxes '' 1992 United States presidential election, 1980 1984 1988 1992 Public image George Bush Intercontinental Airport The Naked Gun 21⁄2 : The Smell of Fear ( 1991 ) What It Takes : The Way to the White House ( 1993 ) The Family : The Real Story of the Bush Dynasty ( 2004 ) Bad for Democracy ( 2008 ) Family of Secrets ( 2009 ) Books A World Transformed ( 1998 ) All the Best ( 1999 ) Family Barbara Bush ( wife ) George W. Bush ( son presidency ) Jeb Bush ( son ) Neil Bush ( son ) Marvin P. Bush ( son ) Dorothy Bush Koch ( daughter ) Barbara Pierce Bush ( granddaughter ) Jenna Bush Hager ( granddaughter ) George P. Bush ( grandson ) Prescott Bush ( father ) Nancy Walker Bush Ellis ( sister ) Jonathan Bush ( brother ) William H.T. Bush ( brother ) Samuel P. Bush ( grandfather ) George Herbert Walker ( grandfather ) Millie ( family dog ) ← Ronald Reagan Bill Clinton → Book Category Offices and distinctions Party political offices Preceded by Roy Whittenburg Republican nominee for U.S. Senator from Texas ( Class 1 ) 1964, 1970 Succeeded by Alan Steelman Preceded by Everett Dirksen Gerald Ford Response to the State of the Union address 1968 Served alongside : Howard Baker, Peter Dominick, Gerald Ford, Robert Griffin, Thomas Kuchel, Mel Laird, Bob Mathias, George Murphy, Dick Poff, Chuck Percy, Al Quie, Charlotte Reid, Hugh Scott, Bill Steiger, John Tower Vacant Title next held by Donald Fraser, Scoop Jackson, Mike Mansfield, John McCormack, Patsy Mink, Ed Muskie, Bill Proxmire Preceded by Bob Dole Chair of the Republican National Committee 1973 -- 1974 Succeeded by Mary Louise Smith Republican nominee for Vice President of the United States 1980, 1984 Succeeded by Dan Quayle Preceded by Ronald Reagan Republican nominee for President of the United States 1988, 1992 Succeeded by Bob Dole U.S. House of Representatives Preceded by John Dowdy Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas 's 7th congressional district 1967 -- 1971 Succeeded by William Reynolds Archer Jr. Diplomatic posts Preceded by Charles Woodruff Yost United States Ambassador to the United Nations 1971 -- 1973 Succeeded by John Scali Preceded by Colin Crowe President of the United Nations Security Council May 1972 Succeeded by Lazar Mojsov Preceded by David K.E. Bruce Chief of the U.S. Liaison Office to the People 's Republic of China 1974 -- 1976 Succeeded by Thomas S. Gates Jr. Preceded by François Mitterrand Chair of the Group of Seven 1990 Succeeded by John Major Government offices Preceded by William Colby Director of Central Intelligence 1976 -- 1977 Succeeded by Stansfield Turner Political offices Preceded by Walter Mondale Vice President of the United States 1981 -- 1989 Succeeded by Dan Quayle Preceded by Ronald Reagan President of the United States 1989 -- 1993 Succeeded by Bill Clinton Honorary titles Preceded by Gerald Ford Oldest living President of the United States Oldest living Vice President of the United States 2006 -- present Incumbent Awards and achievements Preceded by Rudy Giuliani Recipient of the Ronald Reagan Freedom Award 2007 Succeeded by Natan Sharansky Current U.S. order of precedence ( ceremonial ) Preceded by Jimmy Carter as Former President Order of Precedence of the United States as Former President Succeeded by Bill Clinton as Former President Articles related to George H.W. Bush Bush family Bush -- Davis -- Walker family political line Bush family Bush ( surname ) Prescott Bush ancestors Samuel Prescott Bush ( 1863 -- 1948 ) James Smith Bush ( 1825 -- 1889 ) Obadiah Newcomb Bush ( 1797 -- 1851 ) Samuel P. Bush & Flora Sheldon Prescott Sheldon Bush Prescott Bush ( 1895 -- 1972 ) & Dorothy Wear Walker ( 1901 -- 1992 ) George Herbert Walker Bush ( m. ) Barbara Pierce Nancy Walker Bush Ellis Jonathan James Bush William Henry Trotter Bush George H.W. Bush ( b. 1924 ) Nancy Walker Bush Ellis ( b. 1926 ) Jonathan Bush ( b. 1931 ) George Walker Bush ( m. ) Laura Lane Welch Pauline Robinson Bush John Ellis Bush ( m. ) Columba Bush Neil Mallon Bush Marvin Pierce Bush Dorothy Walker Bush ( m. ) Robert P. Koch John Prescott Ellis Alexander Ellis III Josiah Wear Ellis Billy Bush Jonathan S. Bush George W. Bush ( b. 1946 ) Jeb Bush ( b. 1953 ) Neil Bush ( b. 1955 ) Barbara Pierce Bush Jenna Welch Bush George Prescott Bush Lauren Bush ( m. ) David Lauren The Bush Compound Buckeye Steel Castings G.H. Walker & Co. The Family : The Real Story of the Bush Dynasty Family of Secrets Political line W. Presidents of the United States ( list ) George Washington ( 1789 -- 1797 ) John Adams ( 1797 -- 1801 ) Thomas Jefferson ( 1801 -- 1809 ) James Madison ( 1809 -- 1817 ) James Monroe ( 1817 -- 1825 ) John Quincy Adams ( 1825 -- 1829 ) Andrew Jackson ( 1829 -- 1837 ) Martin Van Buren ( 1837 -- 1841 ) William Henry Harrison ( 1841 ) John Tyler ( 1841 -- 1845 ) James K. Polk ( 1845 -- 1849 ) Zachary Taylor ( 1849 -- 1850 ) Millard Fillmore ( 1850 -- 1853 ) Franklin Pierce ( 1853 -- 1857 ) James Buchanan ( 1857 -- 1861 ) Abraham Lincoln ( 1861 -- 1865 ) Andrew Johnson ( 1865 -- 1869 ) Ulysses S. Grant ( 1869 -- 1877 ) Rutherford B. Hayes ( 1877 -- 1881 ) James A. Garfield ( 1881 ) Chester A. 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Bush ( 1981 -- 1989 ) Dan Quayle ( 1989 -- 1993 ) Al Gore ( 1993 -- 2001 ) Dick Cheney ( 2001 -- 2009 ) Joe Biden ( 2009 -- 2017 ) Mike Pence ( 2017 -- present ) List Category Directors of Central Intelligence and the Central Intelligence Agency Central Intelligence Souers Vandenberg Hillenkoetter Smith Dulles McCone Raborn Helms Schlesinger Colby Bush Turner Casey Webster Gates Woolsey Deutch Tenet Goss Central Intelligence Agency Goss Hayden Panetta Petraeus Brennan Pompeo Haspel United States Ambassadors to the United Nations Stettinius Austin Lodge Wadsworth Stevenson Goldberg Ball Wiggins Yost Bush Scali Moynihan Scranton Young McHenry Kirkpatrick Walters Pickering Perkins Albright Richardson Holbrooke Negroponte Danforth Bolton Khalilzad Rice Power Haley United States Ambassadors to China Envoys to the Qing Empire 1843 -- 1858 Caleb Cushing Alexander Hill Everett John Wesley Davis Humphrey Marshall Robert Milligan McLane Peter Parker Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plentipotentiary to the Qing Empire 1858 -- 1913 William Bradford Reed John Elliott Ward Anson Burlingame John Ross Browne Frederick Low Benjamin Avery George Seward James Burrill Angell John Russell Young Charles Harvey Denby Edwin H. Conger William Woodville Rockhill William James Calhoun Envoy to the Republic of China 1913 -- 1929 Paul Samuel Reinsch Charles Richard Crane Jacob Gould Schurman John Van Antwerp MacMurray Ambassador to the Republic of China 1929 -- 1949 Nelson T. Johnson Clarence E. Gauss Patrick J. Hurley John Leighton Stuart American Institute in Taiwan Chiefs of the U.S. Liaison Office in Beijing 1973 -- 79 David K.E. Bruce George H.W. Bush Thomas S. Gates Jr. Leonard Woodcock Ambassador to the People 's Republic of China 1979 -- present Leonard Woodcock Arthur W. Hummel Jr. Winston Lord James R. Lilley J. Stapleton Roy Jim Sasser Joseph Prueher Clark T. Randt Jr. Jon Huntsman Jr. Gary Locke Max Baucus Terry Branstad Cold War USA USSR ANZUS NATO Non-Aligned Movement SEATO Warsaw Pact Cold War II 1940s Morgenthau Plan Hukbalahap Rebellion Jamaican conflict Dekemvriana Percentages agreement Yalta Conference Guerrilla war in the Baltic states Forest Brothers Operation Priboi Operation Jungle Occupation of the Baltic states Cursed soldiers Operation Unthinkable Operation Downfall Potsdam Conference Gouzenko Affair Division of Korea Operation Masterdom Operation Beleaguer Operation Blacklist Forty Iran crisis of 1946 Greek Civil War Baruch Plan Corfu Channel incident Turkish Straits crisis Restatement of Policy on Germany First Indochina War Truman Doctrine Asian Relations Conference May 1947 Crises Marshall Plan Comecon 1948 Czechoslovak coup d'état Tito -- Stalin Split Berlin Blockade Western betrayal Iron Curtain Eastern Bloc Western Bloc Chinese Civil War ( Second round ) Malayan Emergency Albanian Subversion 1950s Papua conflict Bamboo Curtain Korean War McCarthyism Algerian War 1952 Egyptian coup d'état 1953 Iranian coup d'état Uprising of 1953 in East Germany Dirty War ( Mexico ) Bricker Amendment 1954 Guatemalan coup d'état Partition of Vietnam Vietnam War First Taiwan Strait Crisis Geneva Summit ( 1955 ) Bandung Conference Poznań 1956 protests Hungarian Revolution of 1956 Suez Crisis `` We will bury you '' Ifni War Operation Gladio Arab Cold War Syrian Crisis of 1957 1958 Lebanon crisis Iraqi 14 July Revolution Sputnik crisis Second Taiwan Strait Crisis 1959 Tibetan uprising Cuban Revolution Kitchen Debate Sino - Soviet split 1960s Congo Crisis Simba rebellion 1960 U-2 incident Bay of Pigs Invasion 1960 Turkish coup d'état Soviet -- Albanian split Berlin Crisis of 1961 Berlin Wall Portuguese Colonial War Angolan War of Independence Guinea - Bissau War of Independence Mozambican War of Independence Cuban Missile Crisis El Porteñazo Sino - Indian War Communist insurgency in Sarawak Iraqi Ramadan Revolution Eritrean War of Independence Sand War North Yemen Civil War Aden Emergency 1963 Syrian coup d'état Vietnam War Shifta War Guatemalan Civil War Colombian conflict Nicaraguan Revolution 1964 Brazilian coup d'état Dominican Civil War South African Border War Transition to the New Order ( Indonesia ) Domino theory ASEAN Declaration Laotian Civil War 1966 Syrian coup d'état Argentine Revolution Korean DMZ Conflict Greek military junta of 1967 -- 74 Years of Lead ( Italy ) USS Pueblo incident Six - Day War War of Attrition Dhofar Rebellion Al - Wadiah War Nigerian Civil War Protests of 1968 French May Tlatelolco massacre Cultural Revolution Prague Spring 1968 Polish political crisis Communist insurgency in Malaysia Invasion of Czechoslovakia Iraqi Ba'athist Revolution 1969 Libyan coup d'état Goulash Communism Sino - Soviet border conflict CPP -- NPA -- NDF rebellion Corrective Move 1970s Détente Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Black September in Jordan Corrective Movement ( Syria ) Cambodian Civil War Koza riot Realpolitik Ping - pong diplomacy Uganda -- Tanzania War 1971 Turkish military memorandum Corrective Revolution ( Egypt ) Four Power Agreement on Berlin Bangladesh Liberation War 1972 Nixon visit to China North Yemen - South Yemen Border conflict of 1972 Yemenite War of 1972 Communist insurgency in Bangladesh NDF Rebellion Eritrean Civil Wars 1973 Uruguayan coup d'état 1973 Chilean coup d'état Yom Kippur War 1973 oil crisis Carnation Revolution Spanish transition Metapolitefsi Strategic Arms Limitation Talks Rhodesian Bush War Angolan Civil War Mozambican Civil War Oromo conflict Ogaden War Ethiopian Civil War Lebanese Civil War Sino - Albanian split Cambodian -- Vietnamese War Sino - Vietnamese War Operation Condor Dirty War ( Argentina ) 1976 Argentine coup d'état German Autumn Korean Air Lines Flight 902 Yemenite War of 1979 Grand Mosque seizure Iranian Revolution Saur Revolution New Jewel Movement 1979 Herat uprising Seven Days to the River Rhine Struggle against political abuse of psychiatry in the Soviet Union 1980s Soviet -- Afghan War 1980 and 1984 Summer Olympics boycotts 1980 Turkish coup d'état Peruvian conflict Gulf of Sidra incident Casamance conflict Ugandan Bush War Lord 's Resistance Army insurgency Eritrean Civil Wars 1982 Ethiopian -- Somali Border War Ndogboyosoi War United States invasion of Grenada Able Archer 83 Star Wars Iran -- Iraq War Somali Rebellion 1986 Black Sea incident 1988 Black Sea bumping incident South Yemen Civil War Bougainville Civil War 8888 Uprising Solidarity Soviet reaction Contras Central American crisis RYAN Korean Air Lines Flight 007 People Power Revolution Glasnost Perestroika Nagorno - 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Bush 43rd President of the United States ( 2001 -- 2009 ) 46th Governor of Texas ( 1995 -- 2000 ) Owner of the Texas Rangers ( 1989 -- 1998 ) Born July 6, 1946 Presidency First inauguration Second inauguration First term Second term Domestic policy Legislation and programs Economic policy Foreign policy International trips Bush Doctrine Bush -- Putin meeting ( 2001 ) Bush -- Putin meeting ( 2005 ) War in Afghanistan Status of Forces Agreement Patriot Act No Child Left Behind Act Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act USA Freedom Corps Department of Homeland Security Space policy Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty `` War on Terror '' President 's Council on Service and Civic Participation award Dismissal of U.S. attorneys controversy Email controversy Judicial appointments Supreme Court controversies Cabinet Pardons Impeachment efforts Life Presidential library Early life Military service controversy ( Killian documents controversy and authenticity issues ) Professional life Governorship of Texas Prairie Chapel Ranch Bush compound Clinton Bush Haiti Fund Speeches Axis of evil Mission Accomplished State of the Union address 2002 2003 2005 2006 2007 2008 Elections United States House of Representatives elections, 1978 Texas gubernatorial election 1994 1998 Presidential campaign 2000 Republican Party presidential primaries, 2000 Republican National Convention 2000 United States presidential election, 2000 Bush v. Gore United States presidential election, 2004 Public image Bushisms Nicknames As the subject of books and films Fictionalized portrayals Miss Me Yet ? Books A Charge to Keep ( 1999 ) Decision Points ( 2010 ) 41 : A Portrait of My Father ( 2014 ) Portraits of Courage ( 2017 ) Family Laura Bush ( wife ) Barbara Pierce Bush ( daughter ) Jenna Bush Hager ( daughter ) George H.W. Bush ( father presidency ) Barbara Bush ( mother ) Robin Bush ( sister ) Jeb Bush ( brother ) Neil Bush ( brother ) Marvin Bush ( brother ) Dorothy Bush Koch ( sister ) Prescott Bush ( grandfather ) George P. Bush ( nephew ) Barney ( dog ) Miss Beazley ( dog ) India ( cat ) Spot Fetcher ( dog ) ← Bill Clinton Barack Obama → Book Category Cabinet of President George H.W. Bush ( 1989 -- 93 ) hide Cabinet Secretary of State James A. Baker ( 1989 -- 92 ) Lawrence Eagleburger ( 1992 -- 93 ) Secretary of the Treasury Nicholas F. Brady ( 1989 -- 93 ) Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney ( 1989 -- 93 ) Attorney General Richard L. Thornburgh ( 1989 -- 91 ) William Pelham Barr ( 1991 -- 93 ) Secretary of the Interior Manuel Lujan Jr. ( 1989 -- 93 ) Secretary of Agriculture Clayton K. Yeutter ( 1989 -- 91 ) Edward R. Madigan ( 1991 -- 93 ) Secretary of Commerce Robert Mosbacher ( 1989 -- 92 ) Barbara Hackman Franklin ( 1992 -- 93 ) Secretary of Labor Elizabeth Dole ( 1989 -- 91 ) Lynn Martin ( 1991 -- 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 K. Skinner ( 1989 -- 92 ) Andrew Card ( 1992 -- 93 ) Secretary of Energy James D. Watkins ( 1989 -- 93 ) Secretary of Education Lauro F. Cavazos ( 1989 -- 90 ) Lamar Alexander ( 1991 -- 93 ) Secretary of Veterans Affairs Ed Derwinski ( 1989 -- 92 ) hide Cabinet - level Vice President Dan Quayle ( 1989 -- 93 ) White House Chief of Staff John H. Sununu ( 1989 -- 91 ) Samuel K. Skinner ( 1991 -- 92 ) James A. Baker ( 1992 -- 93 ) Director of the Office of Management and Budget Richard Darman ( 1989 -- 93 ) Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency William Reilly ( 1989 -- 92 ) None ( 1992 -- 93 ) Trade Representative Carla A. Hills ( 1989 -- 93 ) Ambassador to the United Nations Thomas Pickering ( 1989 -- 92 ) Edward Perkins ( 1992 -- 93 ) Assistants to the President for National Security Advisor Brent Scowcroft ( 1989 -- 93 ) Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy William J. Bennett ( 1989 -- 91 ) Bob Martinez ( 1991 -- 93 ) Chairperson of the Council of Economic Advisers Michael Boskin ( 1989 -- 93 ) Cabinet of President Ronald Reagan ( 1981 -- 89 ) hide Cabinet Secretary of State Alexander M. Haig Jr. ( 1981 -- 82 ) George P. Shultz ( 1982 -- 89 ) Secretary of the Treasury Donald T. Regan ( 1981 -- 85 ) James A. Baker ( 1985 -- 88 ) Nicholas F. Brady ( 1988 -- 89 ) Secretary of Defense Caspar W. Weinberger ( 1981 -- 87 ) Frank C. Carlucci ( 1987 -- 89 ) Attorney General William French Smith ( 1981 -- 85 ) Edwin Meese ( 1985 -- 88 ) Richard L. Thornburgh ( 1988 -- 89 ) Secretary of the Interior James G. Watt ( 1981 -- 83 ) William P. Clark ( 1983 -- 85 ) Donald P. Hodel ( 1985 -- 89 ) Secretary of Agriculture John R. Block ( 1981 -- 86 ) Richard E. Lyng ( 1986 -- 89 ) Secretary of Commerce Malcolm Baldrige ( 1981 -- 87 ) C. William Verity ( 1987 -- 89 ) Secretary of Labor Raymond J. Donovan ( 1981 -- 85 ) William E. Brock III ( 1985 -- 87 ) Ann Dore McLaughlin ( 1987 -- 89 ) Secretary of Health and Human Services Richard S. Schweiker ( 1981 -- 83 ) Margaret M. Heckler ( 1983 -- 85 ) Otis Bowen ( 1985 -- 89 ) Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Samuel R. Pierce ( 1981 -- 89 ) Secretary of Transportation Drew Lewis ( 1981 -- 83 ) Elizabeth H. Dole ( 1983 -- 87 ) James H. Burnley IV ( 1987 -- 89 ) Secretary of Energy James B. Edwards ( 1981 -- 83 ) Donald P. Hodel ( 1983 -- 85 ) John S. Herrington ( 1985 -- 89 ) Secretary of Education Terrel H. Bell ( 1981 -- 85 ) William J. Bennett ( 1985 -- 88 ) Lauro F. Cavazos ( 1988 -- 89 ) hide Cabinet - level Vice President George H.W. Bush ( 1981 -- 89 ) White House Chief of Staff James A. Baker ( 1981 -- 85 ) Donald T. Regan ( 1985 -- 87 ) Howard H. Baker Jr. ( 1987 -- 88 ) Kenneth M. Duberstein ( 1988 -- 89 ) Director of the Office of Management and Budget David Stockman ( 1981 -- 85 ) James C. Miller III ( 1985 -- 88 ) Joseph R. Wright Jr. ( 1988 -- 89 ) Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency Anne M. Gorsuch ( 1981 -- 83 ) William D. Ruckelshaus ( 1983 -- 85 ) Lee M. Thomas ( 1985 -- 89 ) Director of Central Intelligence William J. Casey ( 1981 -- 87 ) William H. Webster ( 1987 -- 89 ) Ambassador to the United Nations Jeane Kirkpatrick ( 1981 -- 85 ) Vernon A. Walters ( 1985 -- 89 ) Trade Representative William E. Brock III ( 1981 -- 85 ) Clayton K. Yeutter ( 1985 -- 89 ) Chairperson of the Council of Economic Advisers Murray L. Weidenbaum ( 1981 -- 82 ) Martin S. Feldstein ( 1982 -- 84 ) Beryl W. Sprinkel ( 1985 -- 89 ) Order of precedence in the United States of America * The President The Vice President The Governor ( of the state in which the event is held ) The Speaker of the House The Chief Justice Former President Carter Former President GHW Bush Former President Clinton Former President GW Bush Former President Obama Ambassadors of the United States The Secretary of State The Associate Justices Retired Justice Stevens Retired Justice O'Connor Retired Justice Kennedy Retired Justice Souter The President 's Cabinet The President Pro Tempore of the Senate The Senate The Governors of the States ( by order of statehood ) Former Vice President Mondale Former Vice President Quayle Former Vice President Gore Former Vice President Cheney Former Vice President Biden The House of Representatives * not including acting officeholders, visiting dignitaries, auxiliary executive and military personnel and most diplomats ( 1964 ← ) United States presidential election, 1968 ( → 1972 ) United States elections, 1968 Republican Party Convention Primaries Nominee Richard Nixon campaign VP nominee Spiro Agnew Candidates Frank Carlson Clifford P. Case Hiram Fong John Lindsay Ronald Reagan Jim Rhodes Nelson Rockefeller Winthrop Rockefeller George W. Romney campaign Harold Stassen John Volpe Democratic Party Convention Primaries Protests Nominee Hubert Humphrey campaign VP nominee Edmund Muskie Candidates Roger D. Branigin John G. Crommelin Paul C. Fisher Lyndon B. Johnson Robert F. Kennedy ( campaign ) Thomas C. Lynch Eugene McCarthy ( campaign ) George McGovern Dan K. Moore Channing E. Phillips George Smathers Stephen M. Young American Independent Party Nominee George Wallace campaign VP nominee Curtis LeMay Other third party and independent candidates Communist Party Nominee Charlene Mitchell VP nominee Michael Zagarell Peace and Freedom Party Nominee Eldridge Cleaver VP nominee Douglas Fitzgerald Dowd Prohibition Party Nominee E. Harold Munn Socialist Labor Party Nominee Henning A. Blomen Socialist Workers Party Nominee Fred Halstead VP nominee Paul Boutelle Independents and other candidates Dick Gregory Pat Paulsen Pigasus Other 1968 elections : House Senate Gubernatorial ( 1976 ← ) United States presidential election, 1980 ( → 1984 ) Republican Party Convention Primaries Primary results Nominee Ronald Reagan VP nominee George H.W. Bush Candidates John B. Anderson Howard Baker George H.W. Bush John Connally Phil Crane Bob Dole Ben Fernandez Harold Stassen Democratic Party Convention Primaries Primary results Nominee Jimmy Carter VP nominee Walter Mondale Candidates Jerry Brown Ted Kennedy Ron Dellums Independent Candidate John B. Anderson VP candidate Patrick Lucey Other independent and third party candidates Citizens Party Nominee Barry Commoner VP nominee LaDonna Harris Libertarian Party Nominee Ed Clark VP nominee David Koch Prohibition Party Nominee Ben Bubar VP nominee Earl Dodge Socialist Party Nominee David McReynolds VP nominee Diane Drufenbrock Socialist Workers Party Nominee Andrew Pulley Alternate nominees Richard Congress Clifton DeBerry Workers World Party Nominee Deirdre Griswold VP nominee Gavrielle Holmes Independents and other candidates Lyndon LaRouche Maureen Smith Running mate Elizabeth Cervantes Barron Warren Spannaus Other 1980 elections House Senate Gubernatorial ( 1980 ← ) United States presidential election, 1984 ( → 1988 ) Republican Party Convention Primaries Primary results Nominee Ronald Reagan VP nominee George H.W. Bush Candidates Ben Fernandez Harold Stassen Democratic Party Convention Primaries Primary results Nominee Walter Mondale VP nominee Geraldine Ferraro Candidates Reubin Askew Alan Cranston John Glenn Gary Hart Fritz Hollings Jesse Jackson George McGovern Third party and independent candidates Citizens Party Nominee Sonia Johnson VP nominee Richard Walton Communist Party Nominee Gus Hall VP nominee Angela Davis Libertarian Party Nominee David Bergland VP nominee Jim Lewis Candidates Gene Burns Earl Ravenal Mary Ruwart Prohibition Party Nominee Earl Dodge Socialist Equality Party Nominee Edward Winn VP nominee Helen Halyard Socialist Party Nominee Sonia Johnson VP nominee Richard Walton Socialist Workers Party Nominee Melvin T. Mason VP nominee Matilde Zimmermann Workers World Party Nominee Larry Holmes Alternate nominee Gavrielle Holmes VP nominee Gloria La Riva Independents and other candidates Charles Doty Larry Flynt Larry `` Bozo '' Harmon Lyndon LaRouche Running mate Billy Davis Other 1984 elections House Senate Gubernatorial ( 1984 ← ) United States presidential election, 1988 ( → 1992 ) Republican Party Convention Primaries Primary results Nominee George H.W. Bush VP nominee Dan Quayle Candidates Bob Dole Pete du Pont Ben Fernandez Alexander Haig Jack Kemp Paul Laxalt Isabell Masters Pat Robertson Donald Rumsfeld Harold Stassen Democratic Party Convention Primaries Primary results Nominee Michael Dukakis campaign VP nominee Lloyd Bentsen Candidates Douglas Applegate Bruce Babbitt Joe Biden campaign David Duke Dick Gephardt Al Gore campaign Gary Hart Jesse Jackson campaign Lyndon LaRouche Andy Martin Patricia Schroeder Paul Simon James Traficant Third party and independent candidates Libertarian Party Convention Nominee Ron Paul ( campaign ) VP nominee Andre Marrou Candidates Jim Lewis Russell Means New Alliance Party Nominee Lenora Fulani Populist Party Nominee David Duke Prohibition Party Nominee Earl Dodge VP nominee George Ormsby Socialist Equality Party Nominee Edward Winn Socialist Party Nominee Willa Kenoyer VP nominee Ron Ehrenreich Socialist Workers Party Nominee James Warren VP nominee Kathleen Mickells Workers World Party Nominee Larry Holmes VP nominee Gloria La Riva Independents and others Jack Herer Lyndon LaRouche Herbert G. Lewin William A. Marra Eugene McCarthy Other 1988 elections : House Senate Gubernatorial ( 1988 ← ) United States presidential election, 1992 ( → 1996 ) Democratic Party Convention Primaries Nominee Bill Clinton ( campaign ) VP nominee Al Gore Candidates Larry Agran Jerry Brown Tom Harkin Bob Kerrey Lyndon LaRouche Tom Laughlin Eugene McCarthy Paul Tsongas Douglas Wilder Charles Woods Republican Party Convention Primaries Nominee George H.W. Bush VP nominee Dan Quayle Candidates Pat Buchanan David Duke Jack Fellure Isabell Masters Pat Paulsen Tennie Rogers Harold Stassen Independent Candidate Ross Perot ( campaign ) VP candidate James Stockdale Other independent and third party candidates Libertarian Party Convention Nominee Andre Marrou VP nominee Nancy Lord Natural Law Party Nominee John Hagelin VP nominee Mike Tompkins New Alliance Party Nominee Lenora Fulani VP nominee Maria Elizabeth Muñoz Prohibition Party Nominee Earl Dodge VP nominee George Ormsby Socialist Party USA Nominee J. Quinn Brisben VP nominee Barbara Garson Socialist Workers Party Nominee James Warren VP nominee Willie Mae Reid U.S. Taxpayers Party Convention Nominee Howard Phillips VP nominee Albion W. Knight, Jr. Workers World Party Nominee Gloria La Riva VP nominee Larry Holmes Independents and other candidates Ronald Daniels ( Running mate : Asiba Tupahache ) Bo Gritz Isabell Masters Other 1992 elections House Senate Gubernatorial Time Persons of the Year 1927 -- 1950 Charles Lindbergh ( 1927 ) Walter Chrysler ( 1928 ) Owen D. Young ( 1929 ) Mohandas Gandhi ( 1930 ) Pierre Laval ( 1931 ) Franklin D. Roosevelt ( 1932 ) Hugh S. Johnson ( 1933 ) Franklin D. Roosevelt ( 1934 ) Haile Selassie ( 1935 ) Wallis Simpson ( 1936 ) Chiang Kai - shek / Soong Mei - ling ( 1937 ) Adolf Hitler ( 1938 ) Joseph Stalin ( 1939 ) Winston Churchill ( 1940 ) Franklin D. Roosevelt ( 1941 ) Joseph Stalin ( 1942 ) George Marshall ( 1943 ) Dwight D. Eisenhower ( 1944 ) Harry S. Truman ( 1945 ) James F. Byrnes ( 1946 ) George Marshall ( 1947 ) Harry S. Truman ( 1948 ) Winston Churchill ( 1949 ) The American Fighting - Man ( 1950 ) 1951 -- 1975 Mohammed Mosaddeq ( 1951 ) Elizabeth II ( 1952 ) Konrad Adenauer ( 1953 ) John Foster Dulles ( 1954 ) Harlow Curtice ( 1955 ) Hungarian Freedom Fighters ( 1956 ) Nikita Khrushchev ( 1957 ) Charles de Gaulle ( 1958 ) Dwight D. Eisenhower ( 1959 ) U.S. Scientists : George Beadle / Charles Draper / John Enders / Donald A. Glaser / Joshua Lederberg / Willard Libby / Linus Pauling / Edward Purcell / Isidor Rabi / Emilio Segrè / William Shockley / Edward Teller / Charles Townes / James Van Allen / Robert Woodward ( 1960 ) John F. Kennedy ( 1961 ) Pope John XXIII ( 1962 ) Martin Luther King Jr. ( 1963 ) Lyndon B. Johnson ( 1964 ) William Westmoreland ( 1965 ) The Generation Twenty - Five and Under ( 1966 ) Lyndon B. Johnson ( 1967 ) The Apollo 8 Astronauts : William Anders / Frank Borman / Jim Lovell ( 1968 ) The Middle Americans ( 1969 ) Willy Brandt ( 1970 ) Richard Nixon ( 1971 ) Henry Kissinger / Richard Nixon ( 1972 ) John Sirica ( 1973 ) King Faisal ( 1974 ) American Women : Susan Brownmiller / Kathleen Byerly / Alison Cheek / Jill Conway / Betty Ford / Ella Grasso / Carla Hills / Barbara Jordan / Billie Jean King / Susie Sharp / Carol Sutton / Addie Wyatt ( 1975 ) 1976 -- 2000 Jimmy Carter ( 1976 ) Anwar Sadat ( 1977 ) Deng Xiaoping ( 1978 ) Ayatollah Khomeini ( 1979 ) Ronald Reagan ( 1980 ) Lech Wałęsa ( 1981 ) The Computer ( 1982 ) Ronald Reagan / Yuri Andropov ( 1983 ) Peter Ueberroth ( 1984 ) Deng Xiaoping ( 1985 ) Corazon Aquino ( 1986 ) Mikhail Gorbachev ( 1987 ) The Endangered Earth ( 1988 ) Mikhail Gorbachev ( 1989 ) George H.W. Bush ( 1990 ) Ted Turner ( 1991 ) Bill Clinton ( 1992 ) The Peacemakers : Yasser Arafat / F.W. de Klerk / Nelson Mandela / Yitzhak Rabin ( 1993 ) Pope John Paul II ( 1994 ) Newt Gingrich ( 1995 ) David Ho ( 1996 ) Andrew Grove ( 1997 ) Bill Clinton / Ken Starr ( 1998 ) Jeffrey P. Bezos ( 1999 ) George W. Bush ( 2000 ) 2001 -- present Rudolph Giuliani ( 2001 ) The Whistleblowers : Cynthia Cooper / Coleen Rowley / Sherron Watkins ( 2002 ) The American Soldier ( 2003 ) George W. Bush ( 2004 ) The Good Samaritans : Bono / Bill Gates / Melinda Gates ( 2005 ) You ( 2006 ) Vladimir Putin ( 2007 ) Barack Obama ( 2008 ) Ben Bernanke ( 2009 ) Mark Zuckerberg ( 2010 ) The Protester ( 2011 ) Barack Obama ( 2012 ) Pope Francis ( 2013 ) Ebola Fighters : Dr. Jerry Brown / Dr. Kent Brantly / Ella Watson - Stryker / Foday Gollah / Salome Karwah ( 2014 ) Angela Merkel ( 2015 ) Donald Trump ( 2016 ) The Silence Breakers ( 2017 ) Book Theodore Roosevelt Award winners 1967 : Eisenhower 1968 : Saltonstall 1969 : White 1970 : Hovde 1971 : Kraft Jr. 1972 : Holland 1973 : Bradley 1974 : Owens 1975 : Ford 1976 : Hamilton 1977 : Bradley 1978 : Zornow 1979 : Chandler 1980 : Cooley 1981 : Linkletter 1982 : Cosby 1983 : Palmer 1984 : Lawrence 1985 : Fleming 1986 : Bush 1987 : Zable 1988 : Not presented 1989 : Ebert 1990 : Reagan 1991 : Gibson 1992 : Kemp 1993 : Alexander 1994 : Johnson 1995 : Mathias 1996 : Wooden 1997 : Payne 1998 : Dole 1999 : Richardson 2000 : Staubach 2001 : Cohen 2002 : Shriver 2003 : de Varona 2004 : Page 2005 : Ride 2006 : Kraft 2007 : Tagliabue 2008 : Glenn 2009 : Albright 2010 : Mitchell 2011 : Dunwoody 2012 : Allen 2013 : Dungy 2014 : Mills 2015 : Jackson 2016 : Ueberroth 2017 : Brooke - Marciniak National Football Foundation Gold Medal winners 1958 : Dwight D. Eisenhower 1959 : Douglas MacArthur 1960 : Herbert Hoover & Amos Alonzo Stagg 1961 : John F. Kennedy 1962 : Byron `` Whizzer '' White 1963 : Roger Q. Blough 1964 : Donold B. Lourie 1965 : Juan T. Trippe 1966 : Earl H. `` Red '' Blaik 1967 : Frederick L. Hovde 1968 : Chester J. LaRoche 1969 : Richard Nixon 1970 : Thomas J. Hamilton 1971 : Ronald Reagan 1972 : Gerald Ford 1973 : John Wayne 1974 : Gerald B. Zornow 1975 : David Packard 1976 : Edgar B. Speer 1977 : Louis H. Wilson 1978 : Vincent dePaul Draddy 1979 : William P. Lawrence 1980 : Walter J. Zable 1981 : Justin W. Dart 1982 : Silver Anniversary Awards ( NCAA ) - All Honored Jim Brown, Willie Davis, Jack Kemp, Ron Kramer, Jim Swink 1983 : Jack Kemp 1984 : John F. McGillicuddy 1985 : William I. Spencer 1986 : William H. Morton 1987 : Charles R. Meyer 1988 : Clinton E. Frank 1989 : Paul Brown 1990 : Thomas H. Moorer 1991 : George H.W. Bush 1992 : Donald R. Keough 1993 : Norman Schwarzkopf 1994 : Thomas S. Murphy 1995 : Harold Alfond 1996 : Gene Corrigan 1997 : Jackie Robinson 1998 : John H. McConnell 1999 : Keith Jackson 2000 : Fred M. Kirby II 2001 : Billy Joe `` Red '' McCombs 2002 : George Steinbrenner 2003 : Tommy Franks 2004 : William V. Campbell 2005 : Jon F. Hanson 2006 : Joe Paterno & Bobby Bowden 2007 : Pete Dawkins & Roger Staubach 2008 : John Glenn 2009 : Phil Knight & Bill Bowerman 2010 : Bill Cosby 2011 : Robert Gates 2012 : Roscoe Brown 2013 : National Football League & Roger Goodell 2014 : Tom Catena & George Weiss 2015 : Condoleezza Rice 2016 : Archie Manning Whitney family of Connecticut Henry Whitney John Whitney Elizabeth Whitney Elijah Keeler Rebecca Keeler Elijah Keeler Bangs Mary Ann Bangs Martha Adela Beaky George Herbert Walker 1875 -- 1953 Dorothy Walker George H.W. Bush George W. Bush Barbara Bush Jenna Bush Hager Jeb Bush George P. Bush Neil Bush Lauren Bush Jonathan Bush Billy Bush Jonathan S. Bush Nancy Walker Bush Ellis William H.T. Bush 1938 -- 2018 George Herbert Walker Jr. 1905 -- 1977 George Herbert Walker III George Herbert Walker IV John M. Walker 1909 -- 1990 John M. Walker Jr. Louis Walker Dorothy Walker Walker Stapleton Nathan Bangs 1778 -- 1862 Elizabeth Keeler Abraham Rockwell Runa Rockwell Samuel Darling Rockwell John William Rockwell Jarvis Waring Rockwell Norman Rockwell 1894 -- 1978 John Rockwell Elizabeth Rockwell Rufus Mead Hiram Mead George Herbert Mead 1863 -- 1931 Henry Whitney Richard Whitney Josiah Whitney Richard Whitney James Whitney 1843 -- 1914 Joseph Whitney David Whitney Ebenezer Whitney Asa Whitney Thomas R. Whitney 1807 -- 1858 Lucretia Whitney Harvey Fitch 1816 -- 1890 Josiah Whitney Henry Whitney Stephen Whitney 1776 -- 1860 Henry Whitney Stephen Whitney Harry Whitney 1873 -- 1936 Richard Whitney Daniel Whitney Daniel Whitney Selleck Whitney Mary Elizabeth Whitney William Alvord 1833 -- 1904 John Whitney John Whitney Samuel Whitney Henry Martyn Whitney 1824 -- 1904 Biography portal Houston portal Business portal Government of the United States portal Politics portal International relations portal Texas portal Massachusetts portal United States Navy portal World War II portal Republican Party portal United States portal BIBSYS : 7015459 BNE : XX1703965 BNF : cb12173385t ( data ) GND : 118844911 ISNI : 0000 0001 2145 8975 LCCN : n80015879 LNB : 000034004 MusicBrainz : f542595a - 9b07 - 41ce - 9d86 - 84bc191cf3b8 NDL : 00464069 NLA : 35129403 SELIBR : 222342 SNAC : w6f58c6v SUDOC : 030874394 ULAN : 500216109 US Congress : B001166 VIAF : 102345968 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=George_H._W._Bush&oldid=857119510 '' Categories : 1924 births Living people 20th - century American businesspeople 20th - century American politicians 20th - century American writers 21st - century American writers Acting Presidents of the United States Ambassadors of the United States to China American aviators American businesspeople in the oil industry American male writers American military personnel of World War II American political writers Bohemian Club members Bush family Cold War CIA chiefs Eli Lilly and Company people Fathers of Presidents of the United States George H.W. 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Question: who was the 41th president of the united states
Answer: George H. W. Bush