Goodbye President Bush

President George Herbert Walker Bush, the 41^st president of the United States, died on November 30, 2018 at the age of 94. He was the longest-lived president in U.S. history. Election Central takes a closer look at his long life, his death, and his many contributions.

The Life of a Leader

George H.W. Bush was born on June 12, 1924, in Milton, Massachusetts. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Yale University, but first served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy during World War II, from 1942 to 1945. While serving overseas, Bush earned several awards including the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal. In 1945, he married Barbara Pierce. The two enjoyed a close relationship and were married for 73 years, before Barbara passed away in April 2018. After graduating from Yale in 1948, George and Barbara moved to Texas, where he became a millionaire in the oil business by the age of 40. It was then that he decided to enter into a life of public service.

While Bush is best known for serving as U.S. president from 1989 to 1993, he was also the vice president from 1981-1989 under President Ronald Reagan. (In fact, Bush became the first incumbent vice president to be elected president in 152 years.) Before that, he also served as a Texas congressman, the ambassador to the People’s Republic of China, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, and the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

Related Links:

• Learn more about our 41st president by visiting his biography page at the White House Web site.
• Read more about the farewells given to President George H.W. Bush.

As president, Bush is remembered mainly for his foreign policy. He was responsible for overseeing the brief Persian Gulf war, and was president when the Berlin Wall fell in 1989. He also signed the original North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which created a trade agreement between the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Bush is remembered less favorably for his domestic policies, however. During his term, the country experienced an economic recession. Bush also signed a bill to raise taxes, despite his best-remembered campaign slogan: “Read my lips. No new taxes.” In 1992, he lost the presidency to Democrat Bill Clinton.

Saying Farewell

Last Wednesday–the day of President Bush’s state funeral at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.–was declared a national day of mourning. The funeral was attended by all surviving presidents, as well as many foreign dignitaries, and included a moving eulogy by Bush’s son, former 43rd president George W. Bush. One highlight included former senator and presidential candidate Bob Dole standing from his wheelchair to salute the president’s casket.

President Bush also was honored at a funeral at St. Martin’s Church in Houston, Texas, last Thursday. About 1,200 mourners filled the church, which is the largest Episcopal church in the country. His casket then traveled by train (nicknamed the “Bush 4141”) to his final resting place in College Station, Texas, where hundreds of people awaited the train’s arrival to pay their respects. He was buried in a private ceremony which took place on the grounds of the Bush Presidential Library and Museum, where he was laid to rest alongside his wife, Barbara, and their daughter, Robin, who passed away as a child from leukemia.

What Do You Think? Based on what you’ve read, and what you’ve seen or heard in the news, what do you consider to be President George H.W. Bush’s greatest contribution? Explain.