George Walker Bush, son of former President George Bush and first lady Barbara Bush, is the 43rd president of the United States. He was born in New Haven, Conn., on July 6, 1946 and grew up in Midland, Tex. He received degrees from Yale and Harvard Universities and during the Vietnam War era Bush served as a pilot in the Texas Air National Guard. He married Laura Welch in 1977. They have two daughters, Jenna and Barbara.
Starting his political career relatively late in life, Bush spent much of his professional career as a businessman. During the 1970s and 1980s Bush worked in the oil and gas business. In 1989 he became managing general partner of the Texas Rangers Major League Baseball team. It wasn't until 1994, when Bush ran for governor of Texas, that his political career took off. He unseated incumbent Ann Richards to become the 46th governor of the state.
In 2000, Bush won what many consider to be the most contested presidential race in U.S. history. It took Supreme Court intervention to declare him the winner on the basis of electoral votes, even though his opponent, Democrat Al Gore, won the popular vote. |
