George W. Bush

== Early life and career ==
{{Main|Early life of George W. Bush}}
[[File:GeorgeWBush1947.png|thumb|upright|left|George W. Bush with his parents, [[Barbara Bush|Barbara]] and [[George H. W. Bush]], {{circa}} 1947]]
George Walker Bush was born on July 6, 1946, at [[Grace-New Haven Hospital]] in [[New Haven, Connecticut]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Ahles |first=Dick |title=Bush's Birthplace? It's Deep in the Heart of ... New Haven |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/12/24/nyregion/bush-s-birthplace-it-s-deep-in-the-heart-of-new-haven.html |url-status=live |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=December 24, 2000 |access-date=December 27, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101026120450/http://www.nytimes.com/2000/12/24/nyregion/bush-s-birthplace-it-s-deep-in-the-heart-of-new-haven.html |archive-date=October 26, 2010}}</ref> He was the first child of [[George Herbert Walker Bush]] and [[Barbara Pierce]]. He was raised in [[Midland, Texas|Midland]] and [[Houston]], Texas, with four siblings: [[Jeb Bush|Jeb]], [[Neil Bush|Neil]], [[Marvin Bush|Marvin]] and [[Dorothy Bush Koch|Dorothy]]. Another younger sister, [[Pauline Robinson Bush|Robin]], died from [[leukemia]] at the age of three in 1953.<ref>{{cite news |access-date=September 1, 2008 |date=February 3, 2005 |url=http://www.famoustexans.com/georgewbush.htm |title=George Walker Bush |work=[[Famous Texans]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080915050752/http://www.famoustexans.com/georgewbush.htm |archive-date=September 15, 2008 |url-status=live |last1=Winner |first1=Lucky }}</ref> His paternal grandfather, [[Prescott Bush]], was a U.S. senator from [[Connecticut]].<ref>{{cite web |access-date=February 12, 2010 |url=http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=b001167 |title=Bush, Prescott Sheldon, (1895–1972) |publisher=[[Biographical Directory of the United States Congress]] |archive-date=February 3, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100203192745/http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=b001167 |url-status=live }}</ref> His father was [[Ronald Reagan]]'s vice president from 1981 to 1989 and the 41st U.S. president from 1989 to 1993. Bush has [[English Americans|English]] and [[German Americans|German]] ancestry, along with more distant [[Dutch Americans|Dutch]], [[Welsh Americans|Welsh]], [[Irish Americans|Irish]], [[French Americans|French]], and [[Scottish Americans|Scottish]] roots.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ancestry of George W. Bush |publisher=Wargs.com |url=http://www.wargs.com/political/bush.html |access-date=April 20, 2010 |archive-date=September 14, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180914194615/http://www.wargs.com/political/bush.html |url-status=live }}</ref>{{synth|date=January 2023}}

=== Education ===
Bush attended public schools in Midland, Texas until the family moved to Houston after he had completed seventh grade. He then spent two years at [[The Kinkaid School]], a [[college-preparatory school]].<ref>Bush, then the governor of Texas, was the commencement speaker at St. John's Academy in 1995: {{cite web |access-date=May 1, 2008 |url=http://www.lib.utexas.edu/taro/tslac/40090/tsl-40090.html |title=An Inventory of Press Office Speech Files at the Texas State Archives, 1986, 1989–2000, undated (bulk 1995–2000) |publisher=Texas State Library and Archives Commission |archive-date=November 20, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171120110448/http://www.lib.utexas.edu/taro/tslac/40090/tsl-40090.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Bush attended high school at [[Phillips Academy]], a boarding school in [[Andover, Massachusetts]], where he played baseball and was the head cheerleader during his senior year.<ref>{{cite news |date=June 10, 2000 |url=http://partners.nytimes.com/library/politics/camp/061000wh-bush.html |title=George W. Bush's Journey ''The Cheerleader'': Earning A's in People Skills at Andover |author-link=Nicholas D. Kristof |first=Nicholas D. |last=Kristof |work=The New York Times |access-date=September 1, 2008 |archive-date=March 11, 2005 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050311100453/http://partners.nytimes.com/library/politics/camp/061000wh-bush.html }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2000/dec/03/georgebush |work=The Observer |date=December 3, 2000 |access-date=January 24, 2011 |location=London |title=Ruthian rise of Dubya |first=Simon |last=Kuper |archive-date=October 26, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111026012808/http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2000/dec/03/georgebush}}</ref> He attended [[Yale University]] from 1964 to 1968, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history.<ref name="whitehousebio">{{cite web |title=Biography of President George W. Bush |url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/about/presidents/.gov/about/presidents/georgewbush/ |via=[[NARA|National Archives]] |publisher=[[White House]] |access-date=June 23, 2009 |archive-date=June 26, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090626223537/http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/georgewbush/ }}</ref> During this time, he was a cheerleader and a member of the [[Delta Kappa Epsilon]], serving as the president of the fraternity during his senior year.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Romano |first1=Lois |last2=Lardner |first2=George Jr. |title=Bush: So-So Student but a Campus Mover |url=https://washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/campaigns/wh2000/stories/bush072799.htm |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=July 27, 1999 |access-date=April 8, 2009 |archive-date=January 5, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100105214523/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/campaigns/wh2000/stories/bush072799.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.yaledailynews.com/news/2008/jan/28/cheerleading-of-the-20s-epitome-of-masculinity/ |title=Cheerleading of the '20s: Epitome of masculinity |publisher=[[Yale Daily News]] |access-date=July 31, 2012 |first=Simone |last=Berkower |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121010031032/http://www.yaledailynews.com/news/2008/jan/28/cheerleading-of-the-20s-epitome-of-masculinity/ |archive-date=October 10, 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Feinstein |first1=Jessica |last2=Sabin |first2=Jennifer |title=DKE & YPU: Filling precedential shoes |url=http://www.yaledailynews.com/articles/view/11584 |work=Yale Daily News |date=October 7, 2004 |access-date=April 8, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090411213537/http://yaledailynews.com/articles/view/11584 |archive-date=April 11, 2009}}</ref> Bush became [[List of Skull and Bones members|a member]] of the [[Skull and Bones]] society as a senior.<ref>Bush, George W., ''A Charge to Keep'', (1999) {{ISBN|0-688-17441-8}}</ref> Bush was a [[rugby union]] player and was on Yale's 1st XV.<ref>Cain, Nick & Growden, Greg "Chapter 21: Ten Peculiar Facts about Rugby" in ''Rugby Union for Dummies'' (2nd ed.), Chichester: John Wiley and Sons, p. 297 {{ISBN|978-0-470-03537-5}}</ref> He characterized himself as an average student.<ref>{{cite news |agency=Associated Press |url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,25229,00.html |title=Self-Deprecating Bush Talks to Yale Grads |publisher=Fox News |date=May 21, 2001 |access-date=September 1, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071119035809/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,25229,00.html |archive-date=November 19, 2007 }}; {{cite news |work=Inside Politics |url=http://www.insidepolitics.org/heard/heard32300.html |title=Bush/Gore Grades and SAT Scores |date=June 17, 2005 |access-date=September 1, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080905141524/http://www.insidepolitics.org/heard/heard32300.html |archive-date=September 5, 2008 }}</ref> His [[grade point average]] during his first three years at Yale was 77, and he had a similar average under a nonnumerical rating system in his final year.<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=March 24, 2012 |date=June 8, 2005 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/08/politics/08kerry.html |title=Kerry Grades Near Bush's While at Yale |archive-date=January 28, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120128151534/http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/08/politics/08kerry.html }}</ref>

In the fall of 1973, Bush entered [[Harvard Business School]]. He graduated in 1975 with an MBA degree, and is the only U.S. president to have earned an MBA.<ref>John Solomon, [https://www.nytimes.com/2000/06/18/business/bush-harvard-business-school-and-the-makings-of-a-president.html Bush, Harvard Business School and the Makings of a President] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170729131613/http://www.nytimes.com/2000/06/18/business/bush-harvard-business-school-and-the-makings-of-a-president.html |date=July 29, 2017 }}, ''The New York Times'' (June 18, 2000). See also James P. Pfiffner, [http://pfiffner.gmu.edu/files/pdfs/Articles/Bush%20as%20MBA,%20PAR%202007.pdf The First MBA President: George W. Bush as Public Administrator] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010113856/http://pfiffner.gmu.edu/files/pdfs/Articles/Bush%20as%20MBA,%20PAR%202007.pdf |date=October 10, 2017 }}, ''Public Administration Review'' (January/February 2007), p. 7.</ref>

=== Family and personal life ===
{{See also|Bush family}}
Bush was engaged to Cathryn Lee Wolfman in 1967, but the engagement did not last. Bush and Wolfman remained on good terms after the end of the relationship.<ref>Fleck, Tim (March 25, 1999). [http://www.houstonpress.com/news/the-woman-george-w-bush-didnt-marry-6567437 "The Woman George W. Bush Didn't Marry"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180305202624/http://www.houstonpress.com/news/the-woman-george-w-bush-didnt-marry-6567437 |date=March 5, 2018 }}. ''Houston Press.com''. Retrieved April 4, 2019.</ref> While Bush was at a backyard barbecue in 1977, friends introduced him to [[Laura Welch]], a schoolteacher and librarian. After a three-month courtship, she accepted his marriage proposal and they wed on November{{nbs}}5 of that year.<ref name="readherlips">{{cite news |title=Read her lips: Literacy efforts on first lady's agenda |url=http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/people/shows/bush/profile.html |publisher=CNN |date=April 8, 2001 |access-date=May 12, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080512225849/http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/people/shows/bush/profile.html |archive-date=May 12, 2008}}</ref> The couple settled in Midland, Texas. Bush left his family's [[Episcopal Church (United States)|Episcopal Church]] to join his wife's [[United Methodist Church]].<ref name="um">{{cite web |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/jesus/etc/script.html |title=The Jesus Factor |access-date=September 1, 2008 |publisher=[[PBS]] |archive-date=August 30, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110830102613/http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/jesus/etc/script.html |url-status=live }}</ref> On November 25, 1981, Laura Bush gave birth to [[fraternal twin]] daughters, [[Barbara Bush (born 1981)|Barbara]] and [[Jenna Bush Hager|Jenna]].<ref name=readherlips /> Bush describes being challenged by [[Billy Graham]] to consider faith in Jesus "Christ as the risen Lord", how he began to read the Bible daily, "surrendering" to the "Almighty", that "faith is a walk" and that he was "moved by God's love".<ref>{{cite book|title=Decision Points|publisher=Random House | first=George W. | last=Bush|isbn=978-0-7393-7782-6 | year=2010 | pages=47–49}}</ref>

==== Alcohol abuse ====
Prior to getting married, Bush struggled with multiple episodes of [[alcohol abuse]].<ref name="Life-changing">{{cite news |last1=Romano |first1=Lois |last2=Lardner |first2=George Jr. |title=Bush's Life-Changing Year |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/campaigns/wh2000/stories/bush072599.htm |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=July 25, 1999 |access-date=September 1, 2008 |archive-date=February 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230207101528/https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/campaigns/wh2000/stories/bush072599.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> In one instance on September 4, 1976, he was pulled over near his family's summer home in [[Kennebunkport, Maine]], for [[Drunk driving|driving under the influence of alcohol]]. He was arrested for DUI, fined $150, and received a brief suspension of his Maine driver's license.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/bushdmv1.html |title=2000 Driving Record |date=November 2, 2000 |access-date=September 1, 2008 |publisher=Department of the Secretary of State of Maine |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080915165849/http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/bushdmv1.html |archive-date=September 15, 2008 |url-status=live }}<br />{{cite magazine |last=Cohen |first=Adam |title=Fallout From A Midnight Ride |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,998465,00.html |magazine=Time |date=November 13, 2000 |access-date=September 1, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080524075710/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0%2C9171%2C998465%2C00.html |archive-date=May 24, 2008}}</ref> Bush said his wife has had a stabilizing effect on his life,<ref name=readherlips /> and he attributes her influence to his 1986 decision to give up alcohol.<ref name="turningpoint">{{cite news |date=January 23, 2000 |url=https://www.boston.com/news/politics/president/bush/articles/2000/01/23/george_w_bush/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012215629/http://boston.com/news/politics/president/bush/articles/2000/01/23/george_w_bush/ |archive-date=October 12, 2007 |title=Turning Point: George W. Bush, A Legacy Reclaimed |last=Leonard |first=Mary |access-date=September 1, 2008 |work=The Boston Globe }}</ref> While governor of Texas, Bush said of his wife, "I saw an elegant, beautiful woman who turned out not only to be elegant and beautiful, but very smart and willing to put up with my rough edges, and I must confess has smoothed them off over time."<ref name=readherlips /> Bush also claims that his faith in God was critical in the process to give up drinking. "I believe that God helped open my eyes, which were closing because of booze".<ref>{{cite book|title=Decision Points|publisher=Random House | first=George W. | last=Bush|isbn=978-0-7393-7782-6 | year=2010 | page=51}}</ref>

==== Hobbies ====
Bush has been an avid reader throughout his adult life, preferring biographies and histories.<ref name="wp-cohen">{{cite news |last=Cohen |first=Richard |title=George W. Bush as an Avid Reader |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=December 30, 2008 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/29/AR2008122901896.html |access-date=August 6, 2014 |archive-date=August 12, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140812164011/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/29/AR2008122901896.html |url-status=live }}</ref> During his presidency, Bush read the Bible daily,<ref name="bushmuseumofthebible">{{cite web |last1=Gryboski |first1=Michael |date=November 5, 2014 |title=George W. Bush Says He Read the Bible Every Day of His Presidency, at Museum of the Bible Event |url=http://www.christianpost.com/news/george-w-bush-says-he-read-the-bible-every-day-of-his-presidency-at-museum-of-the-bible-event-129122/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211102161422/https://www.christianpost.com/news/george-w-bush-says-he-read-the-bible-every-day-of-his-presidency-at-museum-of-the-bible-event-129122/ |archive-date=November 2, 2021 |access-date=July 15, 2022 |website=The Christian Post |publication-date=November 5, 2014}}</ref> though at the end of his second term he said on television that he is "not a literalist" about Bible interpretation.<ref>{{cite web|access-date=May 15, 2021|title=Bible probably not true, says George Bush|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/3686695/Bible-probably-not-true-says-George-Bush.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/3686695/Bible-probably-not-true-says-George-Bush.html |archive-date=January 10, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|website=The Daily Telegraph|date=December 9, 2008 }}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|access-date=May 15, 2021|title=Excerpts: Cynthia McFadden Interviews President George W. Bush|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/Politics/story?id=6418908&page=1|website=ABC News|archive-date=May 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210515030911/https://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/Politics/story?id=6418908&page=1|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Walt Harrington]], a journalist, recalled seeing "books by [[John Fowles]], [[F. Scott Fitzgerald]], [[James Joyce]], and [[Gore Vidal]] lying about, as well as biographies of [[Willa Cather]] and [[Queen Victoria]]" in his home when Bush was a Texas oilman. Other activities include cigar smoking and golf.<ref name="harrington2011">{{cite news|last=Harrington|first=Walt|date=August 25, 2011|title=Dubya and Me|work=The American Scholar|url=https://theamericanscholar.org/dubya-and-me/|access-date=September 10, 2011|archive-date=March 27, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190327233614/https://theamericanscholar.org/dubya-and-me/|url-status=live}}</ref> Bush has also painted many paintings. One of his best-known projects is a collection of 43 paintings of immigrants, titled ''Out of Many, One''.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.atlantahistorycenter.com/exhibitions/out-of-many-one-portraits-of-americas-immigrants/ | title=Out of Many, One: Portraits of America's Immigrants &#124; Exhibitions | access-date=June 1, 2022 | archive-date=May 22, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220522211234/https://www.atlantahistorycenter.com/exhibitions/out-of-many-one-portraits-of-americas-immigrants/ | url-status=live }}</ref> Another painting project was ''Portraits of Courage: A Commander in Chief's Tribute To America's Warrior''.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.bushcenter.org/exhibits-and-events/exhibits/2017/portraits-of-courage-exhibit.html | title=Portraits of Courage &#124; Bush Center | access-date=June 1, 2022 | archive-date=May 31, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220531204227/https://www.bushcenter.org/exhibits-and-events/exhibits/2017/portraits-of-courage-exhibit.html | url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Military career ===
{{Main|George W. Bush military service controversy}}
{{See also|Killian documents controversy|Killian documents authenticity issues}}
In May 1968, Bush was commissioned into the [[Texas Air National Guard]].<ref name="wpbushguardquestion">{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A7372-2004Feb2.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160414134915/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A7372-2004Feb2.html |archive-date=April 14, 2016 |title=Bush's Guard Service In Question |access-date=September 1, 2008 |last=Romano |first=Lois |date=February 3, 2004 |newspaper=The Washington Post |pages=A08 }}</ref> After two years of training in active-duty service,<ref name="lardner19990728">{{cite news |last1=Lardner |first1=George Jr. |last2=Romano |first2=Lois |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/campaigns/wh2000/stories/bush072899.htm |title=At Height of Vietnam, Bush Picks Guard |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=July 28, 1999 |access-date=March 1, 2002 |archive-date=September 13, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170913034222/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/campaigns/wh2000/stories/bush072899.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> he was assigned to Houston, flying [[Convair F-102]]s with the [[147th Reconnaissance Wing]] out of the [[Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base]].<ref name=wpbushguardquestion /><ref>{{cite news |first=Byron |last=York |url=http://www.nationalreview.com/flashback/york200408261025.asp |title=The Facts about Bush and the National Guard |work=National Review |date=August 26, 2004 |access-date=September 1, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080830012958/http://www.nationalreview.com/flashback/york200408261025.asp |archive-date=August 30, 2008 }}</ref> Critics, including former [[Democratic National Committee]] Chairman [[Terry McAuliffe]], have alleged that Bush was favorably treated due to his father's political standing as a member of [[United States House of Representatives|the House of Representatives]], citing his selection as a pilot despite his low pilot aptitude test scores and his irregular attendance.<ref name=wpbushguardquestion /> In June 2005, [[United States Department of Defense|the Department of Defense]] released all the records of Bush's Texas Air National Guard service, which remain in its official archives.<ref name="USDoDbushrecords">{{cite news |publisher=Department of Defense |url=http://www.dod.mil/pubs/foi/bush_records/index.html |title=Official DoD service records of Texas Air National Guard member George Walker Bush |date=June 17, 2005 |access-date=September 1, 2008 |archive-date=September 30, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930154647/http://www.dod.mil/pubs/foi/bush_records/index.html }}</ref>

In late 1972 and early 1973, he drilled with the [[187th Fighter Wing]] of the [[Alabama Air National Guard]]. He had moved to [[Montgomery, Alabama]], to work on the unsuccessful U.S. Senate campaign of Republican [[Winton M. Blount]].<ref>{{cite news |date=October 26, 2002 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/26/us/winton-blount-81-a-founder-of-the-new-postal-service.html |title=Winton Blount, 81, a Founder Of the New Postal Service |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=February 12, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-date=May 13, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110513191202/http://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/26/us/winton-blount-81-a-founder-of-the-new-postal-service.html }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Walker |first=Jessica M. |url=https://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2004-02-13-bush-alabama_x.htm |title=Bush seen in Alabama in 1972 |newspaper=[[USA Today]] |date=February 13, 2004 |access-date=February 12, 2010 |archive-date=March 20, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090320004732/http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2004-02-13-bush-alabama_x.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> In 1972, Bush was suspended from flying for failure to take a scheduled physical exam.<ref>Rutenberg, Jim (May 17, 2004). {{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/17/movies/a-film-to-polarize-along-party-lines.html |title=A Film to Polarize Along Party Lines |newspaper=The New York Times |first=Jim |last=Rutenberg |date=May 17, 2004 |archive-date=January 30, 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130130041444/http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/17/movies/a-film-to-polarize-along-party-lines.html }}</ref> He was honorably discharged from the [[Air Force Reserve Command|Air Force Reserve]] on November 21, 1974.<ref>{{cite news |author1=Brit Hume |author2=Mara Liasson |author3=Jeff Birnbaum |author4=Charles Krauthammer |title=The All-Star Panel Discusses John Kerry's Shifting Positions on Iraq War Spending |work=Fox News Network (transcript) |date=July 9, 2004}}</ref>

Bush remains the most recent president to have served in the military.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/american-presidents-who-served-in-the-military-2016-6#george-w-bush-1 |title=29 American presidents who served in the military |access-date=November 27, 2020 |last=Cain |first=Áine |date=February 19, 2018 |work=[[Business Insider]] |archive-date=December 5, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201205164450/https://www.businessinsider.com/american-presidents-who-served-in-the-military-2016-6#george-w-bush-1 |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Business career ===
{{Main|Professional life of George W. Bush}}
[[File:Gerald Ford greets George W. Bush.jpg|thumb|Bush and former President [[Gerald Ford]] in August 1984]]
In 1977, Bush established [[Arbusto Energy]], a small oil exploration company, although it did not begin operations until the following year.<ref name="Lardner">{{cite news |last1=Lardner |first1=George Jr. |last2=Romano |first2=Lois |title=Bush Name Helps Fuel Oil Dealings |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |access-date=November 24, 2016 |date=July 30, 1999 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/campaigns/wh2000/stories/bush073099.htm |archive-date=June 29, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629035020/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/campaigns/wh2000/stories/bush073099.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Stone |first=Peter H. |title=Big oil's White House pipelines |journal=National Journal |date=July 4, 2001 |issue=33 |page=1042 |issn=0360-4217}}</ref> He later changed the name to Bush Exploration. In 1984, his company merged with the larger [[Spectrum 7]], and Bush became chairman. The company was hurt by decreased oil prices, and it folded into [[Harken Energy Corporation]],<ref>{{cite news |last=Carlisle, John K |title=George Soros's Plan to Defeat George Bush |work=Human Events |date=January 3, 2004}}</ref> with Bush becoming a member of Harken's board of directors. Questions of [[George W. Bush insider trading allegations|possible insider trading]] involving Harken arose, but a [[Securities and Exchange Commission]] investigation concluded that the information Bush had at the time of his stock sale was not sufficient to constitute insider trading.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.commondreams.org/headlines02/0721-02.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080918073117/http://www.commondreams.org/headlines02/0721-02.htm |archive-date=September 18, 2008 |title=Files: Bush Knew Firm's Plight Before Stock Sale |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=July 21, 2002 |access-date=September 1, 2008}}</ref>

In April 1989, Bush arranged for a group of investors to purchase a controlling interest in the [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers baseball franchise]] for $89{{nbs}}million and invested $500,000 himself to start. He then was managing general partner for five years.<ref name="TexRngrs">{{cite web |url=http://static.espn.go.com/mlb/bush/timeline.html |title=A series of beneficial moves |publisher=ESPN |last=Farrey |first=Tom |date=November 1, 1999 |access-date=March 4, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080724161725/http://static.espn.go.com/mlb/bush/timeline.html |archive-date=July 24, 2008 }}</ref> He actively led the team's projects and regularly attended its games, often choosing to sit in the open stands with fans.<ref>{{cite web |access-date=September 1, 2008 |url=http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/governors/modern/bush-p04.html |title=George W. Bush in Little League uniform |publisher=Texas State Library and Archives Commission |archive-date=November 27, 2001 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011127100625/http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/governors/modern/bush-p04.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Bush's sale of his shares in the Rangers in 1998 brought him over $15{{nbs}}million from his initial $800,000 investment.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.makethemaccountable.com/tax/BushTaxes1998.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040405133503/http://makethemaccountable.com/tax/BushTaxes1998.pdf |archive-date=April 5, 2004 |title=1998 Tax return |access-date=September 1, 2008 }}</ref>

Prior to his eventual gubernatorial campaign, Bush briefly considered a candidacy to become the [[Commissioner of Baseball]] in the early to mid-1990s.<ref>{{cite news|title=Does baseball need a commissioner with a background in the game?|author=Tracy Ringolsby|work=[[Rocky Mountain News]]|date=August 17, 1995|page=9B}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=MLB – Vincent book: Bush wanted commissioner's job – ESPN|url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/2002/0918/1433403.html|publisher=ESPN|date=September 18, 2002|access-date=November 3, 2021|language=en|archive-date=November 4, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211104132429/https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/2002/0918/1433403.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/rangers/2019/07/19/in-new-book-bud-selig-details-just-how-close-president-george-w-bush-came-to-replacing-him-as-mlb-commissioner/|title=In new book, Bud Selig details just how close President George W. Bush came to replacing him as MLB commissioner|last=Sherrington|first=Kevin|date=July 18, 2019|access-date=November 3, 2021|language=en|archive-date=February 25, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230225200321/https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/rangers/2019/07/19/in-new-book-bud-selig-details-just-how-close-president-george-w-bush-came-to-replacing-him-as-mlb-commissioner/|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Early political involvement ===
In [[1978 United States House of Representatives elections|the 1978 elections]], Bush ran for the House of Representatives from [[Texas's 19th congressional district]]. The retiring member, [[George H. Mahon]], had held the district for the Democratic Party since 1935. Bush's opponent, [[Kent Hance]], portrayed him as out of touch with rural Texans, and Bush lost the election with 46.8 percent of the vote to Hance's 53.2 percent.<ref name="NewsMine">{{cite news|last=Holmes|first=Michael|date=October 17, 1999|title=Bush Wasn't Always a Front-Runner|newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/aponline/19991017/aponline114059_000.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120218152807/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/aponline/19991017/aponline114059_000.htm|archive-date=February 18, 2012|access-date=September 1, 2008}}</ref>

Bush and his family moved to Washington, D.C., in 1988 to work on [[George H. W. Bush 1988 presidential campaign|his father's campaign for the U.S. presidency]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Bush |first1=George W. |author2=Bill Adler |title=The Quotable George W. Bush: A Portrait in His Own Words |publisher=Andrews McMeel Publishing |year=2004 |isbn=978-0-7407-4154-8 |oclc=237927420}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=June 17, 2005 |access-date=September 1, 2008 |publisher=PBS |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/choice2000/bush/wead.html |title=George W. Bush and the religious right in the 1988 campaign of George H.W. Bush |archive-date=May 22, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080522093226/http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/choice2000/bush/wead.html |url-status=live }}</ref> He was a campaign advisor and liaison to the media, and assisted his father by campaigning across the country.<ref name="msn">{{cite encyclopedia |url=http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761581479/george_bush.html |title=George Bush |access-date=August 3, 2008 |publisher=MSN Encarta |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091028102307/http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761581479/George_Bush.html |archive-date=October 28, 2009 }}</ref> In December 1991, Bush was one of seven people named by his father to run his father's 1992 presidential [[George H. W. Bush 1992 presidential campaign|re-election campaign]] as a campaign advisor.<ref>{{cite news |title=Seven Who Will Manage Bush's 1992 Presidential Campaign |date=December 6, 1991 |work=The New York Times |url=https://nytimes.com/1991/12/06/us/seven-who-will-manage-bush-s-1992-presidential-campaign.html |access-date=June 23, 2009 |archive-date=December 20, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101220030430/http://www.nytimes.com/1991/12/06/us/seven-who-will-manage-bush-s-1992-presidential-campaign.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The previous month, his father had asked him to tell White House chief of staff [[John H. Sununu]] to resign.<ref>{{cite magazine|last1=White|first1=Jack E.|last2=Barrett|first2=Laurence I.|date=December 16, 1991|title=The White House: Clearing the Decks|magazine=Time|url=http://time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,974468,00.html|access-date=November 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080724161725/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0%2C9171%2C974468%2C00.html|archive-date=July 24, 2008}}</ref>