George W. Bush
43rd President of the United States
(January 20, 2001 to January 20, 2009)
Full Name: George Walker Bush
Nicknames: "W"
Born: July 6, 1946, in New Haven, Connecticut
Father: George Herbert Walker Bush (1924-2018)
Mother: Barbara Pierce Bush (1925-2018)
Married: Laura Welch (1946- ), on November 5, 1977
Children: Barbara Pierce Bush (1981- ), Jenna Welch Bush (1981- )
Religion: Methodist
Education: Graduated from Yale University (1968); Graduated from Harvard Business School (1975)
Occupation: Businessman
Political Party: Republican
Other Government Positions:
- Governor of Texas, 1995-2000
Presidential Salary: $400,000/year + $50,000 expense account
Presidential Election Results:
Year Candidate Popular Votes Electoral Votes
2000 George W. Bush 50,456,002 271
(map) Al Gore 50,999,897 266
(Votes Not Cast) 1
Year Candidate Popular Votes Electoral Votes
2004 George W. Bush 62,040,003 286
(map) John Kerry 59,027,335 251
John Edwards 1
Vice President: Richard B. Cheney (2001-09)
Cabinet:
- Secretary of State
- Colin L. Powell (2001-05)
Condoleezza Rice (2005-09) - Secretary of the Treasury
- Paul O'Neill (2001-02)
John W. Snow (2003-06)
Henry M. Paulson, Jr. (2006-09) - Secretary of Defense
- Donald H. Rumsfeld (2001-06)
Robert M. Gates (2006-09) - Attorney General
- John Ashcroft (2001-05)
Alberto Gonzales (2005-07)
Michael Mukasey (2007-09) - Secretary of the Interior
- Gale Norton (2001-06)
Dirk Kempthorne (2006-09) - Secretary of Agriculture
- Ann Veneman (2001-05)
Mike Johanns (2005-07)
Ed Schafer (2008-09) - Secretary of Commerce
- Don Evans (2001-05)
Carlos Gutierrez (2005-09) - Secretary of Labor
- Elaine Chao (2001-09)
- Secretary of Health and Human Services
- Tommy G. Thompson (2001-05)
Michael O. Leavitt (2005-09) - Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
- Mel Martinez (2001-04)
Alphonso Jackson (2004-08)
Steve Preston (2008-09) - Secretary of Transportation
- Norman Y. Mineta (2001-06)
Mary E. Peters (2006-09) - Secretary of Energy
- Spencer Abraham (2001-05)
Samuel W. Bodman (2005-09) - Secretary of Education
- Roderick R. Paige (2001-05)
Margaret Spellings (2005-09) - Secretary of Veterans Affairs
- Anthony Principi (2001-05)
R. James Nicholson (2005-07)
James B. Peake (2007-09) - Secretary of Homeland Security
- Tom Ridge (2003-2005)
Michael Chertoff (2005-09)
Supreme Court Justices:
John Roberts, Chief (2005- )
Samuel Alito (2006- )
Notable Events:
- 2001
- On September 11, terrorists flew hijacked airplanes into both towers of the World Trade Center and into the Pentagon. A fourth hijacked plane crashed in Pennsylvania.
- On October 7, Bush announced the beginning of military action in Afghanistan.
- 2002
- In September, Bush addressed Congress and the UN Security Council to make a case for action against Iraq. Congress authorized force on October 10.
- 2003
- On February 1, the Space Shuttle Columbia exploded during re-entry.
- On March 19, the U.S. declared war on Iraq.
- 2005
- On August 28, Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf coast causing devastation to New Orleans and surrounding areas.
- 2007
- Scooter Libby, Vice President Cheney's Chief of Staff, convicted of exposing the identity of a covert CIA operative.
- 2008
- On September 15, Lehman Brothers investment bank collapsed signaling the start of a global financial crisis.
- Over the next three months, Bush signed bailout legislation for Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, General Motors, Chrysler, AIG, and others.
Internet Biographies:
- George W. Bush -- from The Presidents of the United States of America
- Compiled by the White House.
- George W. Bush -- from The American President
- From the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia, in addition to information on the Presidents themselves, they have first lady and cabinet member biographies, listings of presidential staff and advisers, and timelines detailing significant events in the lives of each administration.
- George W. Bush -- from Encyclopaedia Britannica
- Facts about Bush and his presidency.
- George W. Bush: Easy to underestimate -- from USA Today
- Some history of Bush and his stance on major campaign issues. Written by the Associated Press.
- George Walker Bush -- from Infoplease.com
- Standard presidential biography.
- The Life of George W. Bush -- from The Washington Post
- Photo album of Bush's life from childhood until he ran for president.
Videos:
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George W. Bush - The United States' 43rd President | Mini Bio | BiographyAmerica's Presidents - George W. BushGeorge W. Bush | 60-Second Presidents | PBSPresident Bush Announces Start of Iraq WarPresident George W. Bush 2001 Inaugural Address1 / 3
Other Internet Resources:
- The George W. Bush Childhood Home
- Located in Midland, Texas this is where the Bush family lived from 1951-1955. Celebrates the lives of two presidents.
- George W. Bush Presidential Center
- The Center works for domestic excellence and global leadership. Includes a museum and archives.
- Health and Medical History of George W. Bush
- Medical background of each president with references. Compiled by John Sotos, MD.
Points of Interest:
699 Mill Rd, Crawford, TX 76638
2943 SMU Boulevard, Dallas, TX 75205
Offutt Air Force Base
Bellevue, Nebraska
Highway 70, Barksdale AFB, LA 71110
Flight 93 National Memorial
6424 Lincoln Highway 30, Stoystown, PA 15563
Pentagon Memorial
1 N Rotary Rd, Arlington, VA 22202
World Trade Center Memorial
180 Greenwich St, New York, NY 10007
Emma E. Booker Elementary School
2350 Dr Martin Luther King Way, Sarasota, FL 34234
New Haven, Connecticut
1412 West Ohio Avenue
Midland, Texas 79701
699 Mill Rd, Crawford, TX 76638
2943 SMU Boulevard, Dallas, TX 75205
Offutt Air Force Base
Bellevue, Nebraska
Highway 70, Barksdale AFB, LA 71110
Flight 93 National Memorial
6424 Lincoln Highway 30, Stoystown, PA 15563
Pentagon Memorial
1 N Rotary Rd, Arlington, VA 22202
World Trade Center Memorial
180 Greenwich St, New York, NY 10007
Emma E. Booker Elementary School
2350 Dr Martin Luther King Way, Sarasota, FL 34234
New Haven, Connecticut
1412 West Ohio Avenue
Midland, Texas 79701
Additional Facts:
- Bush was one of two managing general partners of the Texas Rangers baseball club from 1989-1994.
- Of the 6 million votes cast in Florida in the 2000 election, Bush won the state's 25 electoral votes by 537 votes.
- Bush is the only president to have a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree.
- Bush's 2002 State of the Union address was the first broadcast live on the Internet.
- Bush was the first president to serve in the Air National Guard.
- Bush was the first president to attend an Olympic Games in a foreign country. He attended the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
- Bush was the first president to leave office while both parents still lived.
- In 1993, Bush ran the Houston Marathon finishing in 3 hours 44 minutes. He is the only president to have ever completed a marathon at some point in their life.
Quotes:“Life takes its own turns, makes its own demands, writes its own story, and along the way, we start to realize we are not the author.”
“If you don’t feel something strongly you’re not going to achieve.”
“We will bring the terrorists to justice; or we will bring justice to the terrorists. Either way, justice will be done.”
“Freedom itself was attacked this morning by a faceless coward, and freedom will be defended.”
“Life takes its own turns, makes its own demands, writes its own story, and along the way, we start to realize we are not the author.”
“If you don’t feel something strongly you’re not going to achieve.”
“We will bring the terrorists to justice; or we will bring justice to the terrorists. Either way, justice will be done.”
“Freedom itself was attacked this morning by a faceless coward, and freedom will be defended.”