41.+George+H.+W.+Bush

=**George Herbert Walker Bush**=

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//**I. A Brief History**//
George Herbert Walker Bush is a Republican politician who served as the 41st president of the United States. He heavily influenced our nation to better our relationships with foreign countries. Early on in his political career, Bush always wanted to become involved in policy making for the good of the people.

Bush also demonstrated leadership to our nation's space program. George Bush had a determination to make the United States a kinder and gentler nation. He was seen as a "caretaker" because of his ability to get international support for the [|Gulf War] (August 2, 1990 – February 28, 1991). The war's results were both seen as a diplomatic and military triumph.

//**II. Early Life/Childhood**//
George H. W. Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts on June 12, 1924 to Prescott Sheldon Bush and Dorothy Walker Bush. Shortly after his birth, the Bush family moved to Greenwich, Connecticut. In Greenwich, George Bush attended Greenwich Country Day School before entering Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts in 1936. At Andover, he played varsity baseball, was captain of the basketball and soccer teams, held the position of secretary of the student council and was president of his senior class. toc

**//i. Young Adult Years//**
When George Bush graduated from Andover, he had already been accepted to Yale University, but the United States had entered World War II, and he enlisted in the U.S. Navy Reserve on his 18th birthday. At age 18, he became the youngest pilot in the Navy. He flew 58 combat missions during World War II. On one mission over the Pacific as a torpedo bomber pilot he was shot down by Japanese antiaircraft fire and was rescued from the water by a U. S. submarine. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for bravery in action.

[[image:ghwpilot.gif align="right"]]//**ii. College Years**//
Weeks after he returned from the Pacific, he married Barbara Pierce. They had six children: George Walker Bush (born 1946), Pauline Robinson Bush (("Robin", 1949-1953, died of leukemia), John Ellis "Jeb" Bush (born 1953), Neil Mallon Bush (born 1955), Marvin Pierce Bush (born 1956), and Dorothy Bush Koch (born 1959).He returned to Yale and enrolled in the accelerated program that allowed him to graduate in two years instead of four. Gaining a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics, Bush became a millionaire in his oil ventures.

//**iii. Start of Political Career**//
In 1966, Bush was elected to a House of Representatives seat from the 7th District of Texas. He was the first Republican to represent Houston. He was elected to a second term in 1968. In 1970, Bush ran for a Senate seat. After his loss, he was well known as a prominent business man. Nixon noticed and appointed him Ambassador to the United Nations.

Gerald Ford made Bush Chief of the US Liaison Office in the People's Republic of China. The time he spent in China was seen as largely beneficial for US-Chinese relations.

In 1976, Ford brought George Bush to Washington to become Director Of Central Intelligence. Bush was credited with restoring the agency's morale regarding illegal and unauthorized activities that had been previously made.

In 1980, he ran in the presidential primaries. He lost New Hampshire to Reagan. Reagan however chose Bush to be his running mate on the Republican presidential ticket. Reagan and Bush successfully won the election, leading Bush into his Vice Presidency from 1981-1989. Bush showed his leadership skills when Reagan was shot and Bush took over for two weeks while Reagan was recovering.

//**III. Presidency (1989-1993)**//
In 1988, Bush ran his presidential campaign and it was a huge success. He was inaugurated on January 20, 1989. At the start of his presidency he had a record-high approval rating of 89 percent.

//**IV. Major Accomplishments In His Presidency**//
i. Bush successfully acheived taking out Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega, a once US- supportive leader who convicted of racketeering and drug trafficking charges.

ii. Another accomplishment Bush made happened in July 1991, where he and Mikhail Gorbachev signed the START treaty, reducing the use of nuclear weapons between the US and the USSR by 35% over the next seven years.

iii. Bush also made a major contribution to the liberation of Kuwait from Iraq in the Gulf War.

//**V. Conclusion**//
George H. W. Bush showed the nation that perseverance through hard times can conquer anything. He tried to instill basic morals in the White House. He was ready to take action when necessary. He also showed that through improving relations with other countries, it's easy to work out the differences between them.

//**VI. Sources**//
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 * http://americanhistory.about.com/od/georgehwbush/p/pghwbush.htm
 * http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/georgehwbush
 * http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h2025.html
 * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_H._W._Bush
 * http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/bus0bio-1