Barbara Pierce Bush (1925-2018)
April 19, 2018
Late Tuesday, on April 17, former United States First Lady Barbara Pierce Bush, the wife of former U.S. President George H. W. Bush, died at her home in Houston, Texas. Geroge H. W. Bush served as president from 1989 to 1993. Mrs. Bush also is the mother of George W. Bush, who was U.S. president from 2001 to 2009. As first lady, Barbara Bush worked to promote literacy. Her witty, friendly manner made her a popular first lady.
Barbara Pierce Bush (1925-2018).
Credit: Library of Congress
Mrs. Bush, whose maiden name was Barbara Pierce, was born on June 8, 1925. Her family lived in Rye, New York, at the time of her birth, but she was born in nearby New York City. Her father became the publisher of McCall’s and Redbook magazines. Barbara’s mother was the daughter of an Ohio Supreme Court justice. Franklin Pierce, who served as president of the United States from 1853 to 1857, was a great-great-great uncle of Barbara Pierce. The Pierce family was well-to-do. Barbara spent her last three years of high school at Ashley Hall, a finishing school in Charleston, South Carolina.
Barbara Pierce and George H. W. Bush met in Greenwich, Connecticut, in 1941. They became engaged in August 1943. They married on Jan. 6, 1945, while Bush was on leave from naval duty in World War II (1939-1945). Barbara Bush had enrolled in Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, in 1943. She dropped out early in 1944 to plan her marriage.
Barbara and George H. W. Bush had six children. The children were, in order of birth, George, Pauline (called Robin), John (called Jeb), Neil, Marvin, and Dorothy. Their son George was elected governor of Texas in 1994 and reelected in 1998. He was elected president of the United States in 2000 and reelected in 2004. Jeb Bush was governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007.
The Bush family moved often as the elder George Bush’s career took them to different locations. After serving as vice president of the United States under President Ronald Reagan, Bush became president in 1989.
As first lady, Barbara Bush sought to turn the public’s attention to the problem of illiteracy. She called on people to become volunteers to help solve social problems, including illiteracy, AIDS, and homelessness. In 1989, she helped found the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy.
The Bushes favored informality in White House social functions. Barbara Bush liked to host informal parties and barbecues. The Bushes also entertained at their summer home in Kennebunkport, Maine. Barbara Bush’s springer spaniel, Millie, became a nationally famous pet. The first lady published Millie’s Book, a book about her dog, in 1990.
After George H. W. Bush’s term as president ended in 1993, Barbara and George moved to Houston. Barbara Bush continued to work on social causes. She also wrote two autobiographical books, Barbara Bush: A Memoir (1995) and Reflections: Life After the White House (2003).
