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Barbara Bush

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This article is about the first lady of the United States from 1989 to 1993. For her granddaughter, see Barbara Bush (born 1981). For the first lady of the United States from 2001 to 2009, see Laura Bush.
Barbara Bush
Barbara Bush in 1989
First Lady of the United States
In role
January 20, 1989 – January 20, 1993
PresidentGeorge H. W. Bush
Preceded byNancy Reagan
Succeeded byHillary Clinton
Second Lady of the United States
In role
January 20, 1981 – January 20, 1989
Vice PresidentGeorge H. W. Bush
Preceded byJoan Mondale
Succeeded byMarilyn Quayle
Personal details
Born
Barbara Pierce

(1925-06-08)June 8, 1925
New York City, New York, U.S.
DiedApril 17, 2018(2018-04-17) (aged 92)
Houston, Texas, U.S.
Resting placeGeorge H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum
Political partyRepublican
Spouse(s)
​
(m. 1945)​
Children
EducationSmith College
Signature
Websitewww.barbarabush.org

Barbara Pierce Bush (June 8, 1925 – April 17, 2018) was the first lady of the United States from 1989 to 1993 as the wife of the 41st president of the United States, George H. W. Bush. Before becoming first lady, she was the second lady of the United States from 1981 to 1989 when her husband was vice president.

Biography

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Early life and education

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Barbara Pierce was born on June 8, 1925 at Booth Memorial Hospital in New York City, She is second daughter of four children from Pauline Pierce and Marvin Pierce.[1] She was raised in Indian Village in Rye, New York, and received her primary education at Milton Public School and Rye Country Day School before attending Ashley Hall, a boarding school in South Carolina.

Marriage and children

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Pierce married Bush at the Rye First Presbyterian Church on January 6, 1945, when she was 19 years old.[2] For the first eight months of their marriage, Bush and her husband moved around the Eastern United States, to places including Michigan, Maryland, and Virginia.[3] They had five children together named George, Robin, Jeb, Neil, Marvin, and Dorothy Bush.

Second Lady, 1981–1989

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Bush alongside her husband as he takes the vice presidential oath of office.

Bush became the second lady of the United States when her husband was sworn in as the 43rd vice president on January 20, 1981. As second lady, Bush joined several associations and programs to promote literacy. She also traveled across the United States and abroad, both with her husband and solo while representing him. By the end of her eight years as second lady, Bush counted 65 different nations that she had visited.[4]

First Lady, 1989–1993

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Bush and her husband at the Inaugural Ball at the DC Armory.

Bush became the first lady of the United States when her husband was sworn in as the 41st president on January 20, 1989. As first lady, her day-to-day activities often included charity work, meetings, or interviews until 6pm, and give tours of the White House.[5] She also exercised in the White House pool, swimming 72 laps to complete a mile each day.[6]

Bush and Diana, Princess of Wales in the Yellow Oval Room, while Bush gives Diana a copy of "Millie's Book.

While as first lady, Bush continued her work in promoting literacy that she had started while as second lady.[7] In March 1989, she founded the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy to promote further literacy programs.[8] In 1990, she hosted the Mrs. Bush's Storytime radio program for ABC, which she read to children.[9] She wrote the children's book Millie's Book about Millie's new litter of puppies in 1990.[10]

Bush donated the profits to her literacy foundation.[11] During her time as first lady, she raised millions of dollars to fund literacy programs, including from companies such as GM and Motorola.[12] Her advocacy contributed to the 1989 education summit, and she convinced her husband to end his opposition to the National Literacy Act of 1991, allowing it to be passed into law.[12]

Death and funeral

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Bush died in her Houston home at the age of 92 on April 17, 2018.[13] President Donald Trump ordered flags to half-staff in her memory.[14] Her funeral was held at St. Martin's Episcopal Church in Houston on April 21, 2018.[15] She was buried at the George Bush Presidential Library in College Station, Texas, beside the grave of her daughter Robin.

Awards and honors

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A school building with "Barbara Pierce Bush Elementary School: Exemplary School" lettered on the wall
Barbara Bush Elementary School in Parkway Villages, Houston

In 1995, Bush received the Award for Greatest Public Service Benefiting the Disadvantaged, an award given out annually by the Jefferson Awards Foundation.[16] In 1997, she was the recipient of The Miss America Woman of Achievement Award for her work with literacy programs.[17] The same year, she received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement.[18] In 2016, she received honorary membership in Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Houston chapter.[19]

Multiple schools are named after Barbara Bush. Schools have been named Barbara Bush Elementary School in Houston; Grand Prairie, Texas; and Mesa, Arizona. Schools have been named Barbara Bush Middle School in San Antonio and Irving, Texas.[20] The Barbara Bush Children's Hospital at Maine Medical Center in Portland, Maine, was also named in her honor.

Writings

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  • C. Fred's Story. Doubleday. 1984. ISBN 978-0-385-18971-2.
  • Millie's Book. William Morrow & Co. 1990. ISBN 978-0-688-04033-8.
  • Barbara Bush: A Memoir. New York: Scribner. 1994. ISBN 978-0-02-519635-3.
  • Reflections: Life After the White House. Scribner. 2004. ISBN 978-0-7432-5582-0.

Official websites

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"Barbara Bush". The White House.

"Barbara Bush". White House Historical Association.

"Barbara Bush". Miller Center.

"Barbara Bush". George & Barbara Bush Foundation.

"Barbara Bush". George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum.

References

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  1. ↑ Page, Susan (2019-04-02). The Matriarch: Barbara Bush and the Making of an American Dynasty. Grand Central Publishing. ISBN 978-1-5387-1365-5.
  2. ↑ Carlin 2016, p. 612.
  3. ↑ Cite error: The named reference FL bio2 was used but no text was provided for refs named (see the help page).
  4. ↑ Schneider & Schneider 2010, p. 333.
  5. ↑ Kilian 2002, p. 121.
  6. ↑ Kilian 2002, p. 128.
  7. ↑ Kilian 2002, pp. 158–159.
  8. ↑ Kilian 2002, pp. 160–161.
  9. ↑ Schneider & Schneider 2010, p. 335.
  10. ↑ Carlin 2016, p. 625.
  11. ↑ Caroli 2010, p. 291.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Page 2019, Chapter 12.
  13. ↑ "Former first lady Barbara Bush dies at age 92". ABC News. Archived from the original on April 18, 2018. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
  14. ↑ Klein, Betsy (2018-04-18). "Trump orders flags to half-staff for Barbara Bush | CNN Politics". CNN. Archived from the original on April 4, 2023. Retrieved 2023-10-13.
  15. ↑ Fernandez, Manny (2018-04-21). "Barbara Bush is remembered at her funeral for her wit and tough love". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on June 11, 2023. Retrieved 2023-06-11.
  16. ↑ "Past Winners". Jefferson Awards Foundation. Archived from the original on May 11, 2017. Retrieved April 18, 2018.
  17. ↑ "Live presentation of the 77th annual Miss America Pageant". Turner Classic Movies. 1997. Archived from the original on March 3, 2009. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
  18. ↑ "Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement". Achievement.org. American Academy of Achievement. Archived from the original on March 26, 2023. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
  19. ↑ "University of Houston". The Phi Beta Kappa Society. March 4, 2016. Archived from the original on April 18, 2018. Retrieved April 18, 2018.
  20. ↑ Cite error: The named reference FL bio4 was used but no text was provided for refs named (see the help page).
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