Childhood and Education Journey of Barbara Bush in Timeline

An overview of the childhood and early education of Barbara Bush, highlighting the experiences that shaped the journey.

Barbara Bush (1925-2018) was First Lady of the United States (1989-1993), wife of President George H.W. Bush, and Second Lady (1981-1989) during his vice presidency. She is one of only two women, along with Abigail Adams, to be both the wife and mother of U.S. presidents (George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush). She was also the mother of Jeb Bush, a former Governor of Florida. As First Lady, she was known for her accessible, grandmotherly image and her dedication to literacy, founding the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy.

Sections (6)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals Legacy & Impact

June 8, 1925: Barbara Bush's birth

On June 8, 1925, Barbara Pierce, later known as Barbara Bush, was born. She would become the First Lady of the United States as the wife of George H.W. Bush.

Others born on this day/year

1942: George H. W. Bush enlisted in U.S. Navy

In 1942, George H. W. Bush enlisted in the U.S. Navy, impacting his relationship with Barbara Pierce.

1943: Barbara Pierce graduated from Ashley Hall

In 1943, Barbara Pierce graduated from Ashley Hall.

June 1944: Feared George Bush dead

In June 1944, Barbara Pierce feared George Bush dead after learning that his plane was shot down during World War II, but he was later found and rescued.

January 6, 1945: Marriage to George H.W. Bush

On January 6, 1945, Barbara Pierce married George H.W. Bush at the Rye First Presbyterian Church in Rye, New York, when she was 19 years old.

1945: Marriage to George H.W. Bush

In 1945, Barbara Pierce married George H. W. Bush. Their marriage marked the beginning of a significant personal and political partnership.

July 6, 1946: Birth of George W. Bush

On July 6, 1946, Barbara and George H.W. Bush's first child, George W. Bush, was born.

1946: Birth of first child

In 1946, Barbara Bush had her first child, George W. Bush, future president of the United States.

1948: Moved to Texas

In 1948, Barbara and George H.W. Bush moved to Texas. This move was prompted by George's success in the oil industry.

1953: Birth of Jeb Bush

In 1953, Barbara Bush had her third child, Jeb Bush.

1953: Death of daughter Robin

In 1953, Barbara and George H.W. Bush's three-year-old daughter, Robin, passed away from leukemia, marking a significant personal loss for the family.

1953: Robin diagnosed with leukemia

In 1953, Robin, the daughter of Barbara and George Bush, was diagnosed with leukemia, which significantly impacted their family life.

1955: Birth of Neil Bush

In 1955, Barbara Bush had her fourth child, Neil Bush.

1956: Birth of Marvin Bush

In 1956, Barbara Bush had her fifth child, Marvin Bush.

1957: Road trip encountering racism

In 1957, The Bushes faced racism while traveling across the country with their Black housekeeper and babysitter.

1959: Birth of sixth child

By 1959, Barbara Bush had six children.

1959: Move to Houston and Neil's dyslexia diagnosis

In 1959, The Bush family moved to Houston, and Barbara Bush oversaw construction of their new home. Additionally, her son Neil was diagnosed with dyslexia.

1962: Campaign for Harris County Republican Party chairmanship

In 1962, Barbara Bush learned to campaign when her husband ran for chairman of the Harris County Republican Party, accompanying him to each precinct in the county.

1964: Campaign for U.S. Senate

In 1964, Barbara Bush campaigned with her husband when he ran to represent Texas in the U.S. Senate, experiencing negative aspects of political life like false information.

1966: Campaign for U.S. House of Representatives

In 1966, Barbara Bush campaigned for her husband's successful run for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, leading to the family's move to Washington, D.C.

1970: George Bush ran for U.S. Senate again

In 1970, George Bush ran for the U.S. Senate again, and was again unsuccessful. After her dye ran during a campaign trip, Barbara decided to stop dyeing her hair.

1973: Husband became chair of the Republican National Committee

In 1973, George H.W. Bush became the chair of the Republican National Committee.

1974: George became ambassador to China

In 1974, George Bush was appointed United States ambassador to China and Barbara moved with him to China.

1977: The Bushes return to Houston

After George left the CIA in 1977, the Bushes returned to Houston, Texas.

1980: Reconciling beliefs surrounding abortion

In 1980, during the presidential campaign, Barbara Bush privately reconciled her beliefs surrounding abortion, concluding that the soul enters the body at birth, making abortion morally permissible. She believed it should be federally funded and government action should focus on education.

1980: The Bushes Move into the Vice Presidential Residence

Upon George Bush becoming Vice President in 1980, the Bushes moved into the vice presidential residence and lived there for eight years. Barbara hosted over one thousand social events. First Lady Nancy Reagan grew to dislike the Bushes, reducing the social role of the vice president and the second lady.

1981: Became Second Lady of the United States

In 1981, Barbara Bush became Second Lady when her husband became Vice President of the United States.

January 20, 1989: The Bushes Move into the White House

On January 20, 1989, the Bushes moved into the White House, and Barbara became the First Lady of the United States at age 63. She was the oldest First Lady at that time. Shortly after becoming First Lady, Barbara was diagnosed with Graves' disease.

1989: Became First Lady and Graves' disease diagnosis

In 1989, Barbara Bush became First Lady of the United States and was diagnosed with Graves' disease.

1989: Became First Lady of the United States

In 1989, Barbara Bush became the First Lady of the United States when her husband, George H. W. Bush, was inaugurated as the 41st president.

1990: Critical of Donald Trump

Dating back to 1990, Barbara Bush was highly critical of Donald Trump, even before his political career began.

1991: George H. W. Bush Diagnosed with Graves' Disease

In 1991, George H. W. Bush, Barbara's husband, was also diagnosed with Graves' disease.

1992: Clinton's victory in the 1992 election

In 1992, Bill Clinton defeated George H.W. Bush in the presidential election. Barbara Bush took longer to forgive Clinton's victory in the 1992 election than George did.

1992: Accused Pat Buchanan of using "racist code words"

In 1992, When Pat Buchanan challenged her husband in the primary elections on a nationalist anti-immigration platform, she accused him of using "racist code words".

January 20, 1993: The Bushes Leave the White House

On January 20, 1993, the day of Bill Clinton's inauguration, the Bushes moved back to Houston and lived in a rental home while a new house was constructed.

1993: End of First Lady term

In 1993, Barbara Bush's time as First Lady ended with the conclusion of her husband George H.W. Bush's presidential term.

1994: Expressed opinion on same-sex parents

In 1994, Barbara Bush expressed her opinion that a family caring for its children is more important than whether or not the parents were a same-sex couple.

1994: Barbara Bush's Memoir Published

In 1994, Barbara Bush's book, "Barbara Bush: A Memoir", was published and topped The New York Times Best Seller list for several weeks. Her sons George W. and Jeb sought political office.

Barbara Bush: A Memoir

Check it on Amazon

1998: George W. and Jeb Bush Win Elections

In 1998, both George W. and Jeb Bush won elections for governor of Texas and governor of Florida respectively.

2000: George W. considers a presidential campaign

In 2000, George W. sought Barbara's advice regarding a potential presidential campaign. She encouraged him to make his own decision. Later, during a church sermon, she implied he should run. She avoided a prominent role in his campaign to prevent overshadowing him, focusing instead on the "W Stands for Women" tour. Following a legal battle after the election, Al Gore conceded, making Barbara the second woman to be both the wife and mother of a U.S. president.

2002: Alumna Initiate at Texas A&M University

In 2002, Barbara Bush became an alumna initiate of the Texas Eta chapter of Pi Beta Phi at Texas A&M University. She chose this university due to its location of her husband's Presidential Library.

2003: Concerns over the Iraq War

In 2003, as tensions grew between Iraq and the United States, Barbara and George Bush worried about the possibility of a war. Before the 2003 invasion of Iraq, she spoke dismissively of television news reports, which sparked controversy. After the invasion, she felt her son was unduly influenced by advisors and urged him to reconsider decisions regarding Iraq.

2004: Campaigning during the 2004 presidential election

In 2004, Barbara Bush returned to campaigning, giving speeches on behalf of her son as he sought a second term as president, which he won.

2005: Controversy during Hurricane Katrina relief efforts

In 2005, Barbara Bush toured Florida to promote Social Security reform. During her work supporting victims of Hurricane Katrina, she made a comment about those affected staying in Texas, which was deemed insensitive and reinforced the impression that the Bushes were out of touch.

2006: Criticism over Katrina Fund donation

In 2006, it was revealed that Barbara Bush donated an undisclosed amount of money to the Bush–Clinton Katrina Fund on the condition that the charity do business with an educational software company owned by her son Neil, leading to criticism.

October 3, 2008: Opening of the "George and Barbara Bush Center"

On October 3, 2008, Barbara Bush and her husband opened the "George and Barbara Bush Center" at the University of New England in Biddeford. The center houses "The Bush Legacy Collection", securing the Bush legacy in Maine.

November 2008: Hospitalized for abdominal pains

In November 2008, Barbara Bush was hospitalized for abdominal pains and underwent small intestine surgery.

2009: Aortic valve replacement surgery

In 2009, Barbara Bush underwent aortic valve replacement surgery.

2010: Controversy over George W.'s anecdote

In 2010, Barbara Bush was the subject of controversy when George W. recounted an anecdote that following her miscarriage she had held the fetus in a jar, causing a misconception that she had kept or displayed the remains.

2013: Opposed to Jeb running for president

In 2013, Barbara Bush was initially opposed to her son Jeb making a potential bid for the presidency, worrying that he would be weighed down by criticisms of the previous Bush presidencies and saying "we've had enough Bushes".

2015: Supports Jeb's presidential campaign

In 2015, Barbara Bush recanted her earlier statement and supported Jeb's presidential campaign in the 2016 presidential election, campaigning for him during the Republican Party primary elections and criticizing Donald Trump.

2015: Skeptical of the Obama administration's hiring of a transgender person

In 2015, Barbara Bush was skeptical of the Obama administration's publicized hiring of a transgender person until her mind was changed following a conversation with historian Timothy Naftali.

2015: Confirmation as a member of the Episcopalian church

In 2015, after several decades of attending Episcopalian services, Barbara Bush was confirmed as a member of the church to accept the Dean's Cross award without misrepresenting her faith.

June 2016: Hospitalized after heart incident

In June 2016, Barbara Bush was hospitalized after an incident involving her heart, later blaming it on the stress caused by the Trump campaign.

November 2016: Letter to Melania Trump

In November 2016, despite not voting for Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election, Barbara Bush wrote a letter to incoming First Lady Melania Trump saying she was "glad" to be welcoming her to the "First Ladies' very exclusive club" and that she would be entering the White House instead of Bill Clinton.

2016: Received honorary membership in Phi Beta Kappa

In 2016, Barbara Bush received honorary membership in Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Houston chapter.

March 16, 2018: Fall and fractured vertebrae

On March 16, 2018, Barbara Bush fell and fractured her vertebrae, leading to hospitalization.

April 17, 2018: Death of Barbara Bush

On April 17, 2018, Barbara Bush passed away. She had been the First Lady of the United States from 1989 to 1993 and the Second Lady from 1981 to 1989.