The Texas Politics Project

Born: July 6, 1946, in New Haven, Connecticut. The son of President George Herbert Walker Bush, George W. Bush grew up in Midland. He received a bachelor's degree from Yale University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He served as an F-102 pilot for the Texas Air National Guard. He began his career in the oil and gas business in Midland in 1975 and worked in the energy industry until 1986.

After working on his father's 1988 presidential campaign he assembled the group of partners that purchased the Texas Rangers baseball franchise in 1989 and which later built the Ballpark at Arlington. He served as managing general partner of the Texas Rangers until his election as governor.

Bush inauguration in 1995

Bush became known for his ability to work with individuals of both parties in a non-confrontational manner, and thus he was able to please many constituencies in the state. His stance on crime, drugs, and the death penalty, along with large tax cuts and welfare reform with sterner work requirements, endeared him to conservatives. At the same time, Bush promoted substantial state spending on public education and bilingual programs, which pleased many Hispanics and other traditionally Democratic voters. His education measures also included testing as a means of ensuring teacher accountability and educational choice through charter schools.

Bush won a smashing reelection victory in 1998. The national Republican party took note and nominated Bush as their presidential candidate in 2000. Following an exceptionally difficult and controversial vote count, Bush became the first governor of Texas to be elected to the nation's highest office. George W. Bush was inaugurated as the 43rd president of the United States on January 20, 2001.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: link: Texas State Cemetery. link: Texas State Library.

Texas Politics: © 2006, Liberal Arts Instructional Technology Services University of Texas at Austin

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