Salem State College Series

President George H.W. Bush
41st President of the United States
"An Evening with President Bush"

Tuesday
May 15, 2007
6:00 p.m.

President George Herbert Walker Bush comes from a family with a long tradition of public service. Following graduation from Yale, he and his young family moved to Texas, where he established a company dealing in oil and gas properties, and became active in Republican politics.

In 1966, Bush won a seat in the U.S. Congress, and during the 1970s international affairs became the main focus of his life. Presidents Nixon and Ford selected him for a series of high profile appointments: ambassador to the United Nations, chairman of the Republican National Committee, envoy to China, and director of the CIA.

George Bush ran against Ronald Reagan in the 1980 Republican primaries, losing to Reagan but agreeing to serve as his vice president. The two served two terms, winning by a landslide in 1984.

In 1988, President George Bush won the nation's highest office. Under his watch, the Cold War ended; the Soviet Union ceased to exist; the Berlin Wall fell; and Eastern Europe and the Baltic States became free. President Bush put together an unprecedented coalition of 32 nations to liberate Kuwait, paving the way for Israel and her Arab neighbors to begin anew their quest for peace in the Middle East. His presidency also saw passage of the landmark Americans With Disabilities Act.

Since leaving office, President Bush has maintained a low profile. Forming an unlikely partnership with former President Bill Clinton, the two united to lead the U.S. response to the tsunami in 2004. In 2005, they teamed up once again to raise money for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. President Bush will share a conversation with NewsCenter 5's Natalie Jacobson.