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Barbara Bush
Barbara Bush in 1989
First Lady of the United States
In office January 20, 1989 – January 20, 1993
Preceded by	Nancy Reagan
Succeeded by	Hillary Rodham Clinton
Second Lady of the United States
In office January 20, 1981 – January 20, 1989
Preceded by	Joan Mondale
Succeeded by	Marilyn Quayle
Born	June 8, 1925 (age 84) Flushing, New York, U.S.
Spouse(s)	George H. W. Bush
Relations	Marvin Pierce and Pauline Robinson
Children	George W. Bush, Robin Bush,Jeb Bush, Neil Bush, Marvin Bush and Dorothy Bush Koch
Residence	Houston, Texas
Occupation	former First Lady of the United States
Religion	Episcopalian
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Barbara Pierce Bush (born June 8, 1925) is the wife of the 41st President of the United States George H. W. Bush, and mother of the 43rdPresident George W. Bush and 43rd Governor of Florida Jeb Bush. She is one of only two women to be both wife and mother to US presidents, the other being Abigail Adams. She served as First Lady of the United States from 1989 to 1993, while her husband was President. Previously she had served as Second Lady of the United States for eight years. As wife of the Vice President and then President, and continuing after leaving Washington, she supported the cause of universal literacy.

Contents  [hide] 1 Early life 2 Marriage and family 3 First Lady of the United States 4 Later life 5 Health problems 6 Outspoken commentary 7 Fictional portrayals 8 Further reading 9 References 10 External links

Early life

Barbara Pierce was born at Booth Memorial Hospital in Flushing, Queens in New York City, and raised in the suburban town of Rye, New York.^[1] She was the third child of the former Pauline Robinson (1896–1949) and her husband Marvin Pierce (1893–1969), who later became president of McCall Corporation, the publisher of the popular women's magazines Redbook and McCall's. Her siblings include Martha Pierce Rafferty (1920-1999); James Pierce (1921-1993) and Scott Pierce (born 1930). Her ancestor Thomas Pierce, an early New England colonist, was also an ancestor of Franklin Pierce, the 14th president of the United States. She is a direct descendant, great-great-granddaughter, of James Pierce, Jr. who was a fourth cousin of President Franklin Pierce.^[2]

Barbara attended Rye Country Day School from 1931 to 1937 and later boarding school at Ashley Hall in Charleston, South Carolina (from 1940 to 1943).^[1] She was athletic as a youth and enjoyed swimming, tennis, and bike-riding.^[1] Her interest in reading began early in her life; she recalls gathering with her family during the evenings and reading together.^[1]

Marriage and family

She met George Herbert Walker Bush, a student at Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts at age 16 during a dance over Christmas vacation.^[3] After a year-and-a-half, the two became engaged to be married, just before he went off to World War II as a Navy torpedo bomber pilot. He named three of his planes after her: Barbara, Barbara II, and Barbara III. When he returned on leave, she had dropped out ofSmith College in Northampton, Massachusetts;^[1] two weeks later, on January 6, 1945, they were married at the First Presbyterian Church in Rye, New York.^[1]

For the first eight months of their marriage, the Bushes moved around the Eastern United States, to places including Michigan, Maryland, and Virginia, as George Bush's Navy squadron training required his presence at bases in such states.^[1] After the war ended, George Bush graduated from Yale University and the couple soon moved to Midland, Texas.

She gave birth to six children:

• George W. Bush (born July 6, 1946), 43rd President of the United States and 46th Governor of Texas
• Pauline Robinson "Robin" Bush (December 20, 1949 – October 11, 1953, died of leukemia)
• John Ellis "Jeb" Bush (born February 11, 1953), 43rd Governor of Florida
• Neil Mallon Bush (born January 22, 1955)
• Marvin Pierce Bush (born October 22, 1956)
• Dorothy Bush Koch (born August 18, 1959)

During that time, George H. W. Bush built a business in the oil industry, where he founded Zapata Corporation. The Bush family moved 30 times over the years. Barbara raised her children while her husband, who served in a variety of government jobs, was usually away.

First Lady of the United States