June 8: Birthday of Barbara Pierce Bush (1925)
Prayer Idea
Pray for the family members of government leaders (spouse, children, and parents) as they face the pressure of being in the public eye.
History Note
Marvin and Pauline Pierce welcomed a daughter, Barbara, on June 8, 1925, in New York City. Barbara met a young man named George H. W. Bush at a dance in 1941.
George served in the Navy during World War II while Barbara attended Smith College. They were married on January 6, 1945.
George and Barbara Bush had six children: George W., Pauline (known as “Robin”), John Ellis (“Jeb”), Neil, Marvin, and Dorothy. Robin died of leukemia when she was only three years old.
Barbara Bush supported her husband as he served in several governmental and political roles: U.S. congressman, ambassador to the United Nations, chairman of the Republican National Committee, chief of the U.S. Liaison Office in the People’s Republic of China, and director of the Central Intelligence Agency.
In 1981 George H. W. Bush became vice president under Ronald Reagan. Barbara Bush became first lady when George became president in 1989. Promoting literacy was a major passion of hers.
George and Barbara’s son, George W. Bush, became president in 2001, making Barbara the second woman in U.S. history (after Abigail Adams) to be the wife and mother of a president.
George and Barbara Bush were married for 73 years. Barbara died in April of 2018 and her husband died in November of that year. They were both buried on the grounds of the George H. W. Bush Presidential Library with their daughter Robin.
Princess Diana of the United Kingdom visited First Lady Barbara Bush at the White House in 1990. Mrs. Bush gave Diana a copy of Millie’s Book, a book the first lady had written about the White House from the perspective of the Bush family dog, Millie.
Learn More
This video looks at the love story of George and Barbara Bush.
Find other resources at Homeschool History.
