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Barbara Bush Facts & Worksheets

Barbara Pierce Bush was the first lady of the United States from 1989 to 1993. She was the wife of the 41st president of the United States, George H. W. Bush.

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Barbara Pierce Bush was the first lady of the United States from 1989 to 1993. She was the wife of the 41st president of the United States, George H. W. Bush.

See the fact file below for more information on the Barbara Bush or alternatively, you can download our 23-page Barbara Bush worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

CHILDHOOD AND EDUCATION

  • Before becoming the first lady, she was Barbara Pierce, born on June 8, 1925, in New York City.
  • She was the granddaughter of an Ohio Supreme Court justice. Her mother was dedicated to conservation efforts as a chairwoman of the Garden Club of America.
  • Barbara’s father, Marvin Pierce, was the president of the McCall Corporation, which published McCall’s and Redbook magazines.
  • She attended Rye’s Milton Public School and Rye Country Day School before going off to Ashley Hall, South Carolina, where she graduated in 1943.

FROM PIERCE TO BUSH

  • In 1941, Barbara, aged 16, met her future husband, George H. W. Bush, a 17-year-old senior at Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, at a dance.
  • George Bush served as the U.S. Navy’s youngest combat pilot in World War II, while Barbara studied at Smith College.
  • However, Barbara dropped out in 1944 and married George the next year.
  • After the war, the couple moved to New Haven, Connecticut, where George enrolled as a freshman at Yale University.
  • In 1946, future President George Walker Bush was born. Their only daughter, Robin, died of Leukemia at age 4.
  • Their other children are John Ellis (1953), Neil Mallon (1955), Marvin Pierce (1956), and Dorothy Walker (1959).
  • The family soon moved to Midland, Texas, where George, Sr., found success in the petroleum industry before eventually taking the path of a political life.

THE POLITICAL WIFE

  • George Bush began his first political endeavor in 1962, becoming chairman of the Harris County Republican Party.
  • Barbara helped her husband’s career in Republican politics by participating in his campaigns.
  • Four years later, her husband was elected to Congress, and the Bush family moved to Washington, D.C.
  • In 1970, President Nixon appointed George as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
  • Three years later, he was called back at the height of the Watergate Scandal. Barbara was concerned that defending the president under fire could damage her husband’s political career.
  • After President Nixon, George chose a position as chief of the U.S. Liaison Office in China. Barbara immersed herself into their culture and language. However, they returned after her husband was appointed to become director of the CIA.
  • In the 1979 presidential election, Ronald Reagan chose George as his vice presidential running mate on the Republican ticket, and the won the election in 1980.
  • By supporting George over the years, Barbara had become a seasoned campaigner and a popular speaker.
  • During George’s vice presidential term, Barbara campaigned to improve child and adult illiteracy that was caused by social problems, such as homelessness.
  • In 1989, she established the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy.

THE FIRST LADY

  • During the 1988 presidential campaign, Barbara supported her husband’s bid to run for president.
  • In January 1989, he was sworn in as the 41st president of the United States.
  • In the same year, First Lady Barbara was diagnosed with Graves’ disease, a malfunction of the thyroid gland that made her eyes red and puffy. She underwent radiation therapy and continued with her official duties.
  • Throughout her tenure in the White House, Barbara was one of the top three most admired women in America.
  • Meanwhile, the president also gathered a few successes, such as the Allied victory during the Gulf War in 1990.
  • However, the United States suffered an economic slump in 1992, and support for the Bush administration plummeted.
  • George Bush’s second presidential bid failed, and Bill Clinton won the 1992 election.
  • As the first family left the White House, Barbara continued her commitment to literacy projects, raising millions of dollars for the cause.
  • In 2000, her firstborn, George, was elected President of the United States. He also served a second term in 2004.
  • Barbara continued serving as an ambassador-at-large for AmeriCares while active in the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy.
  • At 91, Barbara’s health began to decline. She battled against congestive heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and was eventually released for “home care”.
  • On April 17, 2018, it was confirmed that Barbara had died at the age of 92.

Barbara Bush Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about Barbara Bush across 23 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Barbara Bush worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about Barbara Pierce Bush who was the first lady of the United States from 1989 to 1993. She was the wife of the 41st president of the United States, George H. W. Bush.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Barbara Bush Facts
  • The Great Country
  • US First Family
  • Power Pairs
  • Presidential Support
  • First Lady Legacies
  • Barbara’s Words
  • Living Long and Good
  • First Family Residences
  • Leading Titles
  • Wordfind

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Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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