By: Kayla Pasacreta

George Herbet Walker Bush, the 41st U.S. President and father of the 43rd, has passed away at age 94 after a battle with Parkinson’s disease. Throughout his career, George H.W. Bush was a steadfast conservative, a diplomat, a father, husband, a statesman, and a war hero. Perhaps one of the most experienced statesman to take the Presidency, Bush had several roles before he took on commander-in-chief, House member, party chairman, intelligence chief, and two-term vice president. 

Bush’s presidency came in 1989, a moment in time when Republicans wanted to keep the party in the direction former President Reagan had set it in. Bush, known for making his own rules, was unafraid to divert from this. “I'm the one calling the shots. I'm the one who's going to set the agenda,” Bush told reporters.

Bush’s presidency was also not short of controversy. As the GOP party chairman during the Watergate scandal, he defended Richard Nixon’s Watergate denials practically until to the end. While Bush was certainly uniquely skilled with foreign policy, he struggled with domestic policy and keeping the U.S. economy from slowing. In the end, he was forced to rethink his “no new taxes” pledge to work with Democrats and better guide the economy.

Bush notably shared a great relationship with his predecessor Bill Clinton, and worked with him together on many strong bipartisanship measures. Bush was married to his wife Barbara Bush for 67 years, before she passed away in April. The couple had six children.