The last portion of the Political Itch exhibit at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Center was titled A Journey to the Presidency and covered the next 12 years of his life. His tenure at the helm of the CIA ended after Jimmy Carter narrowly defeated Gerald Ford in the 1976 presidential election. Out of public office for the first time since the 1960s, he became Chairman of the Executive Committee of the First International Bank in Houston. He also spent a year as a part-time professor of Administrative Science at Rice University's Jones School of Business, continued his membership in the Council on Foreign Relations, and joined the Trilateral Commission. At the same time, Bush began to lay the groundwork for his candidacy in the 1980 Republican Party presidential primaries. In that campaign, he faced Ronald Reagan, who was widely regarded as the front-runner. After Reagan clinched a majority of delegates in late May, Bush reluctantly dropped out of the race. But, at the 1980 Republican National Convention, Reagan made the last-minute decision to select Bush as his vice presidential nominee after deciding that Bush's popularity with moderate Republicans made him the best and safest pick. Bush, who had believed his political career might be over following the primaries, eagerly accepted the position and threw himself into campaigning for what became the winning ticket.
As Vice President, George Bush traveled an estimated 1.3 million miles, a distance equal to about fifty-four trips around the world! An interactive map in the gallery detailed this impressive amount of travel, and other interactive programs afforded me the opportunity to view hundreds of documents from the Library's Archives regarding some of those important trips. Also included were many articles and pictures which record what came to be seen as important stepping stones for the soon-to-be president. A video was shown about the shooting of President Reagan and Bush's temporary assumption of presidential power, as well as displays related to the close of his tenure as vice president and his successful presidential campaign of 1988.
President and Mrs. Bush hosted many important events while they were at the White House, and some of the most sophisticated were State Dinners. A larger-than-life mural in the Domestic Leadership exhibit made us feel as if we were standing in the East Room with the guests. One of Mrs. Bush's elegant gowns and one of President Bush's distinguished tuxedos are also on display. As is the case in most presidential museums, a replica of the Oval Office as it appeared during the Bush Presidency is among the most popular exhibits, but this one’s a bit different. Rather than being roped off, for the first time ever at a Presidential Library, visitors are encouraged to sit behind the most powerful desk in the world. The Oval Office featured a replica of the President's desk, decorated just as President Bush had it while he was in office and the friendly docent even took photos as visitors sat in the seat of power!
On display just beyond the Oval Office were a small sample of the countless gifts received by President Bush while in office. Foreign Heads of State often give exquisite works of art and craftsmanship when visiting the White House. These reflect their nation's artistry, geography, industry, technology, religion, and history. Visitors could also explore more gifts, and the countries from which they were given, at a nearby interactive kiosk. Rounding out the exhibit was a look at his Laurel Office at Camp David in the wooded hills of Maryland’s Catoctin Mountain Park. This was the scene for many of President Bush's most important decisions. It was also the site of many happy family memories, including celebrations at Christmas and the 1992 marriage of their daughter, Dorothy.
President Bush led the nation during a time of great change on the international scene and a number of these changes are explained in the Crisis Management exhibit. One of the most welcome was the fall of the Berlin Wall and the reunification of East and West Germany that occurred in 1989. The Age of Freedom display includes a 12-foot section of the wall that once symbolized communism, oppression and division, as well as a video which tells the story of the wall that separated the city for nearly 30 years. The Situation Room was next where, in a recreation of that space, visitors learn about the events and decisions that led up to the Persian Gulf War in August of 1990 following Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait. From that display, I emerged into the Gulf War exhibit where interactive displays and fiber optic maps detailed the events surrounding the battles in the Gulf. Here we learned how President Bush built a coalition of nations to turn back the aggression of Saddam Hussein and Iraq and to liberate Kuwait. A terrorism display detailed the ecological damage in Kuwait caused by the retreating Iraqi army. As the magnitude of that devastation was revealed, experts speculated it could take three years to get the fires under control. But miraculously, myriad firefighting teams put the fires out in just eight months, the last of which was ceremoniously extinguished on November 6, 1991. Another monumental change occurred towards the close of the following month when the Soviet Union dissolved and with it, the Cold War ended.
The hard fought, but ultimately disappointing campaign of 1992, when President Bush ran for re-election against Bill Clinton, was documented in a display called A Tough Campaign. Despite Bush's late surge in the polls, the popularity of the Independent candidate Ross Perot siphoned too many votes away in that hard-fought race, leading to then-Governor Clinton's victory. Life after the White House was certainly not boring for the Bushes. They remained active in many volunteer and humanitarian activities. President Bush wrote two bestsellers and completed three parachute jumps, and Mrs. Bush continued her quest for national literacy and also authored two bestselling books. The phrase, “a thousand points of light,” was popularized by President Bush and later formed the name a private, non-profit organization he launched to support volunteerism. The Points of Light Foundation is an organization devoted to encouraging volunteerism within our communities. This part of the exhibit featured a fiber-optic map of the United States and an interactive database that allowed me to search and view profiles of the 4,000 named Points of Light, including those chosen during the Bush Administration.
In addition to the Presidential Library and Museum, the 90-acre grounds include the Annenberg Presidential Conference Center and the Allen Building of the Texas A&M University’s Bush School of Government and Public Service. Behind the complex is the catch and release Presidential Pond and the Barbara Bush Rose Garden and Gazebo. Perhaps the most striking and certainly somber portion of the complex was the Bush Family Gravesite. It’s serenely nestled behind the pond, creating a tranquil space for honoring and remembering the lives of President George H. W. Bush, First Lady Barbara Bush, and their small daughter. Pauline Robinson Bush. The iron gates surrounding the three gravesites are finished with golden stars and inside the entrance in front of the graves lies the Seal of the President of the United States.
I traveled home to Raleigh the next day with a better appreciation of the Bush Presidency and the gentleman who called for a “kinder, gentler nation” in 1988 when accepting his party's first nomination for president.
Until next time…safe travels.
Thanks George - an insightful comment about how Ross Perot influenced the appointment of Clinton.