Bush family

Bush family

The Bush family in the Red Room of the White House (January 2005). Seated left to right: Marvin Bush, Laura Bush, George W. Bush, Barbara Bush, George H. W. Bush, Jeb Bush. Also pictured, from left: Georgia Grace Koch, Margaret Bush, Brian Berzins Walker Bush, Jenna Bush Hager, Doro Bush, Barbara Pierce Bush, Robert P. Koch, Pierce Bush, Maria Bush, Neil Bush, Ashley Bush, Sam LeBlond, Robert Koch, Nancy Ellis LeBlond, John "Jebby" Bush, Amanda Bush, George P. Bush, and Columba Bush.
Ethnicity	mostly English, some German, also small amount of Scottish, Irish, Welsh, Dutch, Flemish, Swedish, French, Czech, Spanish, Amerindian
Current region	Texas
Place of origin	New York, United States
Members	Samuel Prescott Bush Prescott Bush George H. W. Bush George W. Bush Jeb Bush
Connected families	Flora Sheldon Dorothy Wear Walker Barbara Pierce Laura Lane Welch Henry Chase Hager Columba Garnica Gallo
Traditions	Episcopalians, Roman Catholics
Estate	Bush compound

The Bush family is an American family that is prominent in the fields of politics, sports, entertainment, and business.

Best known for its involvement in politics, the family has held various national and state offices spanning across four generations, including a U.S. Senator (Prescott Bush), a Governor (Jeb Bush), and two Presidents – one having also served as Vice President (George H.W. Bush), while the other was also a Governor (George W. Bush). Among other notable family members is a Super Bowl winning National Football League (NFL) executive (Joe Ellis), and two nationally known TV personalities (Billy Bush and Jenna Bush Hager).

Peter Schweizer, author of a biography of the family, has described the Bushes as "the most successful political dynasty in American history".^[1] According to some online sources,^[2] the Bush family is of primarily English and German descent. The Bush family is also one of the oldest American families, with Samuel Bush being their first American born ancestor, in 1647.

Relations

• James Smith Bush (1825–1889) Father of Samuel P. Bush
  • Samuel Prescott Bush (1863–1948), Father of Prescott Bush and Son of James Smith Bush
  • Flora Sheldon (1872–1920), the wife of Samuel P. Bush, married June 20, 1894 and mother to Prescott Bush.
    • Prescott Sheldon Bush (1895–1972), Samuel P. Bush's son, served as a US Senator from Connecticut, former chairman of the USGA.
    • Dorothy Wear Walker Bush (1901–1992), the wife of Prescott, was the daughter of George Herbert Walker of the well-connected Walker family of bankers and businessmen
      • Prescott Sheldon "Pressy" Bush, Jr. (1922–2010), Prescott Bush's eldest son, served as chairman of the United States-China Chamber of Commerce
      • George Herbert Walker Bush (born 1924), Prescott Bush Sr.'s second son, was the 41st President of the United States, Vice President of the United States under Ronald Reagan, a Congressman from Houston, and Central Intelligence Agency director, and also held other political and diplomatic posts.
      • Barbara Pierce Bush (born 1925), the wife of George H. W., the daughter of publisher Marvin Pierce, cousin of 14th US President Franklin Pierce, First Lady of the US and Second Lady of the US during her husband's terms.
        • George Walker Bush (born 1946), George H.W. Bush's eldest son, was the 43rd President of the United States and was the 46th Governor of Texas.
          

          George H. W. Bush picnics on the lawn of his Kennebunkport home with his family, 1988
        • Laura Lane Welch Bush (born 1946), the wife of George W., was the First Lady and a former teacher.
          • Barbara Pierce Bush (born 1981), twin sister of Jenna and daughter of George and Laura Bush.
          • Jenna Welch Bush Hager (born 1981), daughter of George and Laura and twin sister of Barbara, NBC News correspondent. Married to Henry Chase Hager.
            • Margaret Laura "Mila" Hager (born April 13, 2013), daughter of Jenna Bush Hager.
            • Poppy Louise Hager (born August 13, 2015), daughter of Jenna Bush Hager.
        • Pauline Robinson "Robin" Bush (1949–1953), George H. W. Bush's second child and first daughter, died of leukemia in 1953.
        • John Ellis "Jeb" Bush (born 1953), George H.W. Bush's second son,^[3] was the 43rd Governor of Florida. Married to Columba Garnica Gallo.
          • George Prescott Bush (born 1976), son of Jeb Bush, elected commissioner of the Texas General Land Office in 2014. Married to Amanda Williams.
            • Prescott Walker Bush (born June 3, 2013), son of George P. Bush
            • John Williams Bush (born April 13, 2015), son of George P. Bush
          • Noelle Lucila Bush (born 1977), daughter of Jeb Bush
          • John Ellis "Jebby" Bush, Jr. (born 1983), son of Jeb Bush, is attending the University of Texas. Married to Sandra Mary Algudady.
            • Georgia Helena Walker Bush (born 2011), daughter of Jebby Bush
            • Vivian Alexandra Columba Bush (born 2014), daughter of Jebby Bush
        • Neil Mallon Bush (born 1955), third son of George H. W. Bush and brother of President George W. Bush, is a businessman. Currently married to Maria Bush (as of 2004). Previously married to Sharon Smith, divorce in April 2003.
          • Lauren Pierce Bush Lauren (born 1984), model for Tommy Hilfiger, daughter of Neil Bush and Sharon Smith, married to David Lauren.
          • Pierce Mallon Bush (born 1986), son of Neil Bush and Sharon Smith.
          • Ashley Walker Bush (born 1989), daughter of Neil Bush and Sharon Smith.
        • Marvin Pierce Bush (born 1956), a venture capitalist, fourth son of George H. W. Bush, and brother of George W. Bush. Married to Margaret Conway (née Molster)
          • They have two children, adopted: a daughter, Marshall, and a son, Walker
        • Dorothy Walker Bush Koch (born 1959), second daughter of George H. W. Bush and sister of President George W. Bush. Married to Bobby Koch, wine lobbyist. Previously married to William LeBlond, divorce in 1990.
          • Samuel Bush LeBlond (born 1984), son of Dorothy Bush Koch and William LeBlond
          • Nancy Ellis "Ellie" LeBlond (born 1986), daughter of Dorothy Bush Koch and William LeBlond. Married to Nick Sosa.
          • Robert David Koch (born 1993), son of Dorothy Bush Koch and Bobby Koch.
          • Georgia Grace "Gigi" Koch (born 1996), daughter of Dorothy Bush Koch and Bobby Koch.
      • Nancy Walker Bush Ellis (born 1926), Prescott Bush Sr.'s third child, and the only daughter.
        • Alexander Ellis III (born 1949), son of Nancy Bush Ellis
        • John Prescott Ellis (born 1953), son of Nancy Bush Ellis, media consultant
        • Josiah "Joe" Ellis (born 1958), son of Nancy Bush Ellis, President, Chairman and CEO of the Denver Broncos, two-time Super Bowl champion as a member of the Broncos' front office
      • Jonathan James Bush (born 1931), Prescott Bush Sr.'s fourth child, banker
        • Jonathan S. Bush (born 1969), son of Jonathan Bush, CEO of athenahealth, a healthcare IT company
        • William Hal "Billy" Bush (born 1971), son of Jonathan Bush, Access Hollywood host
      • William Henry Trotter "Bucky" Bush (born 1938), Prescott Bush Sr.'s fifth child, banker and executive

Ancestors

Barbara Bush, Jeb Bush, George H. W. Bush, Laura Bush, and George W. Bush, and Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Feller watch tee ball on the White House lawn.

Patrilineal line

• John Bush (1593–1670), the last European-born ancestor
  • Samuel Bush (1647–1733)
    • Richard Bush (c. 1676–1732 in Bristol, Plymouth Colony)
      • Timothy Bush (1728–1821 in Springport, New York) may have been the son of Richard Bush.
        • Timothy Bush, Jr. (1761–1850 in Penfield, New York) was the son of Timothy Bush.
          • Obadiah Newcomb Bush (January 28, 1797 – 1851) was the son of blacksmith Timothy Bush, Jr. and was an American prospector and businessman.
            • James Smith Bush (1825–1889), an Episcopal priest in New Jersey, California, and New York, was the son of Obadiah Bush and the father of Samuel Prescott Bush, and an attorney, Episcopal priest, and religious writer,

Other notable relatives

• George Bush (1796–1859) was a biblical scholar and Swedenborgian minister who wrote the book Life of Mohammed, and a first cousin of Obadiah Newcomb Bush.^[2]
• Col. Robert Bolling Sr. (1646–1709) of Kippax Plantation was an Early American settler in the colony of Virginia whose son, Robert Bolling Jr., was a Bush family ancestor. Bolling Sr. later had children with Jane Rolfe, the granddaughter of Pocahontas.
• Edith Wilson (1872–1961) second wife of U.S. President Woodrow Wilson was also descended from Col. Robert Bolling, Sr. so therefore was distantly related to the Bush family.
• Wild Bill Hickok (1837–1876) was a second cousin three times removed of Prescott Bush.^[2]
• Gov. Thomas Hinckley (1618–1706) was a Plymouth Colony governor, and a seventh generation great-grandfather of Prescott Bush, so therefore a direct ancestor of all of his descendents including his son George H. W. Bush and grandson George W. Bush.^[2]
• Mary Parker (1637–92) was executed by hanging in 1692 for witchcraft in the Salem Witch Trials.^[4][5]
• Through John May and his wife Prudence Bridge (great-great-grandparents of Obadiah Newcomb Bush), the family is related to U.S. Attorney General Charles Bonaparte (1851–1921), U.S. Vice President Charles Gates Dawes (1865–1951), actress Blanche Oelrichs (who was also known by the pseudonym "Michael Strange") (1890–1950), and author Louisa May Alcott (1832–1888).^[2]
• Lily James is distantly related to the Bush family.^[6]
• Douglas MacArthur (1880-1964) American five star general and Field Marshal of the Philippine Army who was the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers in the Pacific theater during World War II was distantly related to the Bush family. ^[7]

Connections to other prominent families

George W. Bush and George H. W. Bush in Beijing, 2008

George Herbert "Bert" Walker (1875–1953) was a wealthy American banker and businessman. His daughter Dorothy married Prescott Bush, making him the grandfather of the 41st President George H. W. Bush and the great-grandfather of the 43rd President and George W. Bush. He is also the namesake of the Walker Cup, a men's amateur golf trophy contested in odd-numbered years between a U.S. team and a combined Great Britain and Ireland side.

Flora Sheldon, wife of Samuel P. Bush, was a distant descendant of the Livingston, Schuyler, and Beekman families, prominent New Netherland merchant and political patrician families.

Family tree

• Timothy Bush, Jr., m. Lydia Newcomb
  • Obadiah Newcomb Bush (1797–1851), m. Harriet Smith
    • James Smith Bush, m. Harriet Fay
      • Samuel Prescott Bush, m. Flora Sheldon
        • Prescott Sheldon Bush, m. Dorothy Wear Walker
          • Prescott Sheldon Bush, Jr.
          • George H. W. Bush, m. Barbara Pierce
            • George W. Bush, m. Laura Lane Welch
              • Barbara Pierce Bush
                

                George W. Bush, Marvin Bush, Barbara Bush and Laura Bush at the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics Games.
              • Jenna Welch Bush, m. Henry Chase Hager
                • Margaret Laura "Mila" Hager
                • Poppy Louise Hager
            • Pauline Robinson "Robin" Bush
            • John Ellis "Jeb" Bush, m. Columba Garnica Gallo
              • George Prescott Bush, m. Amanda Williams
              • John Ellis "Jebby" Bush, Jr.
              • Noelle Lucila Bush
            • Neil Mallon Bush, m. Sharon Smith
              • Lauren Bush, m. David Lauren
            • Marvin Pierce Bush, m. Margaret Molster
              • Marshall Bush
              • Walker Bush
            • Dorothy Walker Bush, (m./div. 1st) William LeBlond ; (m. 2nd) Robert P. Koch
              • Sam LeBlond
              • Ellie LeBlond, m. Nick Sosa
              • Robert Koch
              • Gigi Koch
          • Nancy Walker Bush, m. Alexander B. Ellis II
            • Joe Ellis
          • Jonathan James Bush, m. Josephine Bradley
            • Billy Bush, m. Sydney Davis
              • Josie Bush
              • Mary Bush
              • Bradley Bush
              • Lillie Bush
            • Jonathan S. Bush
          • William Henry Trotter Bush
        • Robert Sheldon Bush
        • Mary Eleanor Bush
        • Margaret Livingston Bush
        • James Smith Bush

Sources:^{[8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]}

Awards and honors

President George W. Bush in 2006 during a White House ceremony.
Beside him is the Vince Lombardi Trophy, which is given to the winning team of the Super Bowl.
Bush's cousin Joe Ellis is a two-time Super Bowl winner as an executive with the Denver Broncos.

Sports

• Two-time Super Bowl champion - Joe Ellis (as an executive with the Denver Broncos)
• 2007 National Football Foundation Gold Medal - George H.W. Bush
• World Golf Hall of Fame - George H.W. Bush (class of 2011)

Politics/public service

• Three-time Time Person of the Year
  • George H.W. Bush (1990)
  • George W. Bush (2000, 2004)
• 1997: George Bush International Airport named in honor of George H.W. Bush
• 2007 Ronald Reagan Freedom Award - George H.W. Bush
• 2010 Presidential Medal of Freedom - George H.W. Bush

Military

• Presidential Unit Citation - George H.W. Bush
• Distinguished Flying Cross - George H.W. Bush
• Three-time Air Medal recipient - George H.W. Bush
• Honorary GCB - George H.W. Bush
• National Defense Service Medal - George W. Bush
• Joint Service Commendation Medal - George P. Bush

Political offices held

The Bush family are among only four (Adams, Harrison, and Roosevelt being the others) to have had multiple members serve as U.S. President.

George P. Bush represents the fourth generation of the Bush family to have held elected office, after becoming Texas Land Commissioner in 2015.

President

• George H.W. Bush (41st) - 1989–1993
• George W. Bush (43rd) - 2001–2009

Vice President

• George H.W. Bush - 1981–1989

U.S. Congress

• Prescott Bush (Senator - Connecticut) - 1952–1963
• George H.W. Bush (Representative - Texas) - 1967–1971

Governor

• George W. Bush (Texas) - 1995–2001
• Jeb Bush (Florida) - 1999–2007

Other

• George H.W. Bush
  • UN Ambassador (1971–1973)
  • RNC Chairman (1973–1974)
  • Ambassador to China (1974–1975)
  • CIA Director (1976–1977)
• Jeb Bush
  • Florida Secretary of Commerce (1987–1989)
• George P. Bush
  • Texas Land Commissioner (2015–present)

See also

• List of U.S. political families
• Political families of the world
• List of Presidents of the United States

References

1. Joseph Curl (January 20, 2005). "Rise of 'dynasty' quick, far-reaching". The Washington Times. Archived from the original on 2006-03-19. Retrieved 2006-11-10.
2. Reitwiesner, William Addams. "Ancestry of George W. Bush". Retrieved 11 Sep 2014.
3. Cirilli, Kevin. "Blunt Barbara Bush tells Jeb: You're not my favorite son". The Hill. Retrieved February 12, 2016.
4. Kelly, Jacqueline. "The Untold Story of Mary Ayer Parker: Gossip and Confusion in 1692." Revised for presentation at the Berkshire Conference. June 2005.
5. Robinson, Enders A. "Salem Witchcraft and Hawthorne's House of Seven Gables." pp. 251–5. Bowie, Md.: Heritage Books. 1992.
6. http://ethnicelebs.com/lily-james
7. http://famouskin.com/famous-kin-chart.php?name=3103+george+w+bush&kin=17573+douglas+macarthur
8. Herskowitz, Mickey (2003), "Bush Family Tree", Duty, Honor, Country: The Life and Legacy of Prescott Bush, Thomas Nelson, p. 9, ISBN 9781401600099
9. Harrison, Bruce (2005), The Family Forest Descendants of Lady Joan Beaufort, Kamuela, Hawaii: Millisecond Publishing Company, Inc.
10. Kelley, Kitty (2004), "Bush / Walker / Pierce / Robinson / Family Tree", The Family: The Real Story of the Bush Dynasty (PDF), Random House, ISBN 9781407095691
11. Philadelphia, Desa (August 7, 2000), Republican Convention: The Family Tree, Time
12. Phillips, Kevin (2004), "The Bush–Walker Family Tree", American Dynasty: Aristocracy, Fortune, and the Politics of Deceit in the House of Bush, Penguin Books, ISBN 9780143034315
13. Roberts, Gary Boyd; Otto, Julie Helen (1995), Ancestors of American presidents, New England Historic Genealogical Society / C. Boyer, 3rd, ISBN 9780936124193
14. Rechcigl, Mila, Czech Roots of President Bush, Washington, D.C.: Czechoslovak Society of Arts and Sciences, retrieved June 11, 2012
15. Weisberg, Jacob (2008), "The Bush Family Tree", The Bush Tragedy, Random House, ISBN 9780812978353

External links

• Victory restores Bush dynasty to Washington from CNN
• The Bush dynasty parties on from the St. Petersburg Times

Further reading

• American Dynasty: Aristocracy, Fortune, and the Politics of Deceit in the House of Bush (2004), Kevin Phillips. ISBN 0-670-03264-6
• The Bushes: Portrait of a Dynasty, Peter Schweizer