A. Military Service: 1968-1974
On May 27, 1968, Bush enlisted and served as a fighter pilot in the Texas Air National Guard. He was suspended from flying on August 1, 1972, because he missed an annual medical examination.
His final day of orders was July 30, 1973, when he left to attend Harvard Business School. He received an Honorable Discharge on October 1, 1973, to the Air Force Reserve. Bush received an Honorable Discharge from the Air Force Reserve Nov. 21, 1974.
B. Post-College Employment
He worked on three Republican Senate campaigns: 1968 for Edward J. Gurney in Florida; his father’s second unsuccessful campaign for the US Senate in 1970; and Winton M. “Red” Blount in Alabama in 1972. During this time he also worked as a management trainee in agribusiness at Stratford of Houston until the fall of 1971, and Professional United Leadership League, a youth mentor program, in 1973.
C. Harvard Business School: 1973-1975
According to MBA Registrar Services at Harvard on January 8, 2016, “George Walker Bush attended Harvard Business School from September 1973 through June 12, 1975 and was awarded a Master in Business Administration degree on June 12, 1975. Please note that we release transcript only with the alum’s written permission.”
D. Occupations
1975: After Harvard, Bush moved back to Texas to start a career in the oil business.
1977-1989: In 1977, Bush founded Arbusto Energy in Midland, Texas, which became Bush Exploration, and merged with Spectrum 7 Energy Corp. in 1984, and with Harken Energy Corp. on Sep. 22, 1986. In November of 1993, Bush resigned from the Board of Harken.
1978: In 1978, he ran for a seat in the US House of Representatives from Midland,Texas, but lost.
1987-1988: In 1987 through 1988, Bush worked on his father’s presidential campaign.
1989-1993: Bush and other investors picked up the Texas Rangers baseball team in the first quarter of 1989. Bush’s total investment investment into the team was a reported $606,302. He served as managing general partner of the team with a reported salary of $200,000. He resigned from the position in December 1993, after being elected Governor of Texas. When the team was sold in 1998, he made $14.9 million.
E. Personal Life
1976: On Sep. 4, 1976, Bush was arrested in Kennebunkport, Maine, for drinking and driving, paid a fine and had his driving privileges revoked for a time in that state.
1977-1981: Married Laura Welch on Nov. 5, 1977. Their twin daughters Barbara and Jenna were born on Nov. 25, 1981.
Source documentation to the above:
1. WashingtonPost.com, “Bush Name Helps Fuel Oil Dealings,” By George Lardner Jr. and Lois Romano, Jul. 30, 1999 (Accessed 12-10-15)
2. NYT.com, “The 2000 CAMPAIGN: THE 1988 CAMPAIGN; For Bush, Thrill Was in Father’s Chase,” By Nicholas D. Kristof, Aug. 29, 2000 (Accessed 12-10-15)
3. CNN.com, “George W. Bush Answers Questions about his DUI Arrest in 1976,” Nov. 2, 2000 (Accessed 12-10-15)
4. WashingtonPost.com, “Bush Once Pleaded Guilty to DUI,” By Laurie Kellman, Nov. 3, 2000 (Accessed 12-10-15)
5. Salon.com, “Bush avoided rehab after DUI,” By Jake Tapper, Nov. 5, 2000 (Accessed 12-10-15)
6. Time.com, “George W’s Love-Hate Affair with Yale,” By James Carney, May 23, 2001 (Accessed 12-10-15)
7. Salon.com, “The United States of oil,” By Damien Cave, Nov. 19, 2001 (Accessed 12-10-15)
8. The Center for Public Integrity, “A brief history of Bush, Harken and the SEC,” By John Dunbar, Oct. 16, 2002 (Accessed 12-10-15)
9. The Center for Public Integrity, “Right on the money: The George W. Bush profile,” By Charles Lewis, Jul. 8, 2003 (Accessed 12-10-15)
10. LATimes.com, “Bush Records Belatedly Released,” Oct. 6, 2004 (Accessed 12-10-15)
11. The Dallas Morning News, “Today in Dallas photo history – 1998: Texas Rangers sold to Tom Hicks,” Jan. 7, 2013 (Accessed 12-10-15)
12. Biography.com, “Jenna Bush” (Accessed 12-10-15)
13. CNN.com, “George W. Bush Fast Facts,” Jul. 11, 2015 (Accessed 12-10-15)
14. History.com, “George W. Bush” (Accessed 12-10-15)
15. George W. Bush Presidential Center, “George W. Bush” (Accessed 12-10-15)
16. PBS.org, Frontline, “Bush Chronology” (Accessed 12-10-15)
17. TheSmokingGun.com, “George W. Bush DUI Arrest Record” (Accessed 12-10-15)
18. Born to Cheat, By Jackson Thoreau (Accessed online book 12-10-15)
19. Test by Fire: The War Presidency of George W. Bush, By Robert Swansbrough (Accessed online book 12-10-15)
20. History.com Editors, “George W. Bush is suspended from flying with the Air National Guard,” history.com, July 30, 2021
21. Tom Farrey, “A series of beneficial moves,” espn.com, November 1, 1999