I am glad to have your observation on Congressman Alger and if we can ever pay off some of the money we owe in our business here, I might actually try to join him in that telephone booth.14
Best regards,
[copy unsigned]
[A few days later we changed the name of our third son from Henry to Neil. We wanted to name him for Neil Mallon, whose name was really Henry, but everyone called him Neil.]
April 7, 1955
Mr. Marvin Pierce
The McCall Corporation
New York, New York
Dear Mr. Pierce:
So that you can see where what little bread your daughter gets comes from, I am attaching annual reports on Walker-Bush Corp. and Zapata as well as a prospectus which pretty well sums up the off-shore picture. . . .
The weather has started warming up, and now if the sand would stop blowing we would get in some golf. The kids are fine. Georgie aggravates the hell out of me at times (I am sure I do the same to him), but then at times I am so proud of him I could die. He is out for Little league—so eager. He tries so very hard. It makes me think back to all the times I tried out, etc. He has good fast hands and even seems to be able to hit a little. I get as much kick out of watching him trying out as I do out of all our varied business efforts.
Jeb, the clown, is fine and Neil brings us nothing but happiness. We still miss our Robin. At times Bar and I each find ourselves vividly recalling the beauty and charm of our little girl. Time has not dulled these happy memories at all. I guess if we had Robin now we would just have too darn much happiness. . . .
Give my love to Willa,
Ever devotedly,
[copy not signed]
Mr. Fitzgerald Bemiss
Richmond, Virginia
Dear Gerry:
Impressed am I by the Commonwealth of Virginia stationery.31 It looks like you have enough committee assignments to keep any delegate busy for the rest of his life. It was wonderful to hear from you.
Since your letter, the Zapata Petroleum Corporation stock quoted at 14 moved up to 17 and is now, as I understand it, gone back to around 15. There is no one that I had rather have as a stockholder than you, Bemiss, and yet I am reluctant to advise you to purchase the stock. I, of course, have great confidence in it, but I hate to be put in the role of touting something that is so near and dear to my heart. I do think that the stock will go higher and if you could buy some at around 14, prepared to hold it for several years, I would certainly hope you would make some money. We are working on a lot of deals and if we could make a good-sized one the stock should go up.
Bar and I have just returned from Galveston where we attended the launching of our new drilling barge, the Scorpion. This, you may recall, is our $3 million piece of off-shore equipment. The attached invitation is not sent along to point out to you that you weren’t invited, but is enclosed to give you some idea of what this monstrous piece of equipment looks like.15 Needless to say, I do not expect an R.S.V.P . . .
Best regards and love to all,
Pop
July 11, 1957
Mr. Donald K. Walker
Yale University 703-A Yale Station
New Haven, Connecticut
Dear Don:
There is a boy in Midland named Bob Connery who has just completed his Junior year in high school. This boy is very interested in attending Yale, and I am most hopeful that he can go there.
Briefly, here is the story. This boy is a straight “A” student in high school. In fact, he has never had anything but one “B” since he has been in school. Everything else has been a ‘A’.
. . . He is interested in swimming and all sports although he is not big enough to letter at the school in these things. He is a good all-around boy and one of the few kids of this age I have met who seems to be intellectually curious. His main interest seems to be in math and chemistry.
This boy has had a most unhappy family life. His father, who is a doctor in Midland, married the family baby-sitter two weeks after divorcing Bob’s mother. The kid has had to face all kinds of problems which few adults are called upon to solve. It is my belief he will need a full scholarship to Yale, although he may be able to come up with some expense money. There is some question as to whether he will be able to stay in Midland next year because of his broken home, but he is determined to remain even if he has to live alone. He is 16 years old. I have taught this boy in Sunday School and I feel that my confidence in him is not misplaced.
I would consider it a personal favor if you would advise me as to what steps should be taken to give this kid every chance for admission to Yale. . . .
Yours very truly,
George H. W. Bush
[Bob was accepted and attended Yale.]
This letter was found among my mother’s things after she died in 1992. It was not dated, but based on the ages of the boys, it was probably written during the summer of 1958.
Dear Mum,
I have jotted down some words about a subject dear to your heart and mine. It is fun to fool around and try in one form or another to express thoughts that suddenly come up from way down deep in one’s heart. Last night I went out on the town and on my way home—late—I said to myself, “You could well have gone to Greenwich”16. . . this thought struck me out of the blue, but I felt no real sense of negligence. The part I like is to think of Robin as though she were a part, a living part, of our vital and energetic and wonderful family of men and Bar. Bar and I wonder how long this will go on. We hope we will feel this genuine closeness when we are 83 and 82. Wouldn’t it be exciting at that age to have a beautiful 3 1/2 year-old daughter . . . she doesn’t grow up. Now she’s Neil’s age. Soon she’ll be Marvin’s17—and beyond that she’ll be all alone, but with us, a vital living pleasurable part of our day-to-day life. I sometimes wonder whether it is fair to our boys and to our friends to “fly-high” that portrait of Robin which I love so much; but here selfishness takes over because every time I sit at our table with just our candlelight, I somehow can’t help but glance at this picture you gave us and enjoy a renewed physical sensation of closeness to a loved one.
This letter . . . is kind of like a confessional . . . between you and me, a mother and her little boy—now not so little but still just as close, only when we are older, we hesitate to talk from our hearts quite as much.
There is about our house a need. The running, pulsating restlessness of the four boys as they struggle to learn and grow; the world embraces them . . . all this wonder needs a counter-part. We need some starched crisp frocks to go with all our torn-kneed blue jeans and helmets. We need some soft blond hair to offset those crew cuts. We need a doll house to stand firm against our forts and rackets and thousand baseball cards. We need a cut-out star to play alone while the others battle to see who’s “family champ.” We even need someone . . . who could sing the descant to “Alouette,” while outside they scramble to catch the elusive ball aimed ever roofward, but usually thudding against the screens.
We need a legitimate Christmas angel—one who doesn’t have cuffs beneath the dress.
We need someone who’s afraid of frogs.
We need someone to cry when I get mad—not argue.
We need a little one who can kiss without leaving egg or jam or gum.
We need a girl.
We had one once—she’d fight and cry and play and make her way just like the rest. But there was about her a certain softness.
She was patient—her hugs were just a little less wiggly.
Like them, she’d climb in to sleep with me, but somehow she’d fit.
She didn’t boot and flip and wake me up with pug nose and mischievous eyes a challenging quarter-inch from my sleeping face.
No—she’d stand beside our bed till I felt her there. Silently and comfortable, she’d put those precious, fragrant locks against my chest and fall asleep.
Her peace made me feel strong, and so very important.
“My Daddy” had a caress, a certain
ownership which touched a slightly different spot than the ‘Hi Dad” I love so much.
But she is still with us. We need her and yet we have her. We can’t touch her, and yet we can feel her.
We hope she’ll stay in our house for a long, long time.
Love
Pop
In 1959 the Liedtkes and I decided to split Zapata into two companies: I was more interested in the offshore business, so we spun off Zapata Off-Shore of which I was president. (Under Hugh Liedtke’s creative leadership, the original Zapata eventually merged into South Penn Oil Co., later changing its name to Pennzoil.) We loved our life in Midland but there was a problem: Midland is nowhere near the Gulf of Mexico, where all our drilling rigs were operating. So a very pregnant Barbara, myself, and four boys packed up and moved to Houston.
August 20, 1959
Mr. J. Hugh Liedtke
Zapata Petroleum Corp.
Midland, Texas
Dear Hugh:
We are tremendously thrilled over our new girl, Dorothy Walker. We can hardly believe it is true and just to top matters off we will be moving into our new house this week-end. Now if we could stumble into 150 ft. of gas sand we would feel grand.
Best regards and good luck on your new move.
Very truly yours,
George H. W. Bush
August 24, 1959
Mr. & Mrs. Geza Kapus
Zapata Petroleum Corp.
Midland, Texas
Dear Geza and Giesella:
How very thoughtful of you to remember Barbara in the hospital and then today Eva’s lovely present came in the mail. You can imagine how thrilled we are to have a baby girl in the family. Barbara came home yesterday and the boys all gathered around and looked over the new baby with great concern. She looks just like all the others.
Best regards,
George H. W. Bush
June 15, 1960
Mr. Cornelius Ryan
New York, N.Y.
Dear Connie:
It has been a long time since our paths have crossed. Yesterday morning at the airport I picked up your terrific book18 and yesterday evening I was almost through it. I never thought I would be writing a fan letter to a reprobate such as you but I must say that I don’t believe I ever enjoyed reading a book more. I think in this day and age many of us are inclined to view all of our international problems without due consideration to the human aspects of a total war. We have short memories in this connection. Your forthright and sensitive treatment of D-Day is going to be crammed down the throats of each of my four boys as soon as they are old enough to digest the importance of this fine book.
The offshore business is rocking along. Actually things have improved somewhat and today our business is better than it has been in anytime during the last three or four years. Our stock is acting rather doggy but I like to think that part of this at least is due to the generally sad oil market. I note with some satisfaction that you are still a stockholder. . . .
Very truly yours,
George H. W. Bush
December 19, 1960
Senator Prescott S. Bush
Senate Office Building
Washington, D. C.
Dear Dad,
Christmas fever has struck out at our house and the little lads’19 excitement cannot be told. A large box of presents arrived from Mom the other day and please tell her that we got a beautiful guitar for Georgie at the price she mentioned. We have kept it hidden but the only thing Georgie has mentioned that he wants (and he mentions it all the time) is a guitar, so this will make his Christmas for him. . . .
Devotedly,
[copy unsigned]
The next few years were consumed with family and the new business, but by 1963 I was beginning to get a political itch. I decided to start small—very small—by running for chairman of the Harris County Republican Party. Obviously my name recognition was not very high.
February 12, 1963
Mr. Alfred Mansell
THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE
Houston, Texas
Dear Mr. Mansell:
I am taking the liberty of sending you a personal photograph. The other day the CHRONICLE published a story on Republican politics. My name was mentioned but some other character’s face showed up. I would appreciate your passing this along to the proper department.
It was nice talking to you on the phone the other day and should I become Chairman of the Republican Party I would like very much to sit down and have lunch with you. Win, lose or draw I would like to do this but I would hate to waste your time so let’s see how it goes and I will give you a ring when the issue has been decided.
Very truly yours,
George H. W. Bush
2-13-63
Dear Lud,
Long before now I should have answered your Christmas card letter. All is well with the Bush clan. Georgie is an upper-middler (class of 64) at Andover. He’s doing OK there. The three other boys fight and go all the time—they’re really active—Dorothy is enchanting. She is a wild dark version of Robin. They look so much alike that Mum & Dad both called Dorothy “Robin” all last week when Bar went to visit at Hobe Sound.20
I am running—yes for Chairman of the Republican Party of Harris County . . . Promise not to endorse me, OK? . . . I think I’ll win—though I now have misgivings. Actually it is a challenging job and one which, if done right, could show results. . . .
Pop
March 18, 1963
The Honorable T. Ludlow Ashley
House of Representatives
Washington, D.C.
Dear Lud:
. . . My opponent withdrew before the election so I recorded an overwhelming victory at the polls. I am rather immodestly enclosing a clipping from the HOUSTON CHRONICLE. This is an exciting job and tremendously interesting. We have a paid staff, 270 odd precincts in the county and Houston was the largest city in the country to carry for Nixon.21 My job is primarily an organizational job since the Republican Party has quite a few unorganized precincts. So far I like it a lot and although it takes a tremendous amount of time I think it is worthwhile. . . .
Best regards,
Poppy
One of my goals as county GOP chairman was to reach out to minority voters. The term big tent had not yet been invented, but I believed strongly the Republican Party should make room for every American. Some of my constituents did not agree.
July 29, 1963
Mr. William N. Michels
Houston 3, Texas
Dear Mr. Michels,
. . . I was certainly pleased to hear from you that you had been instrumental in fighting the Republican battle back in the 20’s.
In working to obtain some of the Negro vote we are not trying to out promise the Democrats, nor are we trying to say one thing on one side of town and another on the other side. We have contacted certain responsible leaders, Negroes who have been Republicans for a long time and who own their own businesses. These men believe strongly in economic conservatism, freedom of the individual and in general in all the things that you and I believe in.
I do not think that we can leave 30,000—50,000 votes unsolicited in this county. I think we should make an honorable appeal to the Negro vote, realizing that we are working against very difficult odds. As long as we maintain our principles and do not try to out promise anybody I think the effort is worthwhile.
Thank you for your letter and rest assured we are trying to do a constructive job for you and other Republicans in this county.
Very truly yours,
George H. W. Bush
September 6, 1963
Dear [sister] Nance,
After talking at length with John Tower22 and other State leaders this week, I have decided to go ahead and make my announcement around the middle of next week for the United States Senate. Please keep your fingers crossed forme.
Best regards,
[copy unsigned]
This letter is to a newspaper reporter working on a profile
and wanting to visit one of my offshore rigs.
June 13, 1964
Mr. Ed Johnson
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Fort Worth, Texas
Dear Ed,
. . . The only time before the Republican National Convention that I could do the offshore trip would be during the week of June 21st—June 26th . . .
Barbara and I leave on the 26th for a vacation at the World’s Fair and if you don’t tell General Walker’s boys about it, we may be going up to that rib-rocked Yankee strong-hold Maine. Following this leisurely visit with my Cape Cod heiress (the visit will get her tantalizing close to Cape Cod but I just don’t dare let her put foot there)23 we will then go to the National Convention where I hope to be in prominence on national TV handing the gavel to somebody.
Following the national convention we return to Texas at which point I would be delighted to make one of the first orders of business a trip to the Maverick. . . .
Let me know what your desires are. I will be at the Statler Hotel in Dallas occupying, I’m sure, a smoke filled suite.
Yours truly,
George Bush
June 22, 1964
Congressman T.W.L. Ashley
House of Representatives
Washington, D.C.
Dear Lud,
Thanks so much for your letter. It was great hearing from you. I was pleased to win the Primary. As you may or may not have heard, I took on General Walker, The National Indignation Council and the rest of those people—it got most unpleasant as you can imagine.
Frankly, Lud, I like Goldwater. I find him far more reasonable than one would believe from reading the newspapers about him. I think he will be a greater threat to Johnson than many people feel right now, particularly in the South and West. This goes for Texas, too.
Ralph Yarborough24 is unpopular in the State, and even though the President comes from Texas, I think there will be many people who will want to see Yarborough bumped off.
All the Best, George Bush: My Life in Letters and Other Writings Page 9
