President George H.W. Bush, Who Led U.S. Out Of Cold War, Dies At 94

The 41st president, George Herbert Walker Bush, died Friday at 94-years old. Bush was head of one of the most influential political dynasties in American history. The news comes just months after his wife of 73 years, Barbara Bush, passed away.

Bush would serve as the 43rd vice president under Ronald Reagan. It was through this position that he would pave his way to the Oval Office. In 1988, Bush would become the first incumbent vice presidents since Martin Van Buren in 1836, to win the presidency. Though Bush defeated his Democratic opponent, Michael Dukakis, with a strong lead, he would fail to win his 1992 reelection bid.

During his presidency, Bush led an international alliance to victory in the Gulf War and also work with Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev to ensure that the communist regime’s end would provide order, not chaos, in Eastern Europe.

Despite this, Bush lost the 1992 presidential election to Bill Clinton. Though he had campaigned on an economic platform of no tax increase, a recession made them. Bush was seen as out of touch with the ordinary citizen. A similar fate would face son Jeb Bush during his 2016 presidential bid.

Though his link with Reagan led Bush to the 1988 Republican presidential nomination, it would also be a part of his downfall. Backlash over his role in the Iran-Contra scandal followed him. Bush was noted as a modest man and as honorable to his supporters, but this paled in comparison to the charismatic Reagan.

George H.W. Bush is survived by five of his children: George W., Jeb, Dorothy, Neil and Marvin. His sixth child with Barbara, named Robin, died at 3 of leukemia in 1953.

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In a statement from his son and 43rd president, George W. Bush, he described his father as “a man of the highest character and the best dad a son or daughter could ask for.” The family also added that “the entire Bush family is deeply grateful for 41’s life and love, for the compassion of those who have cared and prayed for Dad, and for the condolences of our friends and fellow citizens.”