Remembering Barbara Bush, political dynasty matriarch

Judy Woodruff:

The future first lady was born Barbara Pierce in New York City in 1925, to Marvin and Pauline Pierce. Her father was president of McCall Corporation, of "Redbook" and "McCall" magazine fame.

The family lived in Rye, New York, where Barbara grew up with three siblings. From there, she went off to Smith College, but in 1945, she dropped out to marry George Bush, who was on leave from the Navy. They'd met four years earlier.

The couple moved to Texas in 1948 with their first child, a son, George W. He was soon joined by a sister, Robin. But she developed leukemia and died at the age of 3, a tragedy that reshaped the family.

Three other children followed, and Barbara went on to oversee a total of 27 moves, as her husband's career took them around the world, from Texas, where he built his fortune in the oil fields, to politics and public life. In the 1960s and '70s, Barbara was by his side for two losing U.S. Senate bids, a winning campaign for a U.S. House seat, and stints as U.N. ambassador, chair of the Republican Party and CIA director.

In 1980, he ran for president and ultimately ended up as Ronald Reagan's running mate. As a political spouse, Barbara Bush's wry sense of humor endeared her to many, but she later acknowledged it didn't suit everyone.

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