As a little boy, George W. Bush lived like many other boys his age. Like his dad, he was gifted at baseball, He participated in the Central Midland Little League, where he was selected as an All-Star.
George W. attended Sam Houston Elementary, only two blocks from the family home at 1412 W. Ohio Avenue. He walked to school, and one of his neighbors was his teacher. It's no secret that George W. was a bit of a class clown. He would throw balls through windows and go the extra mile to make his class laugh. Once, in 4th grade, he drew sideburns and a beard on himself while making funny faces at his classmates. Punishments didn't seem to faze him much.
George W. wasn't an avid reader, but he did enjoy reading Sports Illustrated upon its launch in August 1954—he would even ride his bike to a friend's home just to read it. He spent a lot of time playing with his friends, Mike Proctor and Joe O'Neil. They would venture to the Ritz Theatre on Main Street to watch Sci-fi serials and Western matinees. As a sports fan, he amassed an impressive collection of signed baseball cards by mailing them to the players.
George W. is one of only three presidents to be a Cub Scout, though a few others were Boy Scouts. His mother, Barbara, was a Den Mother, which required hosting meetings.
In 7th-grade, George W. was elected class president. At this time, he and Laura both attended San Jacinto Junior High, though they didn't meet until later. Laura admits to voting for him in the election, but doesn't remember anything else about him.
Midland was not immune to the issues of the day. Racism and segregation were ever-present. Black people had their own segregated everything, including schools, water fountains, bus seating, and movie theater seating, and they were limited in dining options and gathering spots. The Bush family experienced this firsthand when they moved to nearby Odessa and were firmly told not to repeat their mistake of inviting a member of the NAACP to dinner. George W, once made the mistake of using a slur he had often heard around him. Barbara promptly corrected his behavior.
Before their move to Houston, the Bushes would send George W. to Camp Longhorn in the summer, a camp that still operates in the Texas Hill Country today.
George W. attended school in Houston for two years before attending Phillips Academy in Andover, like his dad, to finish out his high school years. While there, he developed his social skills and continued to be outgoing. The challenge that Phillips presented him offered an opportunity to find a balance between his natural self and one that would enable him to succeed at the school. George W. credits former Phillips Academy teacher Tom Lyons with sparking his love of American history, which led him to graduate from Yale with a degree in history. He would later receive his MBA from Harvard.
The Flip Side: Laura
Laura Welch was born and raised in Midland and attended many of the same schools kids attend today. She graduated from Lee High School in 1964, making her class one of the first to walk its stage.
It's safe to say that Laura and George W. shared a remarkably similar childhood, with only a few things separating them. Like her eventual husband, she would also take trips downtown to watch movies. She and her friends would frequent the Yucca Theater, and she remembers sneaking off to the Ritz to catch a movie at least once.
Her mom, Jenna Welch, passed her love of reading down to Laura, who passed it to her daughters. She recalls having to start school later than her peers because she was born in November. However, Laura was able to enter directly into 2nd grade at North Elementary, where those rules did not apply. Laura credits her teacher, Mrs. Gnagy, for her love of school and passion for teaching. She would even "play school" when at home. Like George W., she also walked to school.
Mrs. Welch enrolled Laura in various activities, including ballet, piano, and Brownies. She attended Girl Scout Camp at Camp Mitre Peak, which still operates in Alpine. As Laura got older, she advanced to the Junior Girl Scouts and attended camp in Bandera. She would briefly work as a counselor at Camp Mystic in Kerrville as a teenager.
Like the Bushes, Laura, was not comfortable or thrilled with the reality of life in Midland. She and her mother expressed disappointment when the high school she would end up graduating from was named after Robert E. Lee. She recalls not having many opportunities to form connections with the non-white population in Midland because of the status quo of segregation.
Laura later graduated from Southern Methodist University, became a teacher, and finally met George W., whom she married a few months later. SMU is now home of the George W. Bush Presidential Center, which includes the presidential library and museum, as well as the 15-acre Laura W. Bush Native Texas Park.