Paths of Power

The President comes from a long line ofachievers, from financiers to judges topoliticians. Today the bonds of familyform a nationwide network of influence

  • (2 of 2)

    Started as an assistant at McCall’s Publishing and rose to president and chairman of the board

    PAULINE (ROBINSON) PIERCE

    1896-1949

    She died in an accident when her husband, trying to keep coffee from spilling, lost control of the car

    WILLA GRAY (MARTIN) PIERCE

    1911-

    Marvin Pierce’s second wife, she is a painter, writer and socialite from South Carolina

    [Parents, Aunts, Uncles]

    BARBARA (PIERCE) BUSH

    1925-

    The clan matriarch was a de facto single mother, raising her family in seven cities while her husband was in oil and politics

    JAMES ROBINSON PIERCE

    1922-93

    An Army and Navy veteran of World War II, he followed his father into publishing, consulting on several sports magazines

    SCOTT PIERCE

    1930-

    As president of E.F. Hutton & Co., he pleaded guilty in 1985 to check kiting on behalf of the company

    MARTHA (PIERCE) RAFFERTY

    1920-99

    She became a model for Vogue magazine and married a stockbroker. She was also an active Republican

    [The President’s Generation]

    MARVIN PIERCE BUSH

    1956-

    The youngest Bush brother runs an investment firm in McLean, Va., and has served on several corporate boards. He campaigned for W.

    DOROTHY “DORO” (BUSH) KOCH

    1959-

    In addition to campaigning for her brother, she serves on the board of the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy. She lives in Maryland

    GEORGE WALKER BUSH

    1946-

    Once an oil and gas man, he became managing partner of the Texas Rangers. He was elected Texas Governor in 1994 and President in 2000 and 2004

    LAURA (WELCH) BUSH

    1946-

    She met and married the future President in 1977, when she was working as a school librarian in Texas. The First Lady champions literacy issues

    [Children]

    MARSHALL BUSH, b. 1986

    CHARLES W. BUSH, b. 1989

    SAMUEL LEBLOND, b. 1984

    ELLIE LEBLOND, b. 1986

    ROBERT KOCH, b. 1993

    GEORGIA KOCH, b. 1996

    JENNA BUSH

    BARBARA BUSH

    Twins, b. 1981

    Distant relatives

    FRANKLIN PIERCE

    1804-1869

    The 14th U.S. President is an ancestor of Barbara Bush’s grandfather Scott Pierce

    QUEEN ELIZABETH II

    1926-

    According to Burke’s Peerage of London, Britain’s monarch is a 13th cousin twice removed of President Bush’s

    JOHN KERRY

    1943-

    You have to go back to the late 1500s to make the connection, but the former presidential rivals are very distant cousins

    HUGH HEFNER

    1926-

    Bush and Kerry share another famous cousin, the founder of the Playboy empire. Hef’s a ninth cousin twice removed of the President’s

    1. 1
    2. 2
    3. Next Page