George Washington was a politician.
George Washington ( [ ˈdʒɔɹdʒ_ˈwɒʃɪŋtən ] -- , 1799 ) was an American politician and soldier who served as the first President of the United States from 1789 to 1797 and was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States . Washington was widely admired for his strong leadership qualities and was unanimously elected president by the Electoral College in the first two national elections . Mr. President (title) . Adopted in the 1790s by George Washington , the first President of the United States , as his official manner of address as head of state , `` Mister President '' has subsequently been used by other governments to refer to their heads of state .