George H. W. Bush was the 41st President of the United States.
George Herbert Walker Bush ( born June 12 , 1924 ) is an American politician who was the 41st President of the United States from 1989 to 1993 and the 43rd Vice President of the United States from 1981 to 1989 . Since 2000 , Bush has often been referred to as `` George H. W. Bush '' , `` Bush 41 '' , `` Bush the Elder '' , or `` George Bush Senior '' to distinguish him from his eldest son , George W. Bush , who became the 43rd President of the United States after the 2000 election . United States presidential election, 2000 . Republican candidate George W. Bush , then-incumbent governor of Texas and the eldest son of the 41st President George H. W. Bush , narrowly defeated the Democratic nominee Al Gore , then-incumbent vice president and former Senator for Tennessee , as well as various third-party candidates including Ralph Nader .