George W. Bush served as president.
George W. Bush . From a prominent political family , he is the eldest son of Barbara and George H. W. Bush , the 41st President of the United States , making him only the second president to assume the nation 's highest office after his father , following the lead of John Quincy Adams . The September 11 terrorist attacks occurred eight months into Bush 's first term as president . Nationally , Bush was both one of the most popular and unpopular presidents in history , having received the highest recorded presidential approval ratings in the wake of the September 11 attacks , as well as one of the lowest approval ratings during the 2008 financial crisis . The George W. Bush Presidential Center , which opened on April 25 , 2013 , is a complex that includes former President George W. Bush 's presidential library and museum , the George W. Bush Policy Institute , and the offices of the George W. Bush Foundation .