ized that something was not right with their sister Robin. She was soon diagnosed with leukemia, and died in October later that year. George W. Bush recalls this time as his first vivid memory of his childhood. After their daughter’s death, Barbara’s position as the disciplinarian became clearer. George H.W. Bush had mellowed even more and would not become upset toward his sons; he would simply seem disappointed in them.By the late 50’s and early 60’s, the Texas oil boom was finally slowing down, but George H.W. Bush and his new multimillion-dollar drilling company Zapata were ahead of the trend. They were already positioned to move offshore along the Gulf Coast and then around the world. The elder Bush was constantly commuting back and forth to Houston, and soon it was necessary for the Bush family to move to Houston. In 1959, George W. began a two-year tenure at the Kinkaid school, considered to be one of the most exclusive private schools in Texas. At the suggestion of his parents he then transferred to Philips Academy at Andover, an alma mater of his father. While in his first year at Andover, Bush played both junior varsity baseball and basketball, and by his second year had realized he was not going to live up to his father’s athletic prowess at the school. He decided instead that his legacy at Andover was going to be something completely different from his father’s. He was good at bringing diverse groups together, more of a figurehead. Other students attending Andover at the same time stated that George W. was in the popular crowd, but unlike them he had no outstanding characteristic to make him popular. He simply was. After graduating from Andover, George W. was off to Yale. At the same time his father decided to enter politics, running for a senate seat in Texas. 18 year old George W. traveled along on the campaign trail with his father getting his first real look at Texas, an...
