Discover the Only President Ever Born in Connecticut (and Where He Was Raised)

The men who have served as President of the United States come in all shapes and sizes. Some have been Democrats, others Republicans. There have been a few Roman Catholics and many Protestants. They come from different backgrounds, too. When it comes to birthplaces, two presidents have been born in North Carolina and a record of eight presidents have been born in Virginia. But only one has been born in Connecticut.

George W. Bush, who served as the 43rd President of the United States from 2001 to 2009, was born in New Haven, CT. Let’s explore the only president ever born in Connecticut and where he was raised. We’ll also include some facts about President Bush and the place in Connecticut where he lived.

The Only President Ever Born in Connecticut

Presidents are born in many places, but when we’re talking about Connecticut, there’s only one president who was born there. George W. Bush, affectionately known as Dubya, was born in New Haven, CT, on July 6, 1946. Although he’s more famous for being a Texan, he lived in New Haven only as a toddler and later on when he attended Yale University.

About New Haven, CT

Founded in 1638, New Haven, CT was built by Puritans who were angry that Massachusetts had become too liberal. They wanted a government closely tied to their religion. The town’s leaders failed to put New Haven on the map and eventually, the colony was absorbed by the Connecticut colony.

It served as co-capital, along with Hartford, for 172 years from 1701 to 1873. A so-called arts town, it is colloquially called the “Culture Capital of Connecticut.” New Haven is also the site of Yale University, one of the world’s most prestigious universities.

Besides George W. Bush, New Haven has been home to a myriad of top-notch politicians, including Former Senator Joe Lieberman who was Vice Presidential candidate in the 2000 Election where Vice President Al Gore ran against Bush. Let’s take a look at New Haven, CT at the time when George W. Bush was born, and New Haven today.

New Haven in the 1940s and 1950s

New Haven’s population continued into the 1940s after World War II. Because New Haven is 17 square miles, a lot of housing developments started popping up after the war and well into the 1950s. It was also in the mid-1950s that the mayor of New Haven decided to revitalize the city. Hotels, museums, and shopping centers started popping up and that quickly turned the city around. The population boomed during this time, but it was only a matter of time before it started to decline again.

New Haven Today

Today, New Haven has a population of just over 134,000. Yale University is the biggest employer in the city and remains one of the most influential institutions in the city. New Haven continues to be interconnected with more cities in the state and even in New England.

Yale University

Yale University is an Ivy League university that was founded in 1701. It started as the Collegiate School for clergy belonging to the Congregationalist church. The curriculum of the school expanded to include the humanities and sciences. It then started offering graduate studies programs in the 19th century. Many presidents have attended Yale University including William Howard Taft, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, Gerald Ford, and Bill Clinton.

About George W. Bush

George Walker Bush was born on July 6, 1946, in New Haven, CT. He is the son of George Herbert Walker Bush, who served as Vice President of the United States under Ronald Reagan and later succeeded him as President from 1989 to 1993. He was raised in Midland, Texas and Houston, Texas, but attended Yale University and then did his MBA at Harvard Business School. In 1977, he met Laura Bush and they married several months later. They had twin daughters, Jenna and Barbara.

Although not interested in politics at first, establishing a business career, he waded in during the 1978 Texas Congressional elections. He lost that election, but in 1988 he moved to Washington D.C. to help his father with his presidential campaign. Bush then ran for Governor of Texas against Ann Richards. He won and was also reelected to a second term in 1998. 

In 2000, he decided to run for President. In what has become one of the most contested elections in American history, George W. Bush won with 271 electoral votes but lost the popular vote to Al Gore. He is one of the few men who have become president winning the electoral vote and losing the popular vote. Bush was reelected in 2004 and was succeeded by Illinois Senator Barack H. Obama.

Bush 43 Presidency’s Major Achievements

George W. Bush served for eight years, enacting monumental pieces of legislation. He is ranked in the bottom rung of presidents. Let’s take a look at some highlighting accomplishments in his presidency.

• Bush passed the US Patriot Act, which ensured surveillance of suspected terrorists throughout the world.
• Passed a 1.3 trillion tax cut that mainly benefited the wealthy early on in his presidency. There were two more tax cuts throughout his time as president.
• Enacted the PEPFAR bill, which dedicated millions to combat HIV/AIDS around the world, with the majority of the funds going to Africa.
• Invaded Iraq with the supposed reason of wiping out the country’s weapons of mass destruction. It ended in a US occupation for two decades and it was found that there were no WMDs in Iraq.
• Signed free trade agreements with various countries including Morocco, Australia, Peru, Chile, and others.

George W. Bush Today

After leaving the presidency, George W. Bush and his wife Laura moved back to his ranch in Texas. He led a relatively quiet life, ensuring he did not wade into politics too much. Bush did, however, attend sports events and other events not in the political sphere. He also became involved in more international diplomacy, advocating for women’s rights and other causes.

The former president published his memoirs, Decision Points, in 2010. Bush also released a book of his paintings of veterans called Portraits of Courage in 2017. His presidential library opened in 2013. He did not attend the Republican National Convention in 2020 when Trump was the candidate for reelection and did not endorse any candidate in the 2020 elections.

Today, he continues to be active in international diplomacy and wades in on the political discourse from time to time.

Conclusion

And there you have it, the only president ever born in Connecticut was George W. Bush. President from 2001 to 2008, he served when 9/11 happened, changing the landscape of security in the United States and throughout the world. He invaded Iraq and cut taxes, but the economic downturn made him an unpopular president toward the end of his presidency. The major bills passed during his presidency and his foreign policy positions have prompted historians to consistently put him in the bottom rung of presidents. Only time will tell whether George W. Bush’s legacy becomes better or not.