The FREOPP Scholar: George P. Bush
George P. Bush is the ultimate utility player: a lawyer, investor, veteran, policymaker, and scholar.
George P. Bush is likely not the first George Bush you’ve heard of. Nor is he the second. With two presidents for namesakes and a governor for a father, George — who goes by “George P.” — is fully aware of his family’s legacy of public service. But it’s the service part that George has sought to emphasize in his own life and career.
George was born in Houston and raised in the Miami area. He earned his first paycheck in high school. “No one believes it, but my first job was as a janitor at my dad’s real estate management company. I learned the value of a dollar early…and I honestly learned more about real estate and the importance of client service than anyone could ask for at a young age.”
It was also during this time that George was first exposed to the struggles of the South & Central Americans around him, as they sought asylum from authoritarian regimes. “Through the experiences of my friends, I learned to appreciate the freedoms we take for granted in the U.S. and the rapidity by which many formerly prosperous countries quickly declined as a result of greed, corruption, or narco-terror.”
But George P.’s first love wasn’t international affairs or business. It was baseball. George grew up collecting baseball cards, and walked on to the baseball team at Rice University, where he patrolled the outfield. To this day you can find him fulfilling his love of the game by coaching his young boys.
Upon graduation from Rice, George began his career in public service — first by working as a public school teacher, then by volunteering on his uncle’s presidential campaign in 2000. His efforts on the campaign were followed not only by political reporters, but by People magazine, which ranked him № 4 on its list of “America’s 100 Most Eligible Bachelors.” (George was only bested by George Clooney, Derek Jeter, and Matt Damon for the top spot.)
But George P. wasn’t on the market for long; he met his wife, Amanda, in law school at the University of Texas, from which he graduated in 2003, subsequently clerking in Dallas for U.S. District Judge Sidney Fitzwater.
After his clerkship. George practiced general corporate and securities law in Dallas. In 2007, he co-founded both a real estate private equity firm, Pennybacker Capital, as well as an investment firm, St. Augustine Partners, that focused on consulting for private businesses and energy transactions. George also served for a decade as an Intelligence Officer in the U.S. Navy Reserves, completing a tour in Afghanistan as a part of Operation Enduring Freedom. “My time in the military was by far my most rewarding career experience — I wish I’d joined younger and served longer.”
In 2014, George was elected as the 28th Land Commissioner of the Texas General Land Office, the agency responsible for managing state-owned lands and mineral rights: a key contributor to Texas’ education budget. He was re-elected to a second term in 2018, receiving the second highest vote total of any candidate running statewide. “I love the idea of taking on challenges, putting a team together, breaking the issue down, and trying to fix it,” says George. “The engineering bug is in me, but from a political mechanics perspective.”
As Land Commissioner, George worked to ensure that Texas military veterans got the benefits they’d earned, chaired an $8.6 billion investment portfolio that funds K-12 public education, and managed 13 million acres of state lands that have played a major role in making America energy-independent. He and the General Land Office also led the state’s largest ever housing-related recovery effort following Hurricane Harvey, helping more than 60,000 people rebuild their homes and their lives.
“My proudest accomplishment was the asset management component of what we did at the Land Office. We generated billions in revenue for public schools, broke records in annual revenues three times during my eight years, and distributed larger checks to public education than ever before through our investment portfolio.”
After eight years as Land Commissioner, George turned his energies toward a bid for Texas Attorney General. Although he didn’t win, he has no regrets. “Even if it wasn’t validated by voters at the ballot box, I wanted to continue to stand behind timeless values of integrity in public service, standing for the Constitution–whether it works for you or against you–and emphasizing transparency and accountability within the government.”
In 2023, George joined FREOPP as a Senior Fellow, where he will focus on what states can do to expand social mobility by better managing their natural resources.
“People have never been more cynical about the capability of our government to solve our biggest issues,” says George. “I’m really excited and privileged to be part of a team at FREOPP that’s focused on making sure that the government is creating an equal playing field of opportunity, and helping people get ahead in life. That’s the part of FREOPP that excites and drives me, and it really shouldn’t be partisan: researching, examining, and supporting the ideas that can return our country to a path of prosperity that all of us can enjoy.”
George and Amanda live in Austin with their two sons.
Follow George on Twitter: @GeorgePBush
