George W. Bush: From Head Cheerleader to Commander-in-Chief

Long before he was dodging shoes at press conferences or clearing brush at his Texas ranch, George W. Bush was doing something that might surprise you: leading cheers in a sweater and megaphone. The future 43rd President of the United States wasn't just a cheerleader—he was the head cheerleader at Phillips Academy during his senior year.

But wait, it gets better. Bush didn't hang up his pompoms after high school. He cheered all four years at Yale University from 1964 to 1968, making him part of an unexpected family tradition.

A Legacy of Rah-Rah-Rahs

George W. was actually a third-generation Yale cheerleader. His father, George H.W. Bush (the 41st President), had been a cheerleader at Yale before him. And even his grandfather had cheered for the Bulldogs. Forget political dynasties—this was a cheerleading dynasty.

In the 1960s, male cheerleaders were far more common at the college level than they are today. It wasn't seen as unusual; in fact, cheerleading was often considered a leadership position that helped students develop crowd management skills and public speaking abilities. You know, perfect training for someone who'd eventually need to rally an entire nation.

From Megaphone to Microphone

Bush's cheerleading experience reportedly helped shape his political style. Leading cheers requires three key skills:

• Commanding attention from large crowds
• Projecting energy and enthusiasm
• Getting people fired up even when the team is losing

Sound familiar? Those are basically the job requirements for running for office.

During his time at Yale, Bush was also president of the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity and a member of the secretive Skull and Bones society. But while those affiliations often grab headlines, his cheerleading days reveal something different: a guy who was comfortable being front and center, even if it meant doing toe touches in front of thousands of people.

The Photos Don't Lie

If you're skeptical, the evidence is well-documented. Photos of Bush in his cheerleading uniform have appeared in yearbooks, news articles, and are even available through stock photo agencies. There he is, young and fresh-faced, doing what cheerleaders do: looking enthusiastic about sports while wearing an outfit most politicians would pay good money to keep buried.

But Bush never seemed embarrassed by it. In fact, his cheerleading background occasionally came up during his political career, usually as a humanizing detail or a fun fact to share on the campaign trail.

Four U.S. Presidents were cheerleaders, including Franklin D. Roosevelt, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Ronald Reagan. So Bush was in good company. Though it's worth noting that being a cheerleader apparently has better presidential success rates than being a Rhodes Scholar.

The next time you watch old footage of President Bush giving a speech or working a crowd, remember: that wasn't just political instinct. That was decades of experience getting people to yell on command. Once a cheerleader, always a cheerleader.