Columba Bush

Columba Bush (née Garnica Gallo; born August 17, 1953) is a manufacturer and philanthropist of Mexican and American nationality. She is known for her role as the wife of Jeb Bush, the former Governor of Florida, serving as the First Lady of Florida from 1999 to 2007.

Early Life:

Columba Garnica Gallo was born in Arperos, a community within the city of León, Guanajuato, Mexico. Her father was José María Garnica Rodríguez (1925–2013), a migrant worker and waiter from Arperos. Her mother was Josefina Gallo Esquivel (May 8, 1920 – August 14, 2016), from León. The couple married in February 1949. In 1956, when Columba was approximately three years old, her father emigrated to the United States. Her parents divorced in 1963, after which she and her mother remained in León. She attended Instituto Antonia Mayllen, a private Catholic school located in León's historic center.

Marriage and Early Remarks:

Columba Garnica met Jeb Bush in 1970 in León when she was 16 and he was 17. At the time, Jeb Bush was teaching English as a Second Language and assisting in constructing a school in the nearby village of Ibarrilla as part of a class at Phillips Academy Andover called "Man and Society." The two married on February 23, 1974, in Austin, Texas, at the Catholic Student Center chapel on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin. At the time of their wedding, she did not speak English fluently; a portion of the ceremony was conducted in Spanish.

Political Activities:

In 1988, she appeared in a Spanish-language campaign commercial for her father-in-law, George H. W. Bush, during his campaign for President of the United States. She also delivered a nominating speech for him in Spanish at the Republican National Convention held in New Orleans. Her involvement in politics has been relatively limited outside of these appearances.

Role as First Lady:

As First Lady of Florida, Columba Bush supported several organizations, including the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, and Arts for Life, a scholarship program for young artists. She promoted the arts through exhibitions featuring Salvador Dalí, Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, and Florida artists, collaborating with initiatives such as Arts for a Complete Education/Florida Alliance for Arts Education (ACE/FAAE). Bush has engaged in campaigns to educate young people about the dangers of drug abuse and has participated in programs supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). She served as co-chair of the NIAAA initiative "Leadership to Keep Children Alcohol Free" and was a member of the board of the Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University.

In 2003, she was part of a delegation to Rome to mark the 25th anniversary of Pope John Paul II's papacy, attending services at St. Peter's Basilica. During her tenure as First Lady, she also participated in activities addressing domestic violence, substance abuse, and arts promotion. During Jeb Bush's 2016 presidential campaign, she visited women's shelters in Iowa and New Hampshire.

Personal Life:

Columba Bush was known to prefer a quiet and reserved life prior to her marriage. The couple resides in Coral Gables, Florida. Her relationship with her mother has been documented, and her sister, Lucila del Carmen Schmitz, and her mother live near her in the Miami area. She is a practicing Roman Catholic and a member of Regnum Christi, attending the Regnum Christi Family Convention in Atlanta in 2007.

Family:

Columba and Jeb Bush have three children: George Prescott Bush (born April 24, 1976), Noelle Lucila Bush (born July 26, 1977), and John Ellis "Jeb" Bush Jr. (born December 13, 1983). Her son George Prescott Bush attended Gulliver Preparatory School, Rice University, and earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Texas School of Law. He is an attorney, U.S. Navy Reserve officer, real estate investor, and former Commissioner of the Texas General Land Office. She has four grandchildren—two children from George Prescott Bush and two from Jeb Bush Jr. Her family includes two older brothers, including Francisco Jose Garnica (born December 1949), who resides in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

References:

[Omitted for brevity]

Further Reading:

- Beatriz Parga (2004). *Columba Bush.* Grijalbo.

- María Pérez-Brown (2003). *Mama: Latina Daughters Celebrate Their Mothers.* Rayo.

External Links:

- Genealogy of Columba Garnica Gallo

- Appearances on C-SPAN