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FitzGerald Bemiss Papers, 1943–1997

Call number: Mss1 B4252 c

FitzGerald Bemiss, of Richmond, Va., financier and state legislator, traveled to China in 1975 to visit an old friend. His friend, George H. W. Bush, was serving as Chief of the U.S. Liaison Office to China as part of the U.S. effort to establish formal diplomatic relations with that country. Personal letters between these two childhood friends reveal fascinating insights into a country that few Americans had the opportunity to explore. This is only one example of the interesting content of a long series of letters exchanged between Mr. Bemiss and George Bush that can be found in the recently processed papers of FitzGerald Bemiss. This collection, composed primarily of correspondence from 1943 to 1997, chronicles the careers and personal friendship of the two men, including Bush's rise from the Texas oil industry to president of the United States.

The full contents of the collection may be viewed by visiting the reading room of the Virginia Historical Society. The collection is divided into two series; a detailed description of the content can be found in the VHS online catalog (call number: Mss1 B4252 c).

Images
The photograph reproduced here shows George H. W. Bush and FitzGerald Bemiss visiting the Great Wall of China.

Access the Collection
Go to the VHS online catalog