Editor's note: This story was written to clarify points in a previous article, "Missouri local, former chief of staff writes about George H.W. Bush post-presidency," which was written from a virtual author event hosted by the George & Barbara Bush Foundation.
Audrain County native Jean Becker's new book about former President H.W. Bush highlights his life, but it also details how her life was impacted by the late president.
In the book, "The Man I Knew: The Amazing Story of George H. W. Bush's Post-Presidency," Becker recounts her transition from a Missouri farm girl to being chief of staff to Bush for 25 years in his post-presidency.
Becker, who will speak about the book from 6:30-8:30 p.m. today at Missouri River Regional Library, grew up about 5 miles outside of Martinsburg, where she went to church and grade school and considers her home.
The transition to D.C. ultimately took "baby steps," starting with earning her bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Missouri, which led to her to working as a journalist at the Commercial-News in Illinois. The paper was owned by Gannett, the same company that owned USA Today, the then-new publication that began in 1982. Later, Becker was chosen along with other Gannett journalists to be a "loaner" to USA Today and move to Washington, D.C.
At the end of her four months working as a "loaner," USA Today offered Becker a job.
"It was a big leap, and truly I felt like I'd won the lottery," she said.
Becker crossed paths with the Bush family during her reporting for USA Today's election team, which she had joined in late 1987. She worked on covering the lives of the candidates, with the first assignment being "The Candidate at Home" in which she visited each candidate's home and spoke with him and their spouse. Looking back, it was "a fun, wonderful assignment," she said.
As the national conventions were approaching, Becker helped edit stories Barbara Bush and Kitty Dukakis wrote about behind-the-scenes details - "not about policy, but fun and light," Becker said - and eventually worked solely with Barbara Bush for a weekly column, which she said she grew to love.
After inviting Barbara Bush's chief of staff to lunch to ask about a story idea for the upcoming inauguration, she said, "I have a better idea" and invited Becker to become the incoming first lady's deputy press secretary. Admittedly, it took her a few weeks to decide. When she went home for Thanksgiving, her father helped with that decision.
"What the hell's wrong with you? The incoming first lady wants you as deputy press secretary, but you can't decide if you can say yes?" she recalled.
The rest is history.
Becker served in this role during George H.W. Bush's first term; then later after he lost the election in 1992, she went to Houston to help Barbara Bush write her memoir.
After helping with the memoir project, Becker's mind turned too working for the Chicago Sun Times - until the senior Bush invited her into his office. He was looking for a chief of staff for a few months as they looked for a permanent role for the position. But what started as "keeping the seat warm" became Becker's permanent position as George H.W. Bush's chief of staff post-presidency along with a staff of eight people for the following 25 years.
Becker's experience as a journalist helped her in both of her roles with the Bush family: She was able to bring in a journalist's perspective to roles that had previously been public relations focused, the mentality of "learning on the fly" and a skill in dealing with people.
"Being a reporter helped me prepare for the roller coaster but what a great ride," Becker said.
George Herbert Walker Bush
She describes the senior Bush as "a lot of fun," sometimes with too much energy but always presenting big ideas. The senior Bush preferred to push back at Becker on ideas, asking her to defend what she thought, and equally, to question his ideas.
The book came out of an abundance of stories about George H.W. Bush - it had started with Becker just writing down conversations, travel experiences and phone calls, which almost warranted their own chapter - but in the middle of writing the book, she realized how much it embodied the values he held close.
Those values revolved around "faith, family and friends," as well as serving others and making a difference in your community, Becker said of the senior Bush.
"Mrs. Bush used to say, 'Everybody wants to save the world, but not everyone wants to do the dishes,'" she said. "(George H.W. Bush) had such a servant's heart. One of the best things you can learn from this book: You gotta become involved and make a difference in the community."
The senior Bush was known for his direct, personable sense of humor, which Becker said people can understand from a story in the prologue in which George H.W. Bush called Prince Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud to ask if he was dead or alive.
Becker's friend and fellow author John Meacham advised her to move this story to the beginning of the book, saying "the Bandar story will sell this book."
Sure enough, publishers loved the story.
Becker said George H.W. Bush lived out a philanthropic life, using his definition of a successful life as a guiding statement for Points of Light Foundation, the world's largest organization dedicated to volunteer service, and his work with disaster relief in partnership with his son, President George W. Bush, and President Bill Clinton.
"He enjoyed disaster work," Becker said. "He was a great spokesperson for volunteerism, but with disaster work, the difference they were making was tangible."
In some cases, George H.W. Bush's heart for others went under the radar. When Becker's father died in 2001, she received a phone call from the former president in Martinsburg, asking if she wanted him to come to the funeral.
Although grateful, Becker knew it would be "a logistical nightmare" to get him there and quite stunning for Missouri locals. Regardless, she said the gesture was something that meant a lot to her.
"The last thing I needed was George Herbert Walker Bush at my dad's funeral," she laughed.
In life as in death
After his death on Nov. 30, 2018, Becker attended the senior Bush's state funeral, which she had been planning with George H.W. Bush since the day she became his chief of staff.
As she sat in the front of the National Cathedral in D.C. and looked at the five living presidents and their spouses in attendance - Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump - she was reminded of how people can come together, even during times of political upheaval.
Becker said Bush had the unique talent of finding common good and purpose in everyone. This was reflective in his personal life, his political career - especially in his unlikely friendship with Clinton - and the impact he left on the nation.
"None of us are ever going to agree 100 percent," she said. "It just means you don't agree on that. It's OK to disagree, but figure out what we can do together."
When George H.W. Bush had asked her to be his chief of staff, Becker had listed off things she couldn't do - be someone's boss, build a budget, etc.
Bush had responded, "Don't worry about it; we'll figure it out."
Today, she has learned all of those skills and more, including planning for the opening of the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library in 1997 and ending with Bush's funeral in 2018.
"I will forever be grateful for him," Becker said.