Jenna Bush Hager Recounts Discovering Father's Past Engagement as a Child

Jenna Bush Hager, daughter of former President George W. Bush, has shared the story of how she learned about her father's previous engagement as a child. The discovery occurred when Hager was in the third grade, during an emotional moment that led her to cry upon seeing a wedding announcement for a woman who was not her mother.

Hager recounted on "Today with Jenna & Sheinelle" that the incident began after she received a poor grade on a math test. She recalled telling her father, "I bet you got bad grades too, Dad," prompting him to retrieve a memory box created by her grandmother. The box contained old report cards and other mementos.

"He took out his memory box... to show a report card," Hager explained. "I saw a wedding announcement to someone who wasn’t my mom."

This revelation prompted a tearful reaction from the young Hager, who admitted, "I started crying and made it about myself."

Her father confirmed that he had been engaged at a young age but called off the wedding. The former president married Laura Bush in November 1977, approximately a decade after his engagement to his college sweetheart, Cathryn Lee Wolfman.

According to a 1999 report by The Washington Post, George W. Bush and Wolfman began dating while he was a student at Yale University and she was at Rice University. He proposed in 1967, but their engagement was brief. His office confirmed in 1999 that the two had "gradually drifted apart" due to busy schedules, and his then-spokeswoman Karen Hughes requested that the media respect Wolfman's privacy.

A 2000 profile in Vanity Fair described Wolfman as an "apolitical" dean's-list student. The relationship reportedly ended amicably, and Wolfman later worked with the CIA.

Hager, reflecting on the event as an adult, expressed admiration for her father's ability to make difficult decisions. She noted that while her third-grade self was focused on the immediate drama, she now understands the significance of his choice and the importance of listening to one's inner self when making major life decisions.

George W. Bush and Laura Bush welcomed twin daughters, Barbara and Jenna, four years after their wedding.