A former president of and director of the St. Louis-based Boatmen's Bancshares from 1978 to 1986, Bush was active in various St. Louis civic functions: he was chairman of the Board of Trustees of Saint Louis University from 1985 to 1992, chairman of the Missouri Botanical Garden from 1991 to 1993 and president of the Municipal Opera Association from 2005 to 2006. He was also a director of Maritz, Inc, and served on the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Missouri board of directors from 1989 to 1994.