From college GOP to the White House

1950 Born in Denver.

1969 Enters the University of Utah, joins the College Republicans and puts together direct-mail programs and brochures for the organization.

1973 Leaves school to campaign for chair of the College Republicans, meets Lee Atwater who later runs George H. W. Bush's presidential campaign.

1976 Moves to Virginia as finance director for the state GOP. Rove raises more than $400,000 through direct mail campaigns.

1977 Relocates to Texas to work as a fund-raiser for George H. W. Bush's presidential-exploration political action committee.

1981-1999 President of Karl Rove + Company, an Austin, Texas-based public affairs firm.

Mid-1980s Texas GOP has the nation's first voter database and Rove has become a key player.

1989 His son, Andrew, is born.

1993 Convinces George W. Bush to run for governor against Ann Richards, the extremely popular incumbent.

1994 Bush becomes Texas governor.

2000 Bush becomes the 43d president.

2001 Becomes senior adviser to the president, overseeing strategic planning, political affairs, public liaison, and intergovernmental affairs at the White House.

2002 Rove chairs meetings of the White House Iraq Group, an internal White House working group.

2004 When Bush wins a second term, he thanks Rove, calling him "the architect."

2005 A subpoenaed reporter's notes show Rove was a source in leaking of the identity of undercover CIA agent Valerie Plame Wilson.

2006 April Becomes deputy White House chief of staff.

June After Rove testifies before a grand jury five times, special counsel Patrick Fitzgerald decides not to indict Rove in his investigation into the leak.

2007 Bush rejects a subpoena for Rove to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee in a probe of the firing of nine federal prosecutors.

SOURCES: News Reports