To those who knew them, the ultimate proof of the two men’s bond was reducible to a question: How many fathers would look after their son’s girlfriend in his absence? So much did the teenage Mitt Romney trust in his father George’s wisdom that he gratefully accepted his assistance in nurturing his relationship with his old high school girlfriend and future wife, Ann Davies, during a long separation from her.

By then, the young Romney was in France for two years of Mormon missionary work, and Romney family members, as well as Mitt’s friends, were well aware of Ann’s possible appeal to a slew of would-be suitors. As the popular governor of Michigan, George was already mulling the prospect of a presidential campaign.