From a "Famous Texans" website. Check out some of the other "FT" politicians. Hadn't realized he went back to the Watergate years.
Career: In the years of the Watergate scandal, Rove's career as a big-time political handler began with a motley crew of friends and associates. He was chairman of the College Republicans when George Herbert Walker Bush was chairman of the state Republican Party in 1973. He won the presidency of the College Republicans in a race against Terry Dolan. The late Lee Atwater, who later became famous as the political attack dog for the Reagan-Bush team, managed Rove's campaign. Dolan went on to become a Soft Money pioneer by helping form the National Conservative Political Action Committee, then died of AIDS in 1986 at age 36. Dolan's advisers in his loss to Rove were Charlie Black, Paul Manafort and Roger Stone. Those three were later instrumental in the success of Ronald Reagan's 1984 campaign.<snip>
Rove has been closely advising George W. Bush since he announced he was a candidate for Governor in November 1993. By January 1994, Bush had spent $613,930 on the race against incumbent Ann Richards. Over half of that, $340,579, went to Rove.
http://www.famoustexans.com/karlrove.htm