Ronald Reagan

An American Story
R
onald Reagan’s careers in entertainment and politics spanned six decades and
took him from the heart of the Midwest to Hollywood to Washington and into
the history books. Here are images of some of the high points of his life.
Growing Up
Opposite top: Reagan (right) grew up in Dixon, Illinois, where he attended
public schools and worked as a lifeguard at a local swimming pool. He
was credited with 77 rescues in seven summers. After high school, where
he was student body president, he went on to Eureka College in Eureka,
Illinois, and graduated in 1932.

Nancy
Right: After the war, Reagan was elected president of the Screen Actors
Guild and served from 1947 to 1954. His marriage to Jane Wyman ended in
1948, and in 1952 he married Nancy Davis. The couple is shown here with
his best man, actor William Holden, and his wife, Ardis.

On the Air
Opposite left: After college, Reagan got a job with WOC radio in Daven-
port, Iowa, before moving on to WHO radio in Des Moines. At WHO,
Reagan recreated play-by-play accounts of Chicago Cubs games using wire
service reports.

The Gipper
Opposite middle: In 1937, he took
a screen test while in California
and got a seven-year contract On to TV
with Warner Brothers. Perhaps his Like many motion picture
most famous role was in the 1940 actors, Reagan turned to
television in the 1950s.
film, Knute Rockne—All American. In
He signed a contract as a
it, he played George (The Gipper)
spokesman for General
Gipp.
Electric, hosting its TV
show, General Electric
In Uniform Theater, and touring the
Opposite right: Reagan was called country giving speeches on
to active duty in the Army in conservative, pro-business
1942 and eventually assigned to topics from 1954 to 1962.
the First Motion Picture Unit in
Culver City, California. During his
service, he appeared in hundreds
of training films and was also
assigned to help sell war bonds.
He was promoted to captain
in 1943. After his discharge in
December 1945, he returned to
acting. In all, he made 53 motion
pictures.
The Switch
Left: Reagan changed his political
registration from Democrat to
Republican in 1962, later saying, “I didn’t
leave the Democratic party. The party
left me.” He is shown here campaigning
in 1964 with GOP presidential nominee
Barry Goldwater at the International
Hotel in Los Angeles. His work for
Goldwater caught the attention of
political professionals in California.
Governor
Opposite, top right: In 1966, Reagan
jumped into politics as a candidate,
defeating two-term incumbent California
Gov. Edmund G. “Pat” Brown; he won
reelection in 1970. As governor with
a Democratic legislature, he sought
to erase the state budget deficit with
cuts and reforms in state programs and
agreeing to new taxes. He is shown
here celebrating his 1966 victory for
governor at the Biltmore Hotel in Los
Angeles.

Victory
Opposite bottom: Reagan ran for President
in 1980, defeating President Jimmy Carter.
As he gave his inaugural address, Iran
released the 52 U.S. hostages they had
held for 444 days during the Carter
administration. Reagan wrote his own
inaugural speech, which included the
line, “In this present crisis, government
is not the solution to our problems,
government is the problem.”
A Bullet
On March 30, 1981, John W. Hinkley,
Jr., attempted to assassinate Reagan as
he emerged from a Washington hotel.
A bullet barely missed his heart but
pierced his left lung. His press secretary,
a Secret Service agent, and a
Washington, D.C., policeman were
also wounded. Four days later, he
is shown with his wife, Nancy, at
George Washington Hospital; he
had told her, “Honey, I forgot
to duck.”
Tax Cuts
Above: With Republicans in control of the
Senate as a result of the 1980 elections,
Reagan pushed for his program of tax
cuts, which he eventually got, with the
help of conservative Democrats in
the House. Here, Reagan addresses
the nation in July 1981 about the
tax cut legislation, the first of many
televised addresses that helped to
solidify his reputation as “The Great
Communicator.”
A First
Above: When Justice Potter Stewart
retired from the Supreme Court in 1981,
Reagan turned to an Arizona judge and
former legislator, Sandra Day O’Connor,
to be his nominee—the first woman to
become a Supreme Court justice. His
three appointments moved the high
court further to the conservative side
of the political spectrum.

Ronald Reagan Prologue 13

“Tip”
Right: Although Reagan and Democratic leaders in Congress
were often at odds over major issues, Reagan kept the
relationship cordial, especially with Democrat Thomas P. “Tip”
O’Neill, who was House Speaker for Reagan’s first six years
in office. Although they traded political barbs at each other
during the day, they agreed that there would be no politics
after 6 p.m. Here, in early 1983, the two Irishmen argued
during an Oval Office meeting.

Gorbachev
Below: Reagan and Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev
greet during the Geneva summit in November 1985. Reagan
kept pressure on the Soviets by increasing U.S. defense
budgets as the Soviet economy was falling apart. Reagan and
Gorbachev signed an arms limitation treaty, and eventually, the
Soviet regime collapsed. The Ranch
For relaxation,
Reagan retreated
to his hilltop
ranch near
Santa Barbara,
called “Rancho
del Cielo,” or
“Ranch in the
Sky.” There, he
rode horseback
and often did chores such as cutting wood or
clearing brush.

Soul Mate
Right: Reagan tries to control his dog “Lucky” as he walks with British
Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the Rose Garden in early
1985. The two conservatives were in synch on many issues
and had great admiration for each other. Thatcher
gave a eulogy at Reagan’s funeral in 2004.

14 Prologue
The Wall
In June 1987, Reagan
gave a speech at the
Berlin Wall, and over
the objections of his top
advisers, uttered one of
the most famous lines
of his presidency: “Mr.
Gorbachev, tear down
this wall.” The wall, a
symbol of the Cold War,
fell in 1989, and a piece
of it is now an artifact at
the Reagan Presidential
Library.

Family
The Reagan family gathered at their
house in Pacific Palisades, California,
in 1976. From left to right: Patti Davis,
Nancy Reagan, Ronald Reagan, Michael
Reagan, Maureen Reagan, and Ron Reagan. The Diary
Maureen, now deceased, and Michael are Throughout his presidency, Reagan kept a diary in which he commented on events of
the children of Reagan and his first wife, the day, his personal feelings about individuals, and how he felt generally about things.
actress Jane Wyman. Patti and Ron are The diaries have been edited and published. Here, it is seen on the desk in his office
the children of Reagan and Nancy. in the White House residence.

Ronald Reagan Prologue 15