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This amiable and handsome man (a famous actor) was our 40th president of our United States. He held office for two terms from January 20 1981 to January 20 1989. He was born Ronald Wilson Reagan on February 6, 1911, in Tampico, Illinois, to John Edward Reagan and Nelle Wilson Reagan.
Hearing the Train Whistle
Ronald or "Dutch" nicknamed by his family, was the younger of two sons born of this union. The family relocated to Dixon Illinois when he was nine years old. Reagan's father John was a shoe salesman and made a negligible amount of money. Reagan remembered his childhood by remarking "we didn't live on the wrong side of the tracks, but we lived so close to them we could hear the whistle real loud." Shrewdness is gained often times, from growing up in a needy household. It is evident that Reagan used this experience to his benefit.
God Fearing Dedication
The home of Nelle was a place where religion was imperative, he was encouraged by his mother to see the basic decency in all people, and God-fearing dedication was vital. Ronald was motivated by his mother to take an energetic part in their church activities and services. The "Disciples of Christ" strictly forbade the consumption of alcohol, and consequently, Ronald perfected his ability to speak before the public in support of prohibition. His mother Nelle was also interested in theater, and took part in amateur productions. Ronald as well, became attracted to acting at a young age following in the footsteps of his mother.
Dixon School Years
Regan finished grade school in Dixon and started high school there, where he was president of the school council. He was involved in many school plays, as well as sports, and played basketball, track, swimming, and football.
Eureka College and on!
Ronald graduated from high school and entered Eureka College in 1928. He was a lifeguard, washed dishes, and along with a small scholarship, was able to pay his way through school. Leadership abilities flourished while attending Eureka College. He was president of the student body, captain of the swimming team, was on the football team, and track team. He held the leading roll in several plays. Ronald Reagan graduated Eureka College in 1932.
The Actor, Ronald Reagan
After graduation, Reagan began working for WOC radio station located in Davenport, Iowa. He was a sports announcer for this station and later for WHO in DesMoines. While covering baseball spring training in California in the year of 1937, he met an agent who gave him his first opportunity to appear in movies. His first film roll was oddly enough, as a radio announcer in "Love is in the Air."
Ronald Reagan married Jane Wyman, an actress, on June 25, 1940 and continued his pursuit of acting in more than 50 movies concluding his movie career in 1964. His mother Nelle was proud of her son, her response upon seeing him on the silver screen was, "That’s my boy that's my Dutch. That's the way he is at home."
Reagan portrayed George Gipp in the outstanding production of "Knute Rockne.All American," the statement "win just one for the Gipper" became linked to Ronald Reagan during is outstanding career. "Kings Row," was a film that Reagan considered one of his best performances. Drake McHugh in the 1941 movie was dismayed to find that while undergoing surgery a surgeon had amputated his legs. "Where's the rest of me?" was a line from the film that later became the title of Ronald Reagan's autobiography.
Reagan's career was interrupted when he served in the U.S. army for three years in 1942. He used his expertise in the field of cinema by producing training films for the U.S. army. He reached the rank of captain before ending his army career.
New Deal
Reagan was president of the Screen Actors Guild in 1947. This was a union supporting the Hollywood celebrities and was affiliated with the American Federation of Labor. Reagan served five one-year terms and successfully negotiated several union contracts.
Ronald Reagan began a change in his political ideology in the latter part of the 1940' and early into the 1950's. He had before that period; been a "New Deal" Democrat, yet over a period, had became convinced that Communist influence was finding it's way into America's organizations. Reagan began to embrace a more conservative philosophy. Reagan revealed his concerns, in an appearance before the House Un-American Activities, that a contingent of people in Hollywood appeared to have Communist leanings. He was very successful as president of the Screen Actors Guild and sequentially began to drift away from his career in movies, and became a representative for General Electric. He became a Republican in 1962 and concentrated his time and effort to the affairs of the party.
Divorce and Re-marriage
The increased involvement in political affairs was not favorable to his marriage to actress Jane Wyman that consequently ended in divorce in 1949. At the time of the divorce they had two children, Maureen Elizabeth Reagan 1941, and Michael Edward Reagan (adopted) 1945. Ronald re-married in 1952 to Nancy Davis. Nancy understood and supported his passion for American integrity and encouraged him to voice his opinion publicly. Nancy and Ronald had two children, Patricia Ann Reagan (1952) and Ronald Prescott Reagan (1958).
Governor of California
Reagan gave compelling straightforward "tell it like it is" speech, in 1964 backing Barry Goldwater. Reagan felt very strongly that "big government" was a hindrance to personal freedom in the United States. The American middle class heard his rallying cry and embraced it. He especially caught the ear of Californians who felt that the "Great Society agendas was threatening to the American lifestyle. In 1966 Reagan beat out five capable candidates for governor and won the Republican nomination. Reagan won the governorship by a huge margin.
Welfare reform was the crux of his terms as governor of California. One out of every nine people in the state of California was the recipient of welfare in 1961 and the numbers escalated by 1971. Reagan reached his goal of reforming welfare, and almost a quarter of a million citizens were removed from the welfare rolls.
Challenge for President
American voters had tired of protests and disruptions that were prominent in the 1960's and 70's. Reagan was not timid and confronted the protesters that made up the "free speech movement" of the Berkeley and University of California, campuses. He emphatically urged them to comply with the rules, or "get out."
President Gerald Ford, in the early primaries of 1976 firmly defeated Ronald Reagan in his challenge for president. Nonetheless, the American voters heard and welcomed the American Values theme, and in 1980, his dedication paid off with a win for president over Jimmy Carter.
The presidency of Ronald Reagan projected hope for the future. He remained confident at all times in spite of the great burden of being president. Reagan was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in the 1990's. He remains with his dedicated and loving wife Nancy. Above all, he is a distinguished and admired, personality and a great communicator, our 40th president "Ronald Wilson Reagan."
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