There were many firsts surrounding President Reagan. Ronald Reagan became the oldest man ever inaugurated president at the age of sixty-nine. He was the oldest president to leave office at the age of seventy-seven. He was the first president who had ever been divorced. Reagan was also the first president to have been a Hollywood actor.
Early Years
Ronald Reagan was born in a small apartment on February 6th, 1911 in Tampico, Illinois. His father was a salesman who was an alcoholic and his mother was a caring person who tried to explain to Ronald and his older brother Neil, this only sibling, that alcoholism was a disease.
The Reagans moved to Dixon, Illinois in late 1920 where he attended school and would later graduate high school in 1928.
He went on to attend Eureka College in Peoria, Illinois where he was well liked but an indifferent student, graduating with a “C” average.
Beginning an Entertainment Career
His first job after college was as a radio announcer for a small station in Davenport, Iowa were he excelled enough to quickly move up to become an announcer in the larger center of Des Moines.
His big break came the following year while on a road trip to California to cover baseball spring training for the radio station. While on the trip he had a screen test with Warner Brothers which launched a career for the next twenty plus years in which he acted in over fifty feature films, interrupted by his military service.
In 1940 he married Jane Wyman who he had starred opposite in a 1938 film.
He did serve in the Army during World War II, but due to eyesight never saw combat and instead worked on film projects.
Following the war he had difficulty restarting his career while his wife’s was rising. They would divorce in 1948.
The 1950s
Reagan would meet and marry Nancy Davis in 1952. His career started getting back on track and he started becoming more involved in politics. Although he long considered himself a Democrat he campaigned for Eisenhower and, as a now successful and wealthy actor, he was developing a philosophy that government was too big, too intrusive, and to him personally, too expensive.
Politics and Political Philosophy in the 1960s
In 1960 he campaigned for Richard Nixon and formally became a Republican in 1962. At the time he came out speaking against what would become Medicare and certain civil rights legislation including fair housing, positions he would later somewhat soften.
In 1964 he campaigned for conservative Barry Goldwater and in one speech raised $1 million. It now appeared that his political career was launched.
Governor of California 1967-75
His campaign was based on appealing to the very right and was at time extremely simplistic and inflammatory.
As Governor, he was forced to raise taxes to balance the budget, but he also froze government hiring.
He considered a presidential bid in 1968 as an attempt to “stop Nixon” but ended up in third place in the delegate count.
1976 Presidential Campaign
He challenged then President Gerald Ford for the Republican nomination, choosing moderate Senator Richard Schweiker of Pennsylvania as his running mate, and was narrowly defeated by Ford in the delegate count 1,187 to 1,070. With Ford’s defeat in the general election he was well poised for a run in 1980.
1980 Presidential Campaign and Election
The Carter administration was embroiled in domestic concerns and the Iran hostage crisis which made President Jimmy Carter look ineffective. Reagan chose as his running mate one of his opponents for the Republican nomination, George H. W. Bush. They won handily carrying 44 states. The Republican Party gained control of the Senate for the first time since 1952.
Reagan’s First Term
Highlighting his first term were extensive tax cuts, rejection of the SALT Treaty, the appointment of the first woman Supreme Court Justice, and the invasion of Grenada. There was also an attempt on his life.
1984 Presidential Campaign and Election
Despite higher unemployment toward the end of his first term, Reagan was extremely popular and it was proved in the general election when he ran against Walter Mondale. He carried every state except Mondale’s home state of Minnesota.
Reagan’s Second Term
Perhaps the most significant achievement of his second term was a greater sense of world security. Reagan challenged the Soviet Union to tear down the Berlin Wall. This would happen in early 1989, but the symbolism had an underlying basis in improving diplomatic relations in general.
Domestically, some of his economic and tax programs are still hotly debated, however for the good or bad they did represent the most profound changes in economic policy in decades.
Sources:
Smith, Carter (2005). PRESIDENTS: All you need to know. Irvington, New York: Hylas Publishing. ISBN 1592581234.
Tony De Vita - My basic background was in mathematics. Having received a B.S. summa cum laude, from Wilkes College, Wilkes-Barre, Pa. My first job was ...
