One of the most loved Republican Presidents of all time is Ronald Reagan. There will never be another like him. Usually the Hollywood crowd would always favor “left wingers” but not for this guy. Ronald made a living on the big screen and in the White House. He is still a big part of the Republican Party today as some of them like to refer to themselves as “Reagan Republicans.”
Early Days
Ronald Wilson Reagan was born on February 6, 1911, in Tampico, Illinois. His dad nicknamed him “Dutch” because he said Ronald looked like a “fat little Dutchman.” Ronald Reagan graduated from Dixon High School, where he was an athlete and student body president. He majored in economics and sociology at Eureka College. He graduated college in 1932 and after that he worked as a radio sports announcer in Iowa. In 1937, Reagan started his acting career. He appeared in over 50 films including Knute Rockne and Kings Row. In 1940, Reagan married actress Jane Wyman, but they got divorced eight years later. Together they had a daughter Maureen and adopted a son, Michael. In 1952, he married actress Nancy Davis. They had two children, Patricia and Ronald. In 1966, Reagan became the governor of California. He was also re-elected in 1970.
President Reagan
In the 1980 Presidential Election, Ronald Reagan defeated President Carter by a landslide. The electoral votes ended up with Reagan getting 489 and Carter only 49. Ronald worked with Congress to increase employment, stimulate the economy, and made our national defense stronger in his first term as President. As he became more popular year after year, Reagan got re-elected as President in 1984. In his second term he made a lot of changes with the tax code. He helped millions of low income people with exemptions. He also increased national defense by 35 percent as he bombed Libya, after finding out Libya was involved in an attack on American soldiers in a West Berlin nightclub. During the eight years Ronald Reagan was President, Americans enjoyed prosperity and couldn’t have been happier. In 1989, Ronald left the White House as his Vice President George H.W. Bush was elected as the new President.
After Presidency
When Ronad Reagan left the White House he returned to California. Even though he wasn’t in Washington anymore, he certainly didn’t slow down. Ronald had a very busy month in June. On June 14, 1989, he received honorary knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II. The very next day, June 15th, in Paris, Reagan was inducted into the Academy of Moral and Political Science. Six days later on June 21st, he was inducted into the Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City. On April 13th, 1992, he received a glass statue award from the National Association of Broadcasters. Unfortunately, he couldn’t celebrate that award too much because a member of the audience rushed on stage and smashed his statue. President Bush gave Reagan the Presidential Medal of Freedom Award in 1993. In 1995, Ronald and his wife Nancy announce the establishment of the Ronald and Nancy Reagan Research Institute, dedicated to the study of Alzheimer’s Disease. On May 16th, 2002, Ronald and Nancy are awarded the Congressional Gold Medal. Ronald Wilson Reagan passed away at the age of 93 on June 5th, 2004. America and the Republican Party will never forget him, as the majority of the Republican candidates strive to be just like him. However, we all know there will never be another like “The Gipper.”