Nancy Davis Reagan (born Anne Frances Robbins; July 6, 1921 – March 6, 2016) was an American film actress and first lady of the United States from 1981 to 1989.
Reagan remained active within the Reagan Library and in politics, particularly in support of embryonic stem cell research, until her death from congestive heart failure at age 94 on March 6, 2016. == Early life and education == She was born as Anne Frances Robbins on July 6, 1921, at Sloane Hospital for Women in Uptown Manhattan.
Her parents separated soon after her birth and were divorced in 1928.
When her mother remarried in 1929, she moved to Chicago and later was adopted by her mother's second husband.
Nancy later described longing for her mother during those years: "My favorite times were when Mother had a job in New York, and Aunt Virgie would take me by train to stay with her." In 1929, her mother married Loyal Edward Davis (1896–1982), a prominent conservative neurosurgeon who moved the family to Chicago.
She attended the Girls' Latin School of Chicago (describing herself as an average student), from 1929, until she graduated in 1939, and later attended Smith College in Massachusetts, where she majored in English and drama, graduating in 1943. == Acting career == In 1940, a young Davis had appeared as a National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis volunteer in a memorable short subject film shown in movie theaters to raise donations for the crusade against polio.
He formally adopted her in 1938, and she would always refer to him as her father.
She attended the Girls' Latin School of Chicago (describing herself as an average student), from 1929, until she graduated in 1939, and later attended Smith College in Massachusetts, where she majored in English and drama, graduating in 1943. == Acting career == In 1940, a young Davis had appeared as a National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis volunteer in a memorable short subject film shown in movie theaters to raise donations for the crusade against polio.
As Nancy Davis, she was a Hollywood actress in the 1940s and 1950s, starring in films such as The Next Voice You Hear..., Night into Morning, and Donovan's Brain.
She attended the Girls' Latin School of Chicago (describing herself as an average student), from 1929, until she graduated in 1939, and later attended Smith College in Massachusetts, where she majored in English and drama, graduating in 1943. == Acting career == In 1940, a young Davis had appeared as a National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis volunteer in a memorable short subject film shown in movie theaters to raise donations for the crusade against polio.
A full china service had not been purchased since the Truman administration in the 1940s, as only a partial service was ordered in the Johnson administration.
She attended the Girls' Latin School of Chicago (describing herself as an average student), from 1929, until she graduated in 1939, and later attended Smith College in Massachusetts, where she majored in English and drama, graduating in 1943. == Acting career == In 1940, a young Davis had appeared as a National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis volunteer in a memorable short subject film shown in movie theaters to raise donations for the crusade against polio.
She first gained a part in Pitts' 1945 road tour of Ramshackle Inn, moving to New York City.
She landed the role of Si-Tchun, a lady-in-waiting, in the 1946 Broadway musical about the Orient, Lute Song, starring Mary Martin and a pre-fame Yul Brynner.
(MGM) in 1949; she later remarked, "Joining Metro was like walking into a dream world." Her combination of attractive appearance—centered on her large eyes—and somewhat distant and understated manner made her hard at first for MGM to cast and publicize.
Jane Powell, Debbie Reynolds, Leslie Caron, and Janet Leigh were among the actresses with whom she competed for roles at MGM. Davis' film career began with small supporting roles in two films that were released in 1949, The Doctor and the Girl with Glenn Ford and East Side, West Side starring Barbara Stanwyck.
In addition, Davis downplayed her Hollywood goals: promotional material from MGM in 1949 said that her "greatest ambition" was to have a "successful happy marriage"; decades later, in 1975, she would say, "I was never really a career woman but [became one] only because I hadn't found the man I wanted to marry.
On November 15, 1949, she met Ronald Reagan, who was then president of the Screen Actors Guild.
Ronald Reagan was skeptical about marriage, however, following his painful 1949 divorce from Jane Wyman, and he still saw other women. After three years of dating, they eventually decided to marry while discussing the issue in the couple's favorite booth at Chasen's, a restaurant in Beverly Hills.
As Nancy Davis, she was a Hollywood actress in the 1940s and 1950s, starring in films such as The Next Voice You Hear..., Night into Morning, and Donovan's Brain.
She co-starred in 1950's The Next Voice You Hear..., playing a pregnant housewife who hears the voice of God from her radio.
Influential reviewer Bosley Crowther of The New York Times wrote that "Nancy Davis [is] delightful as [a] gentle, plain, and understanding wife." In 1951, Davis appeared in Night into Morning, her favorite screen role, a study of bereavement starring Ray Milland.
In 1952, she married Ronald Reagan, who was then president of the Screen Actors Guild.
MGM released Davis from her contract in 1952; she sought a broader range of parts, but also married Reagan, keeping her professional name as Davis, and had her first child that year.
The couple wed on March 4, 1952, at the Little Brown Church in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, in a simple and hastily arranged ceremony designed to avoid the press; the marriage was her first and his second.
Nancy was likely already pregnant during the ceremony; the couple's first child, Patricia Ann Reagan (later better known by her professional name, Patti Davis), was born less than eight months later on October 21, 1952.
(1950) Night into Morning (1951) It's a Big Country (1951) Talk About a Stranger (1952) Shadow in the Sky (1952) Donovan's Brain (1953) The Dark Wave (1956) (Short) Hellcats of the Navy (1957) Crash Landing (1958) As Nancy Davis, she also made a number of television appearances from 1953 to 1962, as a guest star in dramatic shows or installments of anthology series.
These included Ford Television Theatre (her first appearance with Ronald Reagan came during a 1953 episode titled "First Born"), Schlitz Playhouse of Stars, Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre (appearing with Ronald Reagan in the 1961 episode "The Long Shadow"), Wagon Train, The Tall Man, and General Electric Theater (hosted by Ronald Reagan). == References == ==Further reading== Gale Literature.
Their son, Ronald Prescott Reagan (later better known as Ron Reagan) was born six years later on May 20, 1958.
since Nikita Khrushchev made the trip in 1959 at the height of the Cold War.
These included Ford Television Theatre (her first appearance with Ronald Reagan came during a 1953 episode titled "First Born"), Schlitz Playhouse of Stars, Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre (appearing with Ronald Reagan in the 1961 episode "The Long Shadow"), Wagon Train, The Tall Man, and General Electric Theater (hosted by Ronald Reagan). == References == ==Further reading== Gale Literature.
After her final film, Crash Landing (1958), Davis appeared for a brief time as a guest star in television dramas, such as the Zane Grey Theatre episode "The Long Shadow" (1961), where she played opposite Ronald Reagan, as well as Wagon Train and The Tall Man, until she retired as an actress in 1962. During her career, Davis served for nearly ten years on the board of directors of the Screen Actors Guild.
(1950) Night into Morning (1951) It's a Big Country (1951) Talk About a Stranger (1952) Shadow in the Sky (1952) Donovan's Brain (1953) The Dark Wave (1956) (Short) Hellcats of the Navy (1957) Crash Landing (1958) As Nancy Davis, she also made a number of television appearances from 1953 to 1962, as a guest star in dramatic shows or installments of anthology series.
Reagan was the first lady of California when her husband was governor from 1967 to 1975, and she began to work with the Foster Grandparents Program. Nancy Reagan became First Lady of the United States in January 1981, following her husband's victory in the 1980 presidential election.
She first attracted controversy early in 1967; after four months' residence in the California Governor's Mansion in Sacramento, she moved her family into a wealthy suburb because fire officials had labelled the mansion as a "firetrap".
It was sold in 1982, and California governors lived in improvised arrangements until Brown moved into the Governor's Mansion in 2015. In 1967, Governor Reagan appointed his wife to the California Arts Commission, and a year later she was named Los Angeles Times' Woman of the Year; in its profile, the Times labeled her "A Model First Lady".
Reagan was the first lady of California when her husband was governor from 1967 to 1975, and she began to work with the Foster Grandparents Program. Nancy Reagan became First Lady of the United States in January 1981, following her husband's victory in the 1980 presidential election.
In addition, Davis downplayed her Hollywood goals: promotional material from MGM in 1949 said that her "greatest ambition" was to have a "successful happy marriage"; decades later, in 1975, she would say, "I was never really a career woman but [became one] only because I hadn't found the man I wanted to marry.
The new residence was finished just as Ronald Reagan left office in 1975, but his successor, Jerry Brown, refused to live there.
The Reagans held dinners for former POWs and Vietnam War veterans while governor and first lady. == Role in 1976 and 1980 presidential campaigns == Governor Reagan's gubernatorial time in office ended in 1975, and he did not run for a third term; instead, he met with advisors to discuss a possible bid for the 1976 presidency, challenging incumbent President Gerald Ford.
The Reagans held dinners for former POWs and Vietnam War veterans while governor and first lady. == Role in 1976 and 1980 presidential campaigns == Governor Reagan's gubernatorial time in office ended in 1975, and he did not run for a third term; instead, he met with advisors to discuss a possible bid for the 1976 presidency, challenging incumbent President Gerald Ford.
The 1976 campaign included the so-called "battle of the queens", contrasting Nancy with First Lady Betty Ford.
Nancy was upset by the warmonger image that the Ford campaign had drawn of her husband. Though he lost the 1976 Republican nomination, Ronald Reagan ran for the presidency a second time in 1980.
Reagan was the first lady of California when her husband was governor from 1967 to 1975, and she began to work with the Foster Grandparents Program. Nancy Reagan became First Lady of the United States in January 1981, following her husband's victory in the 1980 presidential election.
The Reagans held dinners for former POWs and Vietnam War veterans while governor and first lady. == Role in 1976 and 1980 presidential campaigns == Governor Reagan's gubernatorial time in office ended in 1975, and he did not run for a third term; instead, he met with advisors to discuss a possible bid for the 1976 presidency, challenging incumbent President Gerald Ford.
Nancy was upset by the warmonger image that the Ford campaign had drawn of her husband. Though he lost the 1976 Republican nomination, Ronald Reagan ran for the presidency a second time in 1980.
Reagan first became aware of the need to educate young people about drugs during a 1980 campaign stop in Daytop village, New York.
the first step in solving the problem." Her campaign focused on drug education and informing the youth of the danger of drug abuse. In 1982, Reagan was asked by a schoolgirl what to do when offered drugs; Reagan responded: "Just say no." The phrase proliferated in the popular culture of the 1980s, and was eventually adopted as the name of club organizations and school anti-drug programs.
Nancy Davis Reagan (born Anne Frances Robbins; July 6, 1921 – March 6, 2016) was an American film actress and first lady of the United States from 1981 to 1989.
Reagan was the first lady of California when her husband was governor from 1967 to 1975, and she began to work with the Foster Grandparents Program. Nancy Reagan became First Lady of the United States in January 1981, following her husband's victory in the 1980 presidential election.
More discussion of her role ensued following a 1988 revelation that she had consulted an astrologer to assist in planning the president's schedule after the attempted assassination of her husband in 1981.
While the president was recuperating in the hospital after the 1981 assassination attempt, Nancy wrote in her diary, "Nothing can happen to my Ronnie.
Her influence on her husband became particularly notable; her presence at rallies, luncheons, and receptions increased his confidence. == First Lady of the United States (1981–1989) == === White House glamour === ==== Renovation ==== Reagan became the first lady of the United States when Ronald Reagan was inaugurated as president in January 1981.
In 1981, Reagan directed a major renovation of several White House rooms, including all of the second and third floors and rooms adjacent to the Oval Office, including the press briefing room.
Her white, hand-beaded, one shoulder Galanos 1981 inaugural gown was estimated to cost $10,000, while the overall price of her inaugural wardrobe was said to cost $25,000.
She remarked in 1981 that "Understanding what drugs can do to your children, understanding peer pressure and understanding why they turn to drugs is ...
It was sold in 1982, and California governors lived in improvised arrangements until Brown moved into the Governor's Mansion in 2015. In 1967, Governor Reagan appointed his wife to the California Arts Commission, and a year later she was named Los Angeles Times' Woman of the Year; in its profile, the Times labeled her "A Model First Lady".
She later expanded her work with the organization after arriving in Washington, and wrote about her experiences in her 1982 book To Love a Child.
In 1982, she revealed that she had accepted thousands of dollars in clothing, jewelry, and other gifts, but defended her actions by stating that she had borrowed the clothes, and that they would either be returned or donated to museums, and that she was promoting the American fashion industry.
None of this had been included on financial disclosure forms; the non-reporting of loans under $10,000 in liability was in violation of a voluntary agreement the White House had made in 1982, while not reporting more valuable loans or clothes not returned was a possible violation of the Ethics in Government Act.
In an attempt to deflect the criticism, she self-deprecatingly donned a baglady costume at the 1982 Gridiron Dinner and sang "Second-Hand Clothes", mimicking the song "Second-Hand Rose".
Shultz later commented on the evening, saying "We felt the ice of the Cold War crumbling." Reagan concluded, "It was a perfect ending for one of the great evenings of my husband's presidency." === Just Say No === The first lady launched the "Just Say No" drug awareness campaign in 1982, which was her primary project and major initiative as first lady.
the first step in solving the problem." Her campaign focused on drug education and informing the youth of the danger of drug abuse. In 1982, Reagan was asked by a schoolgirl what to do when offered drugs; Reagan responded: "Just say no." The phrase proliferated in the popular culture of the 1980s, and was eventually adopted as the name of club organizations and school anti-drug programs.
Make-Believe: The Story of Nancy and Ronald Reagan (Harper, 1983). Nyberg, Ferdinand.
Nancy's disagreements with Michael were also public matters; in 1984, she was quoted as saying that the two were in an "estrangement right now".
She appeared in single episodes of the television drama Dynasty and the sitcom Diff'rent Strokes, to underscore support for the "Just Say No" campaign, and in a rock music video, "Stop the Madness" (1985). In 1985, Reagan expanded the campaign to an international level by inviting the First Ladies of various nations to the White House for a conference on drug abuse.
Bush is also reported to have suggested to her to have Regan fired. In his 1988 memoir, For the Record: From Wall Street to Washington, Regan wrote the following about Nancy Reagan's consultations with an astrologer: Reagan further claimed that Quigley selected the date of the 1985 Geneva Summit.
Following the assassination attempt, she strictly controlled access to the president; occasionally, she even attempted to influence her husband's decision making. Beginning in 1985, she strongly encouraged her husband to hold "summit" conferences with Soviet general secretary Mikhail Gorbachev, and suggested they form a personal relationship beforehand.
On October 27, 1986, President Reagan signed a drug enforcement bill into law, which granted $1.7 billion in funding to fight the perceived crisis and ensured a mandatory minimum penalty for drug offenses.
In particular, she came to the public defense of a maid who was indicted on charges of helping to smuggle ammunition to Paraguay, providing an affidavit to the maid's good character (even though it was politically inopportune to do so at the time of the Iran–Contra affair); charges were subsequently dropped, and the maid returned to work at the White House. In 1987, Mikhail Gorbachev became the first Soviet leader to visit Washington, D.C.
Regan wanted President Reagan to address the Iran-Contra matter in early 1987 by means of a press conference, though the first lady refused to allow her husband to overexert himself due to a recent prostate surgery and astrological warnings.
She became so angry with Regan that he hung up on her during a 1987 telephone conversation.
Visiting the United States for the first time in 1987, Gorbacheva irked Reagan with lectures on subjects ranging from architecture to socialism, reportedly prompting the American president's wife to quip, "Who does that dame think she is?" Press framing of Reagan changed from that of just helpmate and protector to someone with hidden power.
I always did that for Ronnie, and I always will." === Breast cancer === In October 1987, a mammogram detected a lesion in Reagan's left breast and she was subsequently diagnosed with breast cancer.
She chose to undergo a mastectomy rather than a lumpectomy, and the breast was removed on October 17, 1987.
More discussion of her role ensued following a 1988 revelation that she had consulted an astrologer to assist in planning the president's schedule after the attempted assassination of her husband in 1981.
While often buying her clothes, she continued to borrow and sometimes keep designer clothes throughout her time as first lady, which came to light in 1988.
Bush is also reported to have suggested to her to have Regan fired. In his 1988 memoir, For the Record: From Wall Street to Washington, Regan wrote the following about Nancy Reagan's consultations with an astrologer: Reagan further claimed that Quigley selected the date of the 1985 Geneva Summit.
Nancy Davis Reagan (born Anne Frances Robbins; July 6, 1921 – March 6, 2016) was an American film actress and first lady of the United States from 1981 to 1989.
In 1989, Reagan was honored at the annual gala awards dinner of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, during which she received the council's lifetime achievement award.
The skit helped to restore her reputation. Reagan reflected on the criticisms in her 1989 autobiography, My Turn.
She continued to reside at the Bel Air home, where she lived with her husband until he died on June 5, 2004. === Early post-White House activities === In late 1989, the former first lady established the Nancy Reagan Foundation, which aimed to continue to educate people about the dangers of substance abuse.
A wide range of sources commented that Kelley's largely unsupported claims are most likely false. In 1989, the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) began investigating the Reagans over allegations they owed additional tax on the gifts and loans of high-fashion clothes and jewellery to the first lady during their time in the White House (recipients benefiting from the display of such items recognize taxable income even if they are returned).
In 1991, the author Kitty Kelley wrote an unauthorized and largely uncited biography about Reagan, repeating accounts of a poor relationship with her children, and introducing rumors of alleged sexual relations with singer Frank Sinatra.
President Reagan received his own Presidential Medal of Freedom in January 1993.
Nancy devoted most of her time to caring for her husband, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 1994, until his death at the age of 93 on June 5, 2004.
The Foundation teamed with the BEST Foundation For A Drug-Free Tomorrow in 1994, and developed the Nancy Reagan Afterschool Program.
Decades later, Albert Brooks attempted to coax her out of acting retirement by offering her the title role opposite himself in his 1996 film Mother.
And she is going to get it right." The funeral marked her first major public appearance since she delivered a speech to the 1996 Republican National Convention on her husband's behalf. The funeral had a great impact on her public image.
all would be without meaning if I didn't have you." In 1998, a few years after her husband had been given a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, Nancy told Vanity Fair, "Our relationship is very special.
Bush on July 9, 2002.
Reagan and her husband were jointly awarded the Congressional Gold Medal on May 16, 2002, at the United States Capitol building, and were only the third president and first lady to receive it; she accepted the medal on behalf of both of them. === Funeral for President Reagan === Ronald Reagan died in their Bel Air home on June 5, 2004.
Nancy devoted most of her time to caring for her husband, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 1994, until his death at the age of 93 on June 5, 2004.
I can't imagine life without him." Nancy was known for the focused and attentive look, termed "the Gaze", that she fastened upon her husband during his speeches and appearances. President Reagan's death in June 2004 ended what Charlton Heston called "the greatest love affair in the history of the American Presidency". Nancy's relationship with her children was not always as close as the bond with her husband.
She continued to reside at the Bel Air home, where she lived with her husband until he died on June 5, 2004. === Early post-White House activities === In late 1989, the former first lady established the Nancy Reagan Foundation, which aimed to continue to educate people about the dangers of substance abuse.
Reagan and her husband were jointly awarded the Congressional Gold Medal on May 16, 2002, at the United States Capitol building, and were only the third president and first lady to receive it; she accepted the medal on behalf of both of them. === Funeral for President Reagan === Ronald Reagan died in their Bel Air home on June 5, 2004.
Beginning in 2004, she favored what many consider to be the Democratic Party's position, and urged President George W.
Although she failed to change the president's position, she did support his campaign for a second term. In 2005, Reagan was honored at a gala dinner at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, D.C., where guests included Dick Cheney, Harry Reid, and Condoleezza Rice. In 2007, she attended the national funeral service for Gerald Ford in the Washington National Cathedral.
Although she failed to change the president's position, she did support his campaign for a second term. In 2005, Reagan was honored at a gala dinner at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, D.C., where guests included Dick Cheney, Harry Reid, and Condoleezza Rice. In 2007, she attended the national funeral service for Gerald Ford in the Washington National Cathedral.
Reagan hosted two 2008 Republican presidential debates at the Reagan Presidential Library, the first in May 2007 and the second in January 2008.
On March 25, she formally endorsed Senator John McCain, then the presumptive Republican party nominee for president, but McCain would go on to lose the election to Barack Obama. Reagan attended the funeral of Lady Bird Johnson in Austin, Texas, on July 14, 2007, and three days later accepted the highest Polish distinction, the Order of the White Eagle, on behalf of Ronald Reagan at the Reagan Library.
Reagan hosted two 2008 Republican presidential debates at the Reagan Presidential Library, the first in May 2007 and the second in January 2008.
The Reagan Library opened the temporary exhibit "Nancy Reagan: A First Lady's Style", which displayed over eighty designer dresses belonging to her. Reagan's health and well-being became a prominent concern in 2008.
News commentators noted that Reagan's step had slowed significantly, as the following month she walked in very slow strides with John McCain. In October 2008, Reagan was admitted to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center after falling at home.
In January 2009, Reagan was said to be "improving every day and starting to get out more and more". In March 2009, she praised President Barack Obama for reversing the ban on federally funded embryonic stem cell research.
in June 2009 to unveil a statue of her late husband in the Capitol rotunda.
Following the death of Senator Ted Kennedy in August 2009, she said she was "terribly saddened ...
I will miss him." She attended the funeral of Betty Ford in Rancho Mirage, California, on July 12, 2011. Reagan hosted a 2012 Republican presidential debate at the Reagan Presidential Library on September 7, 2011.
I will miss him." She attended the funeral of Betty Ford in Rancho Mirage, California, on July 12, 2011. Reagan hosted a 2012 Republican presidential debate at the Reagan Presidential Library on September 7, 2011.
She suffered a fall in March 2012.
Two months later, she endured several broken ribs, which prevented her from attending a speech given by Paul Ryan in the Reagan Presidential Library in May 2012.
She endorsed Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney on May 31, 2012, explaining that her husband would have liked Romney's business background and what she called "strong principles".
Following the death of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in April 2013, she stated, "The world has lost a true champion of freedom and democracy ...
It was sold in 1982, and California governors lived in improvised arrangements until Brown moved into the Governor's Mansion in 2015. In 1967, Governor Reagan appointed his wife to the California Arts Commission, and a year later she was named Los Angeles Times' Woman of the Year; in its profile, the Times labeled her "A Model First Lady".
Nancy Davis Reagan (born Anne Frances Robbins; July 6, 1921 – March 6, 2016) was an American film actress and first lady of the United States from 1981 to 1989.
Reagan remained active within the Reagan Library and in politics, particularly in support of embryonic stem cell research, until her death from congestive heart failure at age 94 on March 6, 2016. == Early life and education == She was born as Anne Frances Robbins on July 6, 1921, at Sloane Hospital for Women in Uptown Manhattan.
Ronnie and I knew her as a dear and trusted friend, and I will miss her." == Death and funeral == On March 6, 2016, Nancy Reagan died of congestive [failure] at the age of 94.
"Nancy Reagan." in Gale Literature: Contemporary Authors (Gale, 2016) online Leamer, Laurence.
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