Reagan was born in New York City. After her parents separated, she lived inMaryland with an aunt and uncle for six years. When her mother remarried in 1929, she moved toChicago and was adopted by her mother's second husband. AsNancy Davis, she was a Hollywood actress in the 1940s and 1950s, starring in films such asThe Next Voice You Hear...,Night into Morning, andDonovan's Brain. In 1952, she married Ronald Reagan, who was then president of theScreen Actors Guild. He had two children from his previous marriage toJane Wyman,[2] and he and Nancy had two children together. Nancy Reagan was the first lady of California when her husband wasgovernor from 1967 to 1975, and she began to work with theFoster Grandparents Program.
Reagan became First Lady of the United States in January 1981, following her husband's victory in the1980 presidential election. Early in his first term, she was criticized largely due to her decisions both to replace theWhite House china, which had been paid for by private donations, and to accept free clothing from fashion designers. She championed opposition torecreational drug use when she founded the "Just Say No" drug awareness campaign, considered her major initiative as First Lady, although it received substantial criticism for stigmatizing poor communities affected by thecrack epidemic. More discussion of her role ensued following a 1988 revelation that she had consulted anastrologer to assist in planning the president's schedule after theattempted assassination of her husband in 1981. She generally had a strong influence on her husband and played a role in a few of his personnel and diplomatic decisions.
The couple returned to their home inBel Air, Los Angeles, California, after leaving the White House. Reagan devoted most of her time to caring for her husband, who was diagnosed withAlzheimer's disease in 1994, untilhis death at the age of 93 on June 5, 2004. Reagan remained active within theReagan Library and in politics, particularly in support ofembryonic stem cell research, until her death fromcongestive heart failure at age 94 in 2016. She gained high approval ratings in later life for her devotion to her husband in his final illness.
Anne Frances Robbins was born inManhattan on July 6, 1921, but throughout her life she told others she was born in 1923.[3] Her parents were used car salesman Kenneth Robbins and actressEdith Luckett.[3][4] The actressAlla Nazimova was her godmother.[5] She was named Anne after her great-great-great-grandmother,[3] but her mother took to calling her "Nancy" until that became the name she was known by.[4] Robbins lived her first two years inFlushing, a neighborhood in Queens, in a two-story house onRoosevelt Avenue between 149th and 150th Streets.[6]
Robbins' parents split in 1923 when her mother decided to return to acting and the couple could not agree on where to live.[3] Her father removed himself from her life, and her mother resumed work as a stage actress.[4] Robbins was placed with her mother's sister, Virginia Galbraith, inBethesda, Maryland, along with her uncle and cousin.[7] She attendedSidwell Friends School inWashington, D.C.[5] Robbins missed her mother while living with her aunt, and they made trips to New York so she could see her mother perform on stage.[3] She emulated her mother by wearing makeup and pretending to be an actress.[8] Robbins' parents finalized their divorce in 1928.[7] Later analysis of her life has focused on this unstable family environment as a reason why she held marriage as a life goal.[9][10][11]
Robbins's mother remarried in 1929, giving her a stepfather at age seven. Loyal Davis was a neurosurgeon, and the family moved to Chicago together where she formed a close bond with her stepfather.[8][7] She would always refer to him as her father.[12] She also had a stepbrother but did not develop a close relationship with him.[11] She attended Girls' Latin School in Chicago, where she involved in Drama Club,[8] field hockey, and student government. In her senior year, she had the lead role in the school playFirst Lady.[11]
Having a wealthy neurosurgeon as a stepfather meant a comfortable childhood where Robbins lived beyond the means of most Americans, and the family socialized inhigh society.[13] Her mother's career also meant that Robbins had regular interactions with famous actors of the day, especially with their family friendsKatharine Hepburn,Walter Huston, andSpencer Tracy.[14][11] Her stepfather's conservative beliefs were a strong influence on her own politics.[11]
Robbins was adopted by her stepfather at age fourteen, and she changed her legal name to Nancy Davis.[8] In 1939, Davis left Girls' Latin School and began attendingSmith College inNorthampton, Massachusetts, where she studied English and drama.[5] Among her instructors wasFederal Theatre Project directorHallie Flanagan.[15] Davis was adebutante that December,[8] where she met Frank Birney, who kept introducing himself to her under different names to make her comfortable.[14] They were eventually engaged,[7] but he was struck by a train and killed before they were married.[14]
Davis graduated from Smith College in 1943.[5] She took a job as a sales clerk atMarshall Field's in Chicago,[5] but she left the job before long and volunteered as a nurse's aide.[7]
Davis moved to New York to work as an actress and model under the tutelage ofWalter Huston and Spencer Tracy.[7] This began when family friendZaSu Pitts got her a role in the playRamshackle Inn onBroadway in 1945.[7][16] She had a total of three lines.[17] Although the play closed soon after, she followed it with a role inLute Song.[7] Davis datedClark Gable for one week,[7] which brought her a higher public profile.[14]
In 1940, a young Davis had appeared as aNational Foundation for Infantile Paralysis volunteer in a memorable short subject film shown in movie theaters to raise donations for the crusade againstpolio.The Crippler featured a sinister figure spreading over playgrounds and farms, laughing over its victims, until finally dispelled by the volunteer. It was very effective in raising contributions.[18]
She landed the role of Si-Tchun, alady-in-waiting,[19] in the 1946 Broadway musical about the Orient,Lute Song, starringMary Martin and a pre-fameYul Brynner.[20] The show's producer told her, "You look like you could be Chinese."[21]
Davis played achild psychiatrist in thefilm noirShadow on the Wall (1950) withAnn Sothern andZachary Scott; her performance was called "beautiful and convincing" byNew York Times critic A. H. Weiler.[22] She co-starred in 1950'sThe Next Voice You Hear..., playing a pregnant housewife who hears the voice of God from her radio. Influential reviewerBosley Crowther ofThe New York Times wrote that "Nancy Davis [is] delightful as [a] gentle, plain, and understanding wife."[23] MGM released Davis from her contract in 1952;[24] she sought a broader range of parts,[25] but also married Reagan, keeping her professional name as Davis, and had her first child that year.[24] She soon starred in the science fiction filmDonovan's Brain (1953); Crowther said that Davis, playing the role of a possessed scientist's "sadly baffled wife", "walked through it all in stark confusion" in an "utterly silly" film.[26] In her next-to-last movie,Hellcats of the Navy (1957), she played nurse Lieutenant Helen Blair, and appeared in a film for the only time with her husband, playing what one critic called "a housewife who came along for the ride".[27] Another reviewer, however, stated that Davis plays her part satisfactorily, and "does well with what she has to work with".[28]
Nancy and Ronald Reagan aboard a boat, 1964
AuthorGarry Wills has said that Davis was generally underrated as an actress because her constrained part inHellcats was her most widely seen performance.[29] 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. I couldn't sit around and do nothing, so I became an actress."[29] Ronald Reagan biographerLou Cannon nevertheless characterized her as a "reliable" and "solid" performer who held her own in performances with better-known actors.[29] After her final film,Crash Landing (1958), Davis appeared for a brief time as a guest star in television dramas, such as theZane Grey Theatre episode "The Long Shadow" (1961),[30] where she played opposite Ronald Reagan, as well asWagon Train andThe Tall Man, until she retired as an actress in 1962.[31]
During her career, Davis served for nearly ten years on the board of directors of theScreen Actors Guild.[32] Decades later,Albert Brooks attempted to coax her out of acting retirement by offering her the title role opposite himself in his 1996 filmMother.[33] She declined in order to care for her husband, and Debbie Reynolds played the part.[33]
Davis met the president of theScreen Actors Guild,Ronald Reagan, on November 15, 1949.[16] According to Davis, she had the meeting arranged after she discovered her name was on theHollywood blacklist.[15][34] They met for dinner where he explained that she was being confused with another Nancy Davis.[35] The exact nature of their meeting has been disputed, with some biographers arguing that she was already well-connected enough to address the issue or that they had met in other circumstances entirely.[35][36] She later said that meeting him was the moment her life began.[7][37][9] Although Ronald was hesitant to begin a relationship following his divorce fromJane Wyman, he started dating Davis.[38] They were not exclusive at first, and Ronald continued seeing other women in the early period of their relationship.[39] Their relationship was the subject of many gossip columns; one Hollywood press account described their nightclub-free times together as "the romance of a couple who have no vices".[40]
Both of the Reagans had experiences with frequent moving and instability during their childhoods and strained relationships with their fathers.[36] They were contrasted by their personalities, as Ronald was an optimist while Nancy was a pessimist.[35][36] Ronald's gregariousness and his status as aself-made man are cited as reasons for Nancy's attraction to him.[35] There's disagreement among historians as to whether Nancy or Ronald influenced the other in a rightward political shift, or whether they both already held strong conservative political views when they met.[41]
After three years of dating, they eventually decided to marry while discussing the issue in the couple's favorite booth atChasen's, a restaurant inBeverly Hills.[40]
Ronald and Nancy Reagan married in Los Angeles on March 4, 1952.William Holden andBrenda Marshall were the only wedding guests. Upon their marriage, Ronald's childrenMaureen (born 1941) andMichael (born 1945) became Nancy's stepchildren.[38][16] They honeymooned inPhoenix, Arizona.[37]
After their marriage, Ronald began working as a traveling spokesman forGeneral Electric and host of theGeneral Electric Theater drama series. Though Nancy occasionally traveled with Ronald and acted inGeneral Electric Theater, they spent large amounts of time apart as she tended to their children.[42] Nancy had her daughterPatti on October 22, 1952, and her sonRon on May 20, 1958.[38][16] Ronald's success meant they were able to buy a home in thePacific Palisades, Los Angeles, where she bonded with other wives of influential men, includingBetsy Bloomingdale,Marion Jorgensen, andMary Jane Wick.[43] Nancy spent much of her time raising the children, and she served on the school board.[38] She appeared in two more films during this period,Hellcats of the Navy (1957) andCrash Landing (1958), as well as some appearances on television shows. She officially retired from acting in 1962.[16]
Matron of honorBrenda Marshall and best manWilliam Holden, sole guests at the Reagans' wedding, flank the newlywed couple
The Reagans' relationships with their children grew strained as they dedicated more of their time to politics.[38] They also did not know how to handle their children's sympathy toward thecounterculture of the 1960s.[38][37]
Observers described Nancy and Ronald's relationship as intimate.[44] As president and first lady, the Reagans were reported to display their affection frequently, with one press secretary noting, "They never took each other for granted. They never stopped courting."[45][46] Ronald often called Nancy "Mommy"; she called him "Ronnie".[46] While the president was recuperating in the hospital after the 1981 assassination attempt, Nancy wrote in her diary, "Nothing can happen to my Ronnie. My life would be over."[47] In a letter to Nancy, Ronald wrote, "whatever I treasure and enjoy ... all would be without meaning if I didn't have you."[48] In 1998, a few years after her husband had been given a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, Nancy toldVanity Fair, "Our relationship is very special. We were very much in love and still are. When I say my life began with Ronnie, well, it's true. It did. I can't imagine life without him."[45] Nancy was known for the focused and attentive look, termed "the Gaze", that she fastened upon her husband during his speeches and appearances.[49]
President Reagan's death in June 2004 ended whatCharlton Heston called "the greatest love affair in the history of the American Presidency".[45]
Nancy frequently quarreled with her biological children and her stepchildren, and was estranged from all of them at various points, as was Ronald. Her relationship with Patti was the most contentious; Patti floutedAmerican conservatism, rebelled against her parents by joining thenuclear freeze movement, and authored many anti-Reagan books.[50] Patti became estranged from her parents.[51] Soon after her father's Alzheimer's disease was diagnosed, Patti and her mother reconciled and began to speak on a daily basis.[52] 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". Michael responded that Nancy was trying to cover up for the fact she had not met his daughter, Ashley, who had been born nearly a year earlier.[53] They too eventually made peace. Nancy was thought to be "closest" to her stepdaughter Maureen during the White House years, but earned a reputation for being a poor mother.[45]
Nancy Reagan becameFirst Lady of California when Ronald Reagantook office as Governor in 1967.[54] She was surprised by his desire to hold elected office and was hesitant to participate in campaigning,[55] but nonetheless made stops on his behalf and answered questions from voters.[56][38] She eventually found the experience to be enjoyable, albeit "tiring".[57]
Upon becoming first lady of California, Nancy criticized theGovernor's Mansion, feeling it was unfit for a family. They instead moved to a rented home in the state's capitalSacramento.[58] Although the Governor's Mansion was officially deemed a fire hazard, her reaction was seen as snobbish by her critics.[59][60] She disliked living in the state capital ofSacramento, which lacked the excitement, social life, and mild climate to which she was accustomed in Los Angeles.[61] Her redecoration of theCalifornia State Capitol was received more positively.[62]
Nancy was asocialite in California, making appearances at major events and shopping in the wealthy neighborhood ofBeverly Hills.[63] At the same time, she had to acclimate to the political attacks against her husband and her family, which offended her more than him.[55] She held her first press conference when she was accused of taking donations to the governor's home for her own personal use.[64] On June 6, 1968, Nancy was the subject of a biographical profile titled "Pretty Nancy" following an interview withJoan Didion; Didion was deeply critical in her publication, portraying Nancy as out-of-touch and insincere.[63][65] To vent her frustration, Nancy began having imaginary arguments while she was in the bath.[38][66]
Nancy worked with theFoster Grandparents Program that brought the elderly to work withspecial needs children. She had the program expanded in California and facilitated the creation of another such program in Australia.[65] She later expanded her work with the organization after arriving in Washington,[70] and wrote about her experiences in her 1982 bookTo Love a Child.[71] Nancy also spent time with people inveterans' hospitals and the families ofprisoners of war in Vietnam.[64] Additionally, she was a member of the Junior League of Los Angeles, CA.[72]
The Reagans purchasedRancho del Cielo, a vacation home inSanta Barbara, California, in 1974.[73] Nancy's tenure as first lady of California ended in 1975 when her husband left office, and she was relieved to be out of public life.[63]
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 the1976 presidency, challenging incumbent presidentGerald Ford. Ronald still needed to convince a reluctant Nancy before running, however.[74] She feared for her husband's health and his career as a whole, though she felt that he was the right man for the job and approved eventually.[75] Nancy took on a traditional role in the campaign, holding coffees, luncheons, and talks.[75] She also oversaw personnel, monitored her husband's schedule, and occasionally provided press conferences.[76] The 1976 campaign included the so-called "battle of the queens", contrasting Nancy with First LadyBetty Ford. They both spoke out over the course of the campaign on similar issues, but with different approaches.[77] Nancy was upset by the warmonger image that the Ford campaign had drawn of her husband.[75]
Though he lost the 1976 Republican nomination, Ronald Reagan ran for the presidency a second time in1980. He succeeded in winning the nomination and defeated incumbent rivalJimmy Carter in a landslide. During this second campaign, Nancy played a prominent role, and her management of staff became more apparent.[76] She organized a meeting among feuding campaign managersJohn Sears andMichael Deaver and her husband, which resulted in Deaver leaving the campaign and Sears being given full control. After the Reagan camp lost theIowa Caucus and fell behind inNew Hampshire polls, Nancy organized a second meeting and decided it was time to fire Sears and his associates; she gave Sears a copy of the press release announcing his dismissal.[76] Her influence on her husband became particularly notable; her presence at rallies, luncheons, and receptions increased his confidence.[78]
The new president and his wife wave to the crowd during the Inaugural Parade, January 20, 1981, the same day that 52 Americans heldhostage by Iran for 444 days were set free
Reagan became the first lady of the United States when Ronald Reagan wasinaugurated as president in January 1981. Early in her husband's presidency, Reagan stated her desire to create a more suitable "first home" in theWhite House, as the building had fallen into a state of disrepair following years of neglect.[79] White House aideMichael Deaver described the second and third-floor family residence as having "cracked plaster walls, chipped paint [and] beaten up floors";[80] Rather than use government funds to renovate and redecorate, she sought private donations.[20] In 1981, Reagan directed a major renovation of several White House rooms, including all of the second and third floors[81] and rooms adjacent to the Oval Office, including thepress briefing room.[82] The renovation included repainting walls, refinishing floors, repairing fireplaces, and replacing antique pipes, windows, and wires.[80] The closet in the master bedroom was converted into a beauty parlor and dressing room, and the West bedroom was made into a small gymnasium.[83][84]
Official portrait of the First Lady in theRed Room, 1981
The First Lady secured the assistance of renowned interior designer Ted Graber, popular with affluent West Coast social figures, to redecorate the family living quarters.[85] A Chinese-pattern, handpainted wallpaper was added to the master bedroom.[86] Family furniture was placed in the president's private study.[85] The first lady and her designer retrieved several White House antiques, which had been in storage, and placed them throughout the mansion.[85] In addition, many of Reagan's collectibles were put out for display, including around twenty-fiveLimoges Boxes, as well as some porcelain eggs and a collection of plates.[87]
The extensive redecoration was paid for by private donations.[20][85] Many significant and long-lasting changes occurred as a result of the renovation and refurbishment, of which Reagan said, "This house belongs to all Americans, and I want it to be something of which they can be proud."[85] The renovations received some criticisms for being funded by tax-deductible donations, meaning some of it eventually did indirectly come from the tax-paying public.[88]
Reagan's interest in fashion was another one of her trademarks. While her husband was stillpresident-elect, press reports speculated about Reagan's social life and interest in fashion.[89][90][91] In many press accounts, Reagan's sense of style was favorably compared to that of a previous first lady,Jacqueline Kennedy.[92] Friends and those close to her remarked that, while fashionable like Kennedy, she would be different from other first ladies; close friend Harriet Deutsch was quoted as saying, "Nancy has her own imprint."[90]
White House photographerMary Anne Fackelman-Miner, who was assigned to Reagan, said of her, "She always photographed so easily and was at ease in front of the cameras."[93]
Reagan's wardrobe consisted of dresses, gowns, and suits made by luxury designers, includingJames Galanos,Bill Blass, andOscar de la Renta. Her white, hand-beaded, one shoulder Galanos 1981 inaugural gown was estimated to cost $10,000,[94] while the overall price of her inaugural wardrobe was said to cost $25,000.[95] She favored the color red, calling it "a picker-upper", and wore it accordingly.[94] Her wardrobe included red so often that the fire-engine shade became known as "Reagan red".[96] She employed two private hairdressers, who would style her hair on a regular basis in the White House.[97]
Fashion designers were pleased with the emphasis Reagan placed on clothing.[95]Adolfo said the first lady embodied an "elegant, affluent, well-bred, chic American look",[95] while Bill Blass commented, "I don't think there's been anyone in the White House since Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis who has her flair."[95] William Fine, president of cosmetic company Frances Denney, noted that she "stays in style, but she doesn't become trendy."[95]
Though her elegant fashions and wardrobe were hailed as a "glamorous paragon of chic",[95] they were also controversial subjects. 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,[94][98] and that she was promoting the American fashion industry.[99] Facing criticism, she soon said she would no longer accept such loans.[99] 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.[100] None of this had been included on financial disclosure forms;[100] 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 theEthics in Government Act.[100][101][102] Reagan expressed through her press secretary "regrets that she failed to heed counsel's advice" on disclosing them.[102]
Despite the controversy, many designers who allowed her to borrow clothing, noted that the arrangement was good for their businesses,[100] as well as for the American fashion industry overall.[103] In 1989, Reagan was honored at the annual gala awards dinner of theCouncil of Fashion Designers of America, during which she received the council's lifetime achievement award.[104]Barbara Walters said of her, "She has served every day for eight long years the word 'style.'"[104]
Approximately a year into her husband's first term, Nancy explored the idea of ordering newstate china service for the White House.[105] A full china service had not been purchased since theTruman administration in the 1940s, as only a partial service was ordered in theJohnson administration.[105] She was quoted as saying, "The White House really badly, badly needs china."[105] Working withLenox, the primary porcelain manufacturer in America, the first lady chose a design scheme of a red with etched gold band, bordering the scarlet and cream colored ivory plates with a raised presidential seal etched in gold in the center.[105] The full service comprised 4,370 pieces, with 19 pieces per individual set.[105] The service totaled $209,508.[106] Although it was paid for by private donations, some from the privateJ. P. Knapp Foundation, the purchase generated quite a controversy, for it was ordered at a time when the nation was undergoing aneconomic recession.[107] Furthermore, news of the china purchase emerged at the same time that her husband's administration had proposed school lunch regulations that would allowketchup to be counted as a vegetable.[108]
The new china set, White House renovations, expensive clothing, and her attendance at thewedding of Charles and Diana, Prince and Princess of Wales,[109] gave her an aura of being "out of touch" with the American people during the recession.[20] This built upon the reputation she had coming to Washington, wherein many people concluded that Reagan was a vain and shallow woman,[108] and her taste for splendor inspired the derogatory nickname "Queen Nancy".[20] While Jacqueline Kennedy had also faced some press criticism for her spending habits, Reagan's treatment was much more consistent and negative.[92] In an attempt to deflect the criticism, she self-deprecatingly donned abaglady costume at the1982 Gridiron Dinner and sang "Second-Hand Clothes", mimicking the song "Second-Hand Rose".[110] The skit helped to restore her reputation.[111]
Reagan reflected on the criticisms in her 1989 autobiography,My Turn. She described lunching with formerDemocratic National Committee chairmanRobert S. Strauss, wherein Strauss said to her, "When you first came to town, Nancy, I didn't like you at all. But after I got to know you, I changed my mind and said, 'She's some broad!'" Reagan responded, "Bob, based on the press reports I read then, I wouldn't have liked me either!"[112]
After the presidency ofJimmy Carter (who dramatically reduced the formality of presidential functions), Reagan brought aKennedy-esque glamour back into the White House.[94][113] She hosted 56state dinners over eight years.[114] She remarked that hosting the dinners is "the easiest thing in the world. You don't have to do anything. Just have a good time and do a little business. And that's the way Washington works."[114] The White House residence staff found Reagan demanding to work for during the preparation for the state dinners, with the first lady overseeing every aspect of meal presentations, and sometimes requesting one dessert after another be prepared, before finally settling on one she approved of.[115]
In general, the First Lady's desire for everything to appear just right in the White House led the residence staff to consider her not easy to work for, with tirades following what she perceived as mistakes.[116] One staffer later recalled, "I remember hearing her call for her personal maid one day and it scared the dickens out of me—just her tone. I never wanted to be on the wrong side of her."[117] She did show loyalty and respect to a number of the staff.[118] 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 theIran–Contra affair); charges were subsequently dropped, and the maid returned to work at the White House.[119][120]
In 1987,Mikhail Gorbachev became the first Soviet leader to visit Washington, D.C., sinceNikita Khrushchev made the trip in 1959 at the height of theCold War. Nancy was in charge of planning and hosting the important and highly anticipated state dinner, with the goal to impress both the Soviet leader and especially his wifeRaisa Gorbacheva.[121][122] After the meal, she recruited pianistVan Cliburn to play a rendition of "Moscow Nights" for the Soviet delegation, to which Mikhail and Raisa broke out into song.[123] Secretary of StateGeorge P. Shultz later commented on the evening, saying "We felt the ice of the Cold War crumbling."[124] Reagan concluded, "It was a perfect ending for one of the great evenings of my husband's presidency."[125]
With the help of her Chief of StaffJames Rosebush, the first lady launched the "Just Say No" drug awareness campaign in 1982, which was her primary project and major initiative as first lady.[20] Reagan first became aware of the need to educate young people about drugs during a 1980 campaign stop inDaytop village, New York.[126] She remarked in 1981 that "Understanding what drugs can do to your children, understanding peer pressure and understanding why they turn to drugs is ... the first step in solving the problem."[126] Her campaign focused on drug education and informing the youth of the danger of drug abuse.[126]
Reagan gives a speech at a "Just Say No" to drugs rally in Los Angeles, 1987
In 1982, Reagan was asked by a schoolgirl what to do when offereddrugs; Reagan responded: "Just say no."[127][128] 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.[20] Reagan became actively involved by traveling more than 250,000 miles (400,000 km) throughout the United States and several nations, visiting drug abuse prevention programs anddrug rehabilitation centers. She also appeared on television talk shows, recorded public service announcements, and wrote guest articles.[20] She appeared in an episode of the sitcomDiff'rent Strokes to underscore support for the "Just Say No" campaign, and in a rock music video, "Stop the Madness" (1985).[129]
In 1985, Reagan expanded the campaign to an international level by inviting theFirst Ladies of various nations to the White House for a conference on drug abuse.[20] 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 amandatory minimum penalty fordrug offenses.[130] Although the bill was criticized, Reagan considered it a personal victory.[20] In 1988, she became the first active first lady invited to address theUnited Nations General Assembly, where she spoke on international drug interdiction and trafficking laws.[20]
Reagan hosting the first White House Ladies Conference on Drug Abuse, 1985
Critics of Reagan's efforts questioned their purpose,[131] labelled Reagan's approach to promoting drug awareness as simplistic,[79] and argued that the program did not give adequate attention to various social issues associated with increased rates of drug use, including unemployment, poverty, and family dissolution.[131]
Reagan assumed the role of unofficial "protector" for her husband after theattempted assassination of him in 1981.[132] On March 30 of that year, President Reagan and three others were shot by the attempted assassin 25-year oldJohn Hinckley Jr as they left theWashington Hilton hotel. Nancy was alerted and arrived atGeorge Washington University Hospital, where the President was hospitalized. She recalled having seen "emergency rooms before, but I had never seen one like this – with my husband in it."[133] She was escorted into a waiting room, and when granted access to see her husband, he quipped to her, "Honey, I forgot to duck", borrowing the defeated boxerJack Dempsey's jest to his wife.[134]
An early example of the first lady's protective nature occurred when SenatorStrom Thurmond entered the president's hospital room that day in March, passing theSecret Service detail by claiming he was the President's "close friend", presumably to acquire media attention.[135] Nancy was outraged and demanded that he leave.[47] While the President recuperated in the hospital, the first lady slept with one of his shirts to be comforted by the scent.[47] When Ronald Reagan was released from the hospital on April 12, she escorted him back to the White House.
Press accountsframed Reagan as her husband's "chief protector", an extension of their general initial framing of her as a helpmate and a Cold War domestic ideal.[136] As it happened, the day after her husband was shot, she fell off a chair while trying to take down a picture to bring to him in the hospital; she suffered several broken ribs, but was determined to not reveal it publicly.[137]
"The Gaze": Reagan watches as her husband is sworn in for a second term by Chief JusticeWarren Burger, on January 20, 1985
During the Reagan administration, Nancy Reagan consulted a San Franciscoastrologer,Joan Quigley, who provided advice on which days and times would be optimal for the president's safety and success.[20][138] Quigley began her work at the White House after the assassination attempt on President Reagan in 1981. Nancy Reagan was told by Merv Griffin that Quigley had predicted that day would be dangerous for President Reagan, causing her to become a regular astrological consultant for the administration.[139] Quigley previously worked on the Reagan campaign prior to serving as their astrological consultant. She volunteered for their campaign in 1980, as she was impressed by his astrological chart. Private lines were set up in the White House and Camp David to assist in phone calls between Nancy Reagan and Joan Quigley, which occurred multiple times a day, and she was paid $3,000 a month for her work.[140]
White House chief of staffDonald Regan grew frustrated with this regimen, which created friction between him and the first lady. This friction escalated with the revelation of theIran–Contra affair, an administration scandal, in which the first lady felt Regan was damaging the president.[clarification needed][141] She thought he should resign, and expressed this to her husband, although he did not share her view. 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.[142] She became so angry with Regan that he hung up on her during a 1987 telephone conversation. According to the recollections ofABC News correspondentSam Donaldson, when the President heard of this treatment, he demanded—and eventually received—Regan's resignation.[143] Vice PresidentGeorge H. W. Bush is also reported to have suggested to her to have Regan fired.[144]
In his 1988 memoir,For the Record: From Wall Street to Washington, Regan wrote the following about Nancy Reagan's consultations with an astrologer:
Virtually every major move and decision the Reagans made during my time as White House Chief of Staff was cleared in advance with a woman in San Francisco [Quigley] who drew up horoscopes to make certain that the planets were in a favorable alignment for the enterprise.[145][146]
Donald Regan's memoir went on to cause political discourse, as well as scrutiny of the astrological community, as he exposed the "most closely guarded secret" of the Reagan administration. Although he did not know Quigley's name at the time, he wrote extensively on her role in the White House.[140] Regan further claimed that Quigley selected the date of the 1985 Geneva Summit. For her part, Quigley stated in 1998 that she had "'absolutely nothing'" to do with arranging the summit and added that others were "'overemphasizing'" her role;[146] however, in 1990, she released a book in which she asserted that she was "in charge" of the President's scheduling during the Reagan administration.[138]
Reagan acknowledged in her memoirs that she altered the President's schedule without his knowledge based on astrological advice, but argues that "no political decision was ever based [on astrology]".[147] She added, "Astrology was simply one of the ways I coped with the fear I felt after my husband almost died ... Was astrology one of the reasons [further attempts did not occur]? I don'treally believe it was, but I don'treally believe it wasn't."[148]
Nancy and Ronald Reagan together in the Oval Office, 1985
Nancy Reagan wielded a powerful influence over President Reagan.[149]In her memoirs, Reagan stated, "I felt panicky every time [Ronald Reagan] left the White House".[150] Following the assassination attempt, she strictly controlled access to the president;[20][149] occasionally, she even attempted to influence her husband's decision making.[151]
Beginning in 1985, she strongly encouraged her husband to hold "summit" conferences with Soviet general secretaryMikhail Gorbachev, and suggested they form a personal relationship beforehand.[20] Both Ronald Reagan and Gorbachev had developed a productive relationship through their summit negotiations. The relationship between Nancy Reagan andRaisa Gorbacheva was anything but the friendly, diplomatic one between their husbands; Reagan found Gorbacheva hard to converse with and their relationship was described as "frosty".[152] The two women usually had tea and discussed differences between the USSR and the United States. 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?"[153]
Press framing of Reagan changed from that of just helpmate and protector to someone with hidden power.[154] As the image of her as a political interloper grew, she sought to explicitly deny that she was thepower behind the throne.[154] At the end of her time as First Lady, however, she said that her husband had not been well-served by his staff.[154][155] She acknowledged her role in reaction in influencing him on personnel decisions, saying "In no way do I apologize for it."[155] She wrote in her memoirs, "I don't think I was as bad, or as extreme in my power or my weakness, as I was depicted,"[156] but went on, "However the first lady fits in, she has a unique and important role to play in looking after her husband. And it's only natural that she'll let him know what she thinks. I always did that for Ronnie, and I always will."[157] Her chief of staffJames Rosebush's 1988 bookFirst Lady, Public Wife explored the role of the First Lady as a demanding and rigorous job.
In October 1987, amammogram detected a lesion in Reagan's left breast and she was subsequently diagnosed with breast cancer. She chose to undergo amastectomy rather than alumpectomy,[158] and the breast was removed on October 17, 1987. Ten days after the operation, her 99-year-old mother,Edith Luckett Davis, died inPhoenix, Arizona, leading Reagan to dub the period "a terrible month".[159]
After the surgery, more women across the country had mammograms, which exemplified the influence that the first lady possessed.[160]
Though Reagan was a controversial first lady, 56 percent of Americans had a favorable opinion of her when her husband left office on January 20, 1989, with 18 percent having an unfavorable opinion, and the balance not giving an opinion.[161] Compared to fellow first ladies when their husbands left office, Reagan's approval was higher than those ofRosalynn Carter,Hillary Clinton,Melania Trump, andJill Biden.[162][163] However, she was less popular thanBarbara Bush,Laura Bush, andMichelle Obama, and her disapproval rating was double that of Carter's.[161][162]
Upon leaving the White House, the couple returned to California, where wealthy friends purchased them a home at668 St. Cloud Road in the wealthyEast Gate Old Bel Air neighborhood ofBel Air, Los Angeles,[164][165] dividing their time between Bel Air and theReagan Ranch inSanta Barbara, California. Ronald and Nancy regularly attended theBel Air Church as well.[166] After leaving Washington, Reagan made numerous public appearances, many on behalf of her husband. She continued to reside at the Bel Air home, where she lived with her husband until he died on June 5, 2004.[167]
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.[169] The Foundation teamed with the BEST Foundation For A Drug-Free Tomorrow in 1994, and developed the Nancy Reagan Afterschool Program. She continued to travel around the United States, speaking out against drug and alcohol abuse.
Ronnie's long journey has finally taken him to a distant place where I can no longer reach him.
Her memoirs,My Turn: The Memoirs of Nancy Reagan (1989), are an account of her life in the White House, commenting openly about her influence within the Reagan administration, and discussing the myths and controversies that surrounded the couple.[170] In 1991, the authorKitty 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 singerFrank Sinatra. A wide range of sources commented that Kelley's largely unsupported claims are most likely false.[171][172][173][174]
In 1989, theIRS (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[175] (recipients benefiting from the display of such items recognize taxable income even if they are returned).[175] In 1992, the IRS determined the Reagans had failed to include some $3 million worth of fashion items between 1983 and 1988 on their tax returns;[176] they were billed for a large amount of back taxes and interest, which was subsequently paid.[176]
After President Reagan revealed that he had been diagnosed withAlzheimer's disease in 1994, she made herself his primary caregiver, and became actively involved with the National Alzheimer's Association and its affiliate, theRonald and Nancy Reagan Research Institute in Chicago, Illinois.[20]
In April 1997, Nancy Reagan joined PresidentBill Clinton and former Presidents Ford and Bush in signing the Summit Declaration of Commitment in advocating for participation by private citizens in solving domestic issues within the United States.[177]
Nancy Reagan was awarded thePresidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, by PresidentGeorge W. Bush on July 9, 2002.[178] President Reagan received his own Presidential Medal of Freedom in January 1993. Reagan and her husband were jointly awarded theCongressional Gold Medal on May 16, 2002, at theUnited 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.[179]
After years of her children criticizing her and her husband for being distant, Nancy rebuilt her relationships with Patti and Michael in the early 2000s.[180]
Ronald Reagan died in their Bel Air home on June 5, 2004.[167] During the seven-daystate funeral, Nancy, accompanied by her children and military escort, led the nation in mourning.[181] She kept a strong composure,[182] traveling from her home to theReagan Library for a memorial service, then to Washington, D.C., where her husband's bodylay in state for 34 hours prior to a national funeral service in theWashington National Cathedral.[183] She returned to the library inSimi Valley for a sunset memorial service and interment, where, overcome with emotion, she lost her composure and cried in public for the first time during the week.[182][184] After receiving the folded flag, she kissed the casket and mouthed "I love you" before leaving.[185] During the week,CNN journalistWolf Blitzer said, "She's a very, very strong woman, even though she looks frail."[186]
She had directed the detailed planning of the funeral,[182] which included scheduling all the major events and asking former presidentGeorge H. W. Bush, as well as former British prime ministerMargaret Thatcher, former Soviet Union leaderMikhail Gorbachev, and former Canadian prime ministerBrian Mulroney to speak during the National Cathedral Service.[182] She paid very close attention to the details, something she had always done in her husband's life.Betsy Bloomingdale, one of Reagan's closest friends, stated, "She looks a little frail. But she is very strong inside. She is. She has the strength. She is doing her last thing for Ronnie. And she is going to get it right."[182] The funeral marked her first major public appearance since she delivered a speech to the1996 Republican National Convention on her husband's behalf.[182]
The funeral had a great impact on her public image. Following substantial criticism during her tenure as first lady, she was seen somewhat as a national heroine, praised by many for supporting and caring for her husband while he suffered from Alzheimer's disease.[149]U.S. News & World Report opined, "after a decade in the shadows, a different, softer Nancy Reagan emerged."[187]
Following her husband's death, Reagan remained active in politics, particularly relating tostem cell research. Beginning in 2004, she favored what many consider to be theDemocratic Party's position, and urged President George W. Bush to support federally funded embryonic stem cell research, in the hope that this science could lead to a cure for Alzheimer's disease.[188] Although she failed to change the president's position, she did support his campaign for a second term.[189]
Reagan dedicates the Air Force One Pavilion at the Reagan Library as President Bush and his wife Laura look on, October 2005
Reagan attended the funeral ofLady Bird Johnson inAustin, Texas, on July 14, 2007,[195] and three days later accepted the highest Polish distinction, theOrder of the White Eagle, on behalf of Ronald Reagan at the Reagan Library. The Reagan Library opened the temporary exhibit "Nancy Reagan: A First Lady's Style", which displayed over eighty designer dresses belonging to her.[196][197]
Reagan's health and well-being became a prominent concern in 2008. In February, she suffered a fall at her Bel Air home and was taken toSaint John's Health Center inSanta Monica, California. Doctors reported that she did not break her hip as feared, and she was released from the hospital two days later.[198] News commentators noted that Reagan's step had slowed significantly, as the following month she walked in very slow strides with John McCain.[199]
In October 2008, Reagan was admitted toRonald Reagan UCLA Medical Center after falling at home. Doctors determined that the 87-year-old had fractured herpelvis andsacrum, and could recuperate at home with a regimen ofphysical therapy.[200] As a result of her mishap, medical articles were published containing information on how to prevent falls.[201] In January 2009, Reagan was said to be "improving every day and starting to get out more and more".[202]
Reagan with First LadyMichelle Obama at a White House luncheon, June 3, 2009
In March 2009, she praised PresidentBarack Obama for reversing the ban on federally funded embryonic stem cell research.[203] She traveled to Washington, D.C., in June 2009 to unveil a statue of her late husband in theCapitol rotunda.[204] She was also on hand as President Obama signed the Ronald Reagan Centennial Commission Act, and lunched privately with Michelle Obama.[205] Reagan revealed in an interview withVanity Fair that Michelle Obama had telephoned her for advice on living and entertaining in the White House.[206] Following the death of SenatorTed Kennedy in August 2009, she said she was "terribly saddened ... Given our political differences, people are sometimes surprised how close Ronnie and I have been to the Kennedy family ... I will miss him."[207] She attended the funeral ofBetty Ford inRancho Mirage, California, on July 12, 2011.[208]
Reagan hosted a2012 Republican presidential debate at the Reagan Presidential Library on September 7, 2011.[209][210] She suffered a fall in March 2012.[211] Two months later, she endured several broken ribs, which prevented her from attending a speech given byPaul Ryan in the Reagan Presidential Library in May 2012.[211] She endorsed Republican presidential candidateMitt Romney on May 31, 2012, explaining that her husband would have liked Romney's business background and what she called "strong principles".[209] Followingthe death of former British Prime MinisterMargaret Thatcher in April 2013, she stated, "The world has lost a true champion of freedom and democracy ... Ronnie and I knew her as a dear and trusted friend, and I will miss her."[212]
After her death, her son,Michael Reagan, said that he had no doubts that if his mother were alive, she would have voted forHillary Clinton.[213]
Nancy presented herself as a traditionalhousewife, providing an alternative to the more active role for women advocated by thefeminist movement.[223] Her opponents believed her to be materialistic.[10] Individuals around Nancy, such as writersLou Cannon andBill Libby, contested the uptight image that the public had of her and said that in private she was deeply caring.[65][4]
Throughout her husband's political career, Nancy was protective of Ronald and stayed involved to keep him from overworking himself.[224] Her involvement was controversial, with some describing it as bringing stability and others seeing it as manipulative.[10] Nancy's approval became a test for people around Ronald, and she told him when she felt someone should not be trusted.[224]
Nancy did not get along well with the media,[59] and she was affronted by what she considered slander against her family.[55] She was ridiculed for "the gaze", where she sat perfectly still and stared admiringly at her husband while he spoke in public.[63][73][62]
Nancy's fashion sense became a major part of her image.[224][225]
Since 1982,Siena College Research Institute has conducted occasional surveys asking historians to assess American first ladies according to a cumulative score on the independent criteria of their background, value to the country,intelligence,courage, accomplishments,integrity,leadership, being their own women, public image, and value to the president.[226] In terms of cumulative assessment Reagan has been ranked:
In the 1993 Sienna Research Institute survey, the first conducted after Reagan left the White House, Reagan was assessed very poorly by historians, ranking the second-worst, with onlyMary Todd Lincoln being given a worse assessment.[227] Reagan was ranked the lowest in half of the criteria (background, value to the country, intelligence, courage, and integrity).[229] Regard for Reagan improved in the following three iterations of the survey.[227] In the three most recent iterations of the survey (conducted in 2008, 2014, and 2020), Reagan has been ranked as the 15th-best First Lady.[227][228] In the 2008 Siena Research Institute survey, Reagan was ranked the 4th-highest in value to the president, but was ranked the lowest in integrity.[227] In the 2003 survey, Reagan ranked the 5th-highest in value to the president.[230] In the 2014 survey, Reagan and her husband were ranked the 16th-highest out of 39 first couples in terms of being a "power couple".[231] In the 2014 survey, historians ranked Reagan among 20th and 21st century American first ladies as being the 5th greatest in terms of being a "political asset" and 5th greatest in terms of being a strong public communicator.[226]
Reagan and her husband have each posthumously experienced continued criticism for having, during their time in the White House, spent years publicly ignoring theHIV/AIDS epidemic, whichbegan during her husband's presidency. The epidemic had initially predominantly impacted the malehomosexual community. Reagan's great extended public silence on this matter has been contrasted with her coinciding vocalness against drug use. Reagan's extended failure to give significant public acknowledgement of this epidemic has been seen as one of the greatest detractions in her retrospective public regard.[232][233][234][235] However, there has been reporting to suggest that, privately, Reagan did unsuccessfully urge her husband's administration to address the epidemic.[236]
As First Lady, Nancy Reagan received an Honorary Doctorate of Laws degree fromPepperdine University in 1983.[237]Later, she received an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree fromEureka College in Illinois, her husband's alma mater, in 2009.[238]
^"Remarks at the Nancy Reagan Drug Abuse Center Benefit Dinner in Los Angeles". Ronald Reagan Foundation. January 4, 1989. Archived fromthe original on March 5, 2016. RetrievedOctober 3, 2007.... in Oakland where a schoolchild in an audience Nancy was addressing stood up and asked what she and her friends should say when someone offered them drugs. And Nancy said, "Just say no." And within a few months thousands of Just Say No clubs had sprung up in schools around the country.
^Loizeau, Pierre-Marie.Nancy Reagan: The Woman Behind the Man (1984). Nova Publishers, pp. 104–105.
^Brian L. Dyak (Executive Producer), William N. Utz (Executive Producer) (December 11, 1985).Stop the Madness (Music Video). Hollywood and The White House, Washington, D.C.: E.I.C. Event occurs at 3:15.
^"Final Edited Transcript: Interview with Max Friedersdorf"(PDF). Miller Center of Public Affairs. October 24–25, 2002. p. 60.Archived(PDF) from the original on February 5, 2016. RetrievedOctober 20, 2007.Mrs. Reagan was all upset, of course. He said that Senator [Strom] Thurmond had come over to the hospital and had talked his way in, past the lobby, up to the President's room – he's in intensive care, tubes coming out of his nose and his throat, tubes in his arms and everything – and said that Strom Thurmond had talked his way past the secret service into his room and Mrs. Reagan was outraged, distraught. She couldn't believe her eyes. He said, 'You know, those guys are crazy. They come over here trying to get a picture in front of the hospital and trying to talk to the President when he may be on his deathbed.
^Donald Regan.For the Record: From Wall Street to Washington, (San Diego: Harcourt Trade Publishers, 1988),ISBN0151639663
^abWadler, Joyce; Blessing, Angela; Mathison, Dirk; Bonnett Sellinger, Margie (May 23, 1988)."The President's Astrologers".People.Archived from the original on June 2, 2013. RetrievedJuly 30, 2021.
^"My Turn Review". A-1 Women's Discount Bookstore. Archived fromthe original on April 2, 2015. RetrievedMarch 28, 2007.
^Kiely, Kathy (September 13, 2004)."Critical book on Bushes sparks firestorm".USA Today.Archived from the original on October 8, 2008. RetrievedDecember 24, 2007.In 1991, The New York Times published a front-page story on Kelley's biography of Nancy Reagan—and then apologized for repeating some of its salacious charges without attempting to verify them.
^"2014 Power Couple Score"(PDF).scri.siena.edu/. Siena Research Institute/C-SPAN Study of the First Ladies of the United States.Archived(PDF) from the original on March 27, 2023. RetrievedOctober 9, 2022.
Roberts, Jason (2016). "Nancy Reagan". In Sibley, Katherine A. S. (ed.).A Companion to First Ladies. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 585–603.ISBN978-1-118-73218-2.
Brower, Kate Andersen (2015).The Residence: Inside the Private World of The White House. New York: Harper.ISBN978-0-06-230519-0.
Burns, Lisa M. (2008).First Ladies and the Fourth Estate: Press Framing of Presidential Wives. DeKalb, Illinois: Northern Illinois University Press.ISBN978-0-87580-391-3.
Nyberg, Ferdinand. "Nancy Reagan in the ghetto. On space as mediator between structure and event."InterDisciplines. Journal of History and Sociology 7.2 (2016).onlineArchived June 4, 2020, at theWayback Machine
Reagan, Nancy; Reagan, Ronald (2000).I Love You, Ronnie: The Letters of Ronald Reagan to Nancy Reagan. New York: Random House.ISBN978-0-375-50554-6.
Reagan, Nancy; Novak, William (1989).My Turn: The Memoirs of Nancy Reagan. New York: Random House.ISBN978-0-394-56368-8. H. W. BrandsReagan: The Life (2015) p. 743 says "she wrote one of the most candid and at times self-critical memoirs in recent American political history."
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