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Nancy Davis Reagan
Born	(1921-07-06) July 6, 1921 (age 103) Manhattan, New York, U.S.
Occupation	First Lady of the United States
Predecessor	Rosalynn Carter
Successor	Barbara Bush
Spouse	Ronald Reagan
Children	Patti, Ron
Relatives	Kenneth Seymour Robbins and Edith Luckett

Nancy Davis Reagan (born Anne Frances Robbins July 6, 1921) was the First Lady of the United States of America from 1981 to 1989. Her husband, Ronald Reagan, was the 40th President of the United States.

Mrs. Reagan was born in New York in 1921, and grew up in Maryland. She moved to California in the 1940s where she became an actress, and met her husband, Ronald Reagan. They married in 1952, and had two children. Reagan became First Lady of California in 1967 with her husband's gubernatorial victory, during which she promoted the Foster Grandparents Program, and assisted former Prisoners of War from Vietnam. Ronald Reagan became President in 1981, making Nancy Reagan the First Lady. Mrs. Reagan experienced a great deal of criticism early in her husband's first term which she mostly overcame, and replenished the White House China. She took on a championing role in drug prevention causes by founding the "Just Say No" anti-drug association, it being considered her major initiative as First Lady. Reagan was found to have consulted an astrologer to help plan President Reagan's schedule after the 1981 assassination attempt, which generated more controversy.

The Reagans retired to their Bel Air, California home in 1989, where they lived together until June 5, 2004, when President Reagan died. Mrs. Reagan was shown quite frequently during the funeral services across the country. As of 2007, Mrs. Reagan has continued to stay active in politics particularly relating to stem-cell research.

Early life

Born Anne Frances Robbins in Flushing, New York to Kenneth Seymour Robbins and his actress wife, Edith Luckett (1888-1987). While her parents divorced in 1928, they were separated for some time before then. Nancy was raised by her aunt and uncle for part of her childhood, as her mother traveled the country to pursue acting jobs and Nancy had no contact with her father during this time. In 1929, her mother married Dr. Loyal Davis, a neurosurgeon. Dr. Davis adopted Nancy, and she grew up in Chicago. Nancy's godmother was Russian-born silent film star Alla Nazimova, who was a friend of her mothers from the theater world. She received her formal education at Girls' Latin School and at Smith College in Massachusetts, where she majored in theater.

Acting career

Soon after graduation she became a professional actress using the stage name Nancy Davis, and toured with a road company, before landing a role in the Broadway theatre stage musical Lute Song starring Mary Martin. It was her only Broadway show, but she continued performing in smaller theaters. One performance drew an offer from Hollywood.

She eventually signed on as a contract player at MGM Studios. Davis appeared in 11 feature films, beginning in 1949, when she appeared in minor roles in two feature films: The Doctor and the Girl starring Glenn Ford and East Side, West Side starring Barbara Stanwyck. She played a psychiatrist in the film noir Shadow on the Wall (1950) with Ann Sothern and Zachary Scott. Her first co-starring lead role (opposite James Whitmore who got first billing) was in the religious drama The Next Voice You Hear ... (1950). She then starred in the 1953 science fiction film Donovan's Brain. In her last movie, Hellcats of the Navy (1957), she shared the screen for the only time with her husband. After her final film, she appeared in television dramas such as Wagon Train until 1962, after which she retired as an actress.

In most of her roles, Nancy Davis portrayed decent, godly, morally incorruptible characters, whose overall unremarkableness limited her visibility as an actress. Critics have praised her performance in The Next Voice You Hear ..., where she plays a surprisingly rationalist 1950s housewife who hears the voice of God from her radio. Nancy's favorite screen role was that of her performance in East Side West Side. She also served on the Screen Actors Guild Board for nearly 10 years.

Marriage and family

Nancy met Ronald Reagan in 1951, while he was president of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG). Another actress by the same name had appeared on the Hollywood blacklist, and Nancy had concern about possible confusion with the other actress. So, Nancy Davis was put in contact with Reagan to help maintain her employment as a SAG actress in Hollywood, and for help in getting her name off this list. On March 4,1952, they were married in a simple ceremony in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles in the Little Brown Church. Ronald Reagan's best man was William Holden.

From the very start of their marriage, Ronald and Nancy Reagan were "soul mates." He often called her "Mommy"; she called him "Ronnie". This deep relationship was evident throughout their married life. While President and First Lady, the Reagans frequently displayed their affection for each other in public, and in private. Even when the President was debilitated by Alzheimer's Disease, Nancy Reagan reaffirmed their love for each other, stating: "We were very much in love, and still are." President Reagan's passing away in June of 2004 ended what Charlton Heston called "the greatest love affair in the history of the American Presidency."

The Reagans had two children born from their marriage. Their daughter, Patricia Ann Reagan (best known as Patti Davis, her professional name), was born on October 21,1952. Their son, Ronald Prescott Reagan, was born on May 20, 1958. Nancy Reagan is also stepmother to Michael Reagan and the late Maureen Reagan, the children of her husband's first marriage to actress Jane Wyman.

First Lady of California, 1967–1975

Reagan was First Lady of California during her husband's two terms as governor.

She first attracted controversy in 1967, when she moved out of the Governor's Mansion in Sacramento, after fire officials had described it as a "firetrap," and into a wealthy suburb . This move was perceived by many as snobbery, but Mrs. Reagan has said that she did it for the good of her family.

As California's First Lady, she visited veterans, the elderly, and the handicapped, and worked in conjunction with a number of charitable groups. She began her involvement with the Foster Grandparent Program, which she would continue, and expand, once in Washington.

First Lady of the United States, 1981–1989

As First Lady, Mrs. Reagan drew controversy early on by announcing the purchase of $210,399 worth of the new scarlet, cream and gold State China Service for the White House–albeit paid for by the private Knapp Foundation–at a time when the nation was undergoing an economic recession. Together, with her taste for expensive fashion, it gave her an image of being out-of-touch with the concerns of ordinary Americans. She attempted to deflect some of this criticism in 1982 at the Gridiron Dinner when she self-deprecatingly donned a baglady costume and sang "Second-Hand Rose".

Mrs. Reagan describes in her memoirs that the assassination attempt on her husband, on March 30, 1981, was the worst day of her life. She describes the moment she arrived at George Washington University Hospital: "I had seen emergency rooms before, but I had never seen one like this-with my husband in it." On April 12, Nancy escorted President Reagan from the hospital back to the White House.

Reagan was known for the focused and attentive look she fastened upon her husband during his speeches and appearances, nicknamed "the Gaze."

Nancy Reagan is remembered for conservative fashions emulated by many women of the time, as well as her participation in the campaign against juvenile drug use. She launched the "Just Say No" Drug Awareness Campaign while First Lady. There are thousands of "Just Say No" clinics still in operation around the country, aimed at helping and rehabilitating children and teens with drug problems.

Behind the scenes, Mrs. Reagan had some influence in White House operations, especially over personnel matters mainly dealing with her husband's image and legacy. She became close friends with Katharine Graham, publisher of the Washington Post, having been introduced by their mutual friend Truman Capote, and throughout her later years in the White House met for weekly lunches with Graham and Post editorial page editor Meg Greenfield.

Mrs. Reagan has been criticized for her personal use of astrology and her attempts to influence her husband's policy using it. Her personal astrologer, Joan Quigley, was called on somewhat frequently, particularly after the 1981 assassination attempt. It was also revealed that Mrs. Reagan influenced the White House time schedule of her husband. Days were color-coded according to the astrologer's advice (classified as "good" days, "neutral" days, or "days that should be avoided), it became an embarrassment. The White House Chief of Staff, Donald Regan, finally grew frustrated with this regimen, creating friction between Regan and the First Lady. The famous incident was that while the two were talking on the telephone, Regan became so angry that he hung up on the First Lady. When word got out to the President that Regan had treated his wife that way, he demanded Regan's resignation, which eventually came in 1987.

In October 1987, Nancy Reagan was discovered to have breast cancer and underwent a mastectomy at Bethesda Naval Hospital.

In 1983, Reagan, along with former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and philanthropists Barbara and Marvin Davis, appeared as herself in an episode of the prime time soap opera Dynasty. In addition, Reagan appeared as herself in an episode of a popular 1980's sitcom Diff'rent Strokes to underscore her support for her "Just Say No" anti-drug campaign. She appeared in her first ever Rock Music Video, Stop the Madness in 1985, also to promote "Just Say No."

Later life

Nancy Reagan currently resides in the wealthy suburb of Bel Air, Los Angeles, California, where she had lived with her husband until his death on June 5, 2004. Mrs. Reagan was seen around the world during the week-long state funeral for her husband. Always with her military escort, Mrs. Reagan traveled from her home, to the Reagan Library, and to Washington, D.C., before returning to the Reagan Library in California, for the interment. At that ceremony, she broke down, and cried for the first time in public, and mouthed "I love you" to the casket, before leaving.

Mrs. Reagan has continued to be active in politics, particularly relating to stem cell research. She has urged President Bush to support embryonic stem cell research, in the hopes that such research would lead to a cure for Alzheimer's disease. She has not been notably successful in changing the President's opinion, but did support his campaign for a second term.

Reagan published her memoirs in late 1989. Titled My Turn: The Memoirs of Nancy Reagan, she gives her account of her life while in the White House. In the book, she speaks openly about the influence she had within the Reagan administration, and talks about the myths and controversies that surrounded her and her husband. It was Mrs. Reagan's second autobiography, the first being Nancy. In 1991, controversial author Kitty Kelley wrote an unauthorized, and largely uncited, biography about Mrs. Reagan, repeating rumors of supposed sexual relations and a poor relationship with her children. National Review observes that Kelley's unsupported claims are most likely untrue.

Since 1994, when her husband disclosed that he suffered from Alzheimer's Disease, Mrs. Reagan has presented the Ronald Reagan Freedom Award to one notable person, from anywhere in the world, whom "embodied President Reagan's lifelong belief that one man or woman truly can make a difference." On February 6, 2007, Mrs. Reagan presented the award to Former President George H.W. Bush. Other notable recipients include Mikhail Gorbachev, Margaret Thatcher, and Rudy Guiliani.

Nancy Reagan was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, by President George W. Bush on July 9, 2002. The awards ceremony took place in the East Room of the White House. President Ronald Reagan received his own Presidential Medal of Freedom in January of 1993. Earlier that year, Nancy Reagan and her husband were jointly awarded the Congressional Gold Medal on May 16, at the Capitol Building, being only the third President and First Lady to receive it. Mrs. Reagan was on hand to receive the medal on behalf of herself and her husband.

Reagan was briefly hospitalized in 2005 after she slipped and fell in her hotel room in London, while visiting Margaret Thatcher and Prince Charles.

Mrs. Reagan was among those who attended the National Funeral Service for Gerald Ford in the Washington National Cathedral on January 2, 2007. She mourned her husband in 2004 in the same cathedral. On May 3, 2007, Nancy Reagan hosted and attended the first 2008 Republican Presidential Candidates Debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. While she did not participate in any of the discussions, she sat in the front row, next to California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Fred Ryan, Chairman of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation, and listened as the men vying to become the nation's 44th president said they were the rightful successors to her husband, the 40th.

References

1. ^ "My Turn" Nancy Reagan (1989)
2. "the Films of Nancy Reagan". Ronald Reagan Foundation. Retrieved 2007-03-08.
3. "Screen Actors Guild". SAG. Retrieved 2007-03-08.
4. "First Ladies: Nancy Reagan". The White House. Retrieved 2007-03-08.
5. "By Reagan's side, but her own person." ""By Reagan's Side, but her own person"". Newsday. Retrieved 2007-03-07. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
6. ^ Deaver, Michael K. (2004). "Nancy: A Portrait of My Years with Nancy Reagan". New York: Harper Collins. ISBN 978-0060087395. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
7. ^ ""End of a Love Story"". BBC. Retrieved 2007-03-21.
8. "Medal of Freedom Recipients: Nancy Reagan". medaloffreedom.com. Retrieved 2007-03-08.
9. "Foster Grandparent's Program". Scholastic. Retrieved 2007-03-08.
10. Klapthor, Margaret Brown. Official White House China 1789 to the Present. Page 184. Harry N. Abrams: 1999. ISBN 0-8109-3993-2.
11. ""Husband's Past will shape Nancy Reagan"". USA Today. Retrieved 2007-03-08.
12. ""Up Next for Nancy Reagan"". St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved 2007-03-08.
13. ""Mrs. Reagan's Crusade"". Ronald Reagan Foundation. Retrieved 2007-03-08.
14. ""Nancy Davis Reagan Legacy"". politicalquest.org. Retrieved 2007-03-22.
15. ""Dynasty"". Retrieved 2007-03-08.
16. ""Stop the Madness"". YouTube. Retrieved 2007-03-08.
17. "Ronald Reagan dies at 93". CNN. 2004-06-05. Retrieved 2007-02-07.
18. ""Reagan Laid to Rest"". Fox News. Retrieved 2007-03-24.
19. Erika Check (2004). "Bush pressured as Nancy Reagan pleads for stem-cell research". Nature. 429: 116. doi:10.1038/429116a.
20. ""Nancy Reagan Strongly Endorses President Bush"". Newsmax. Retrieved 2007-03-18.
21. ""My Turn Review"". A-1 Women's Discount Bookstore. Retrieved 2007-03-28.
22. ""Judging the Reagans"". The New York Times. Retrieved 2007-03-28.
23. "Here Kitty, Kitty - public reaction to Kitty Kelley's book 'Nancy Reagan: The Unauthorized Biography'". National Review. 13. Retrieved 2007-04-24. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
24. "Ronald Reagan Freedom Award". Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation. Retrieved 2007-03-08.
25. ""President Bush Honors Recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom Award"". The White House. Retrieved 2007-03-21.
26. ""Congressional Gold Medal History"". United States House of Representatives. Retrieved 2007-03-08.
27. "Nancy Reagan to rest after fall in London". Associated Press. 2005-06-16. Retrieved 2007-02-07.
28. Alex Johnson. "Republicans walk tightrope over war in Iraq". MSNBC. Retrieved 2007-05-03.

External links

• Nancy Davis at IMDb
• White House profile
• Nancy Reagan profile at NNDB

• 1921 births
• Living people
• People from New York City
• People from Queens
• First Ladies of the United States
• American film actors
• Reagan family
• Smith College alumni
• Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients
• Congressional Gold Medal recipients
• American adoptees