by Bob Spitz
The qualities Reagan held dear were woven into the time-honored American social fabric: honor your country, cherish your family, give thanks to a higher being, stand up for what you believe in, and refuse to be bullied by tyrants. He placed these values above the conventional dictates of the office. He had a firm idea of what America stood for, and he never doubted that the country’s integrity would win out.
Reagan’s priority was never iron-fisted rule. His White House was a collaborative effort, drawing on deputies whose expertise outmatched his own. Taking his cue, perhaps, from the latter-day British monarchy, he conducted himself more as a figurehead, a benevolent head of state with a view of the big picture and a strong sense of the country’s ideals. He was the kind of president, with a genial face and sunny disposition, that Louis B. Mayer (not Jack Warner) might have projected in Technicolor.
From the 1970s on, the movies had turned away from the old white hats–black hats, good guys–bad guys studio era that Reagan knew so well. By the time he took office the Hollywood dream factory had turned its gaze to stories of anti-heroes, moral ambiguity, cruelty, and violence. Ronald Reagan never liked those movies. The sex scenes embarrassed him, too. On the national stage, he tried to hold the line and project the old-style moral certainty of the classics he loved. In later years, as people decried the ugliness of politics, the public viewed Reagan even more through a veil of nostalgia.
People felt about him the same way they felt nostalgia for old movies starring Gary Cooper and Jimmy Stewart, even the Gipper. He became beloved, even as many forgot the details of what he actually did. On the road to the funeral, Ron Reagan recalls driving from his parents’ home to the Simi Valley library: “every single overpass on the 405 [Freeway] was jammed with people” standing ten deep, often in tears, along the route. Fire trucks and ambulances emblazoned with banners sounded their horns in salute. Several days afterward, as the coffin left for the trip to the Capitol, Ron noticed “people standing all alone out in farm fields . . . saluting, hands over their hearts.”
It was the final ovation for an epic American life.
Jack Reagan
The Reagans: Will (left) and Jack (second from right) with two aunts and sister (unidentified boy at right), July 4, 1899, Fulton, Illinois
Main Street, Tampico, Illinois, c. 1900
Ronald Reagan’s baby portrait, 1911
The Reagan family 1914. Left to right: Jack, Moon, Dutch, Nelle
The O.T. Johnson “Big Store” shoe department (Jack Reagan at right)
Captain Jack, Ronald Reagan’s senior class play, January 20–21, 1928 (Margaret Cleaver standing at right)
Ronald Reagan, Eureka College football photo, 1930
Moon and Dutch, Eureka College cheerleaders, 1930
The Eureka College swim team, 1929
Dutch, Lowell Park
Dutch on the air, WOC, Des Moines, Iowa, 1933
Dutch Reagan WHO promotional postcard, c. 1935
Warner Bros. cheesecake photo, early 1940s
Earliest Warner Bros. headshot, 1937
Wedding day: Nelle, Ronald, Jane, Jack, January 26, 1940
The Gipper bites the dust. Left to right: Ronald Reagan, Donald Crisp, Ruth Robinson, Pat O’Brien
Ronald Reagan and Nelle Reagan, January 1941
Staged photo: Ronald Reagan “leaves for military duty,” 1942
The Reagan brothers lunching at the Brown Derby, Hollywood, California, 1943–44
Left to right: James Skelton and Herb Sorrell (Conference of Studio Unions), Ronald Reagan and Edward Arnold (Screen Actors Guild), Roy Tindall (C.S.U.), George Murphy and Gene Kelly (SAG) in telephone conference in which AFL officials denied issuing a clarification, which set off the film strike, October 26, 1946
Captain Reagan, First Motion Picture Unit, 1943–44
Edith Luckett, 1914
Nancy Davis and her mother, Edith Luckett, January 1932
The only known photo of Ann Frances Robbins (Nancy Davis) with her parents, Edith Luckett and Ken Robbins, 1921
Nancy Davis, Smith College photo for production of Make with the Maximum, 1943
Ronald Reagan, Nancy Reagan, Louella Parsons, Doris Day, Hollywood 1951
Date night at Ciro’s, Hollywood, early 1950s
Ron and Nancy’s engagement photo, January 1952
Ronald and Nancy Reagan’s wedding, with Ardis and Bill Holden, March 4, 1952
Ronald Reagan at Yearling Row, April 1951
“Ronald Reagan Presents,” Last Frontier Hotel, February 1954
Ron’s christening. Left to right: Ronald Reagan, Ron, Nancy Reagan, Edith Luckett, Nelle with Patti, Bess and Neil Reagan, Loyal Davis, 1958
Jane Wyman and Ronald Reagan in a rare promotional photo
Ronald Reagan reading to Ron and Patti, Christmas 1964
Campaigning for governor, Chinatown, San Francisco, November 3, 1966
Ronald Reagan and Pat Brown in a light moment during the campaign, 1966
Ronald Reagan campaign billboard, 1966
Victory celebration for governor, November 8, 1966
Ronald Reagan breakfast meeting with the staff in the governor’s office. Left to right: Philip Battaglia, Lyn Nofziger, Lt. Gov. Bob Finch, 1967
The Governor’s Mansion, Sacramento, 1967
Ronald Reagan swearing in as governor (private ceremony) with Ron looking on, January 1, 1967
Lampooning Reagan’s meltdown at the National Negro Republican Assembly, March 7, 1966
A typical ad for Reagan’s daily radio broadcast, 1966
Ron, Maureen, Michael, Patti, Christmas 1974
The Reagan family. Left to right: Patti, Nancy, Ronald Reagan, Michael, Maureen, Ron, outside Pacific Palisades home, 1976 campaign
GOP primary debate, Nashua, New Hampshire: “I paid for this microphone, Mr. Green!” Left to right: Ronald Reagan, John Anderson, Howard Baker, Bob Dole, Philip Crane; (seated) John Breen, George Bush
Chaos outside the Washington Hilton after the assassination attempt. James Brady and police officer Thomas Delahanty lie wounded on the ground, March 30, 1981.
The Sit Room during the aftermath of the assassination attempt. Left to right: Martin Anderson, Ed Meese, George Bush, Richard Allen, Larry Speakes, David Gergen, Al Haig, James Baker, Richard Darman, Richard S. Williamson, March 30, 1981
Ronald Reagan in a customary pose, working on his trusty yellow tablet in the stateroom aboard Air Force One, February 19, 1981
Nancy Reagan’s customary bowling of the orange down the aisle on LeaderShip ’80 on takeoff
Evening meeting in the Sit Room to discuss Lebanon Marine barracks bombing with George Bush, George Shultz, Caspar Weinberger, and senior staff of National Security Planning Group, October 23, 1983
Bud McFarlane and George Shultz brief Ronald Reagan on the situation in Grenada, Eisenhower Cabin, Augusta Golf Course, October 22, 1983.
Ronald Reagan and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher during her visit to Camp David: “I can do business with Gorbachev.” December 22, 1984.
Ronald Reagan in Bud McFarlane’s office with Contra leader Alfonso Calero and Oliver North—the last time Ronald Reagan would smile about Contra aid, April 4, 1985
“Coats on, or coats off?” Ronald Reagan greets Mikhail Gorbachev outside Fleur d’Eau, Geneva Summit, November 19, 1985.
The famous “red couch photo” with Don Regan center stage, between Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev, Geneva Summit, November 20, 1985
“Queen Nancy”
The look on Ronald Reagan’s face tells the entire story as he receives the Tower Commission Report from John Tower and Edmund Muskie, February 26, 1987.
Ronald Reagan takes a last look around the Oval Office (note the bare desk), January 20, 1989.
“Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” Ronald Reagan speech at Brandenburg Gate, Berlin, June 12, 1987
Ronald Reagan shows off his new haircut following brain surgery, September 1989.
A final farewell. Left to right: Ron Reagan, Nancy Reagan, Michael Reagan, Patti Davis
Dutch, Ronnie, Governor, Mr. President
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Many people and institutions contributed to the vast research that shaped this account of Ronald Reagan’s life, and I am profoundly grateful to their enormous efforts on my behalf. In particular, I must thank the late Nancy Reagan, whose health rendered her unavailable but who granted me extraordinary access to the president’s restricted private papers and family scrapbooks, and instructed her husband’s friends and colleagues to cooperate in the lengthy and demanding interview process. Mrs. Reagan’s guidance throughout was overseen by her longtime associate Joanne Drake, the chief administrative officer (and self-described “chief of chaos”) of the Reagan Presidential Foundation. The foundation’s archives, which are separate from the public records contained in the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, were invaluable in chronicling many personal details of the Reagan story. They also included access to the transcripts of the twenty-three interviews Edmund Morris conducted with President Reagan between June 1986 and January 1990. Joanne’s proximity to the president in his post-presidency also contributed immeasurably to this book.
My gratitude goes to the many staff members who assisted my research at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, an invaluable facility. In addition to the library’s director, Duke Blackwood, I am indebted primarily to archivist extraordinaire Jenny Mandel, who guided me through the miles (literally) of documents in the library’s collection. Her advice and expertise are evident throughout this book. My thanks also to Steve Branch, the library’s audiovisual archivist, who condensed the sixty-thousand-plus photos on file to a manageable reserve that suited my purposes, and to his counterpart, Romeo Legaspi, at the Reagan Foundation.
I also want to express my appreciation to the libraries and institutions whose resources contributed to a thorough historical record of Ronald Reagan’s life. They include Davidson Library at the University of California-Santa Barbara and its exceptionally fertile Lou Cannon Archive (particularly special collections director, Ed Fields); Charles E. Young Research Library’s Special Collections at UCLA; Center for Oral History Research at UCLA; Galesburg Public Library (Patty Mosher, Special Collections); Margaret Herrick Library of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Stacey Behlmer); Warner Bros. archive at the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts (Jonathan Auxier, Brett Service); Screen Actors Guild archive (Valerie Yaris); Clark County Library, Las Vegas, Nevada; Fulton Historical Society, Fulton, Illinois (Barbara Mask, Bill Blecha); Ronald Reagan Birthplace Museum, Tampico, Illinois (Joan Johnson); Monmouth College, Monmouth, Illinois (Jeff Rankin); Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home, Dixon, Illinois (Brandi Lagner); Dixon Public Library, Dixon, Illinois (Lynn Roe); Lee County Genealogical Society, Dixon, Illinois; Eureka College archives, Eureka, Illinois (Anthony Glass); Dixon Historic Center, Dixon, Illinois; Dixon Chamber of Commerce, Dixon, Illinois (John Thompson); Ronald W. Reagan Society at Eureka College (John Morris); Dixon Geological Society, Dixon, Illinois (Jim Higby); Illinois State Historical Library; University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign archives (Scott Krinninger); Huntington Library, San Marino, California (Sue Hodson); the Reagan Ranch and its director, Andrew Coffin; Reagan Center, Santa Barbara, California; National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); National Archives II at College Park, Maryland (David Paynter); Hoover Institution at Stanford University; California State Library (Greg Lucas); and Miller Center for Presidential Oral History at University of Virginia.
I am especially grateful to the men and women who shared their recollections and insights. A few deserve special mention, in particular Robert (Bud) McFarlane, Ed Meese, and Jim Kuhn, all of whom endured repeated, long sessions with me going over—and over—the intricacies of a president’s endeavors, patiently answering every question. They were joined in their efforts by these eyewitnesses to history: Leith Adams, Richard V. Allen, Annelise Anderson, Steven Avilla, Bill Bagley, Will Ball, John Barletta, the late Anthony Beilenson, the late Jeffrey Bell, Joanne Bell, Brian Bernardoni, Craig Biddle, Steve Bingen, Charlie Black, Mayor James Burke, David Chew, Steve Clow (Los Angeles Times), David Conrad, A. B. Culvahouse, Elliot Curson, Carolyn Deaver, Olivia de Havilland, Ken Duberstein (my former camp counselor), Rob Ehrgott, Dirk Eldridge, Fred Fielding, Esther Haack, Paul Haerle, Fawn Hall, Jon Hall, Ken Hall, Pete Hannaford, John Humenik, Carl Janisch, Jennifer Jo Janisch, David Keene, Ken Khachigian, Ed Kolk, Nancy Kolk, Jim Lake, Greg Langan, James Leach, John Lehman, William Lytton, Ned Martin, Suzanne Massie, Nathan Masters, Bonnie Parker McClosky, Peter McCoy, Burnett Miller, Theodore Olson, Kathleen Osborne, the late Robert Osborne, Duane Paulson, Richard Perle, John Poindexter, David Prosperi, Vickie Palmer Pruter, Richard (Sandy) Quinn, Tom Reed, Junius Rodriguez, Robert Roubik, Fred Ryan, Betty Schermer, Lloyd Schermer, John Sears, Stuart Shea, Stuart Spencer, George Steffes, Edward J. Stephens, Sheila Tate, Darrell Trent, Robert Tuttle, Mark K. Updegrove, Helene Van Damm, Marc Wanamaker, Mark Weinberg, Kirk West, Doug Wick, and Tom Wilson. Special mention must go to the gatekeepers—the assistants, who were besieged by my exhortations for interviews and graciously penciled my name into busy schedules. Most notable: Gay Gill (Richard Perle), Leslie McClellen (Ed Meese), Jennifer Nicholson (A. B. Culvahouse), Jennifer Peacock (Ken Duberstein), Stefanie Prelesnik (Fred Ryan), and Kathy Sanzaro (Charlie Black). My work is done; you won’t have Bob Spitz to kick around anymore.
A number of scholars pitched in unselfishly to help shape my manuscript and to make the biographer’s work eminently easier. Most notably, Anne Edwards, author of two excellent books on the early life of Ronald Reagan, opened her archives and allowed me to poach freely from her extensive research. Richard Reeves’s President Reagan and Lou Cannon’s superb Reagan trilogy provided a detailed road map from which to explore. Doug Cunningham shared his manuscript-in-progress on Hollywood’s first motion picture unit, and James R. Walker, a noted Chicago Cubs authority, provided an understanding of the birth of baseball’s broadcasting empire and the rites of spring training. My dear friends Neal Gabler and Allan Spiegel, historians and cinephiles alike, offered sage perspectives on the vagaries of Hollywood and Reagan’s screen career. Marc Eliot donated a box of valuable artifacts from his Reagan: The Hollywood Years.
David Nasaw, a biographer whom I greatly admire, sent me two crackerjack research assistants, Ean Osterle and David Campmier, scholars in their own right. Their assistance and dedication throughout the research and writing stages were significant. Jonathan Eig, celebrated biographer (and friend), read and critiqued portions of the manuscript, and Rob Harris, whose longtime friendship is cherished, read every word and weighed in extensively at a crucial time in the editing process. Friends were essential to locating sources and general input. The work was greatly enriched by Jillian Manus, Tina Susman, Frazier Moore, Robert Hofler, John Scheinfeld, Yak Lubowsky, and Julie Bain. As always, Lindsay Maracotta and Peter Graves provided shelter from the storm.
The folks at Penguin Press offered support throughout the publishing process. First and foremost: Scott Moyers, a gentleman and an extraordinary editor, who stood behind this book from the beginning while offering encouragement and perceptive criticism at every turn. Editing is an art; in addition to the mechanics involved, it requires vision, judgment, and respect for the work. Scott brings all th
ose qualities as well as brilliance—and style. Despite his grinding responsibilities as publisher of Penguin Press, he lavished time and energy on the manuscript for which I will be forever grateful. My hat goes off to Mia Council, his uncommonly efficient, long-suffering assistant, who no doubt dreads getting another “Urgent!” email from me. My sincere thanks to Mark Birkey for his heroic job of copyediting (How many ways can you misspell the name Meiklejohn?) and to production editor Eric Wechter who, in the tradition of Don Regan, was part of the shovel brigade that followed me from page to page, cleaning up. Darren Hagger and Gretchen Achilles and Claire Vaccaro produced a lovely book jacket and gorgeous art decoration.
