| Love him or hate him, Ronald Reagan is one of the | | | | Prior to his election to the SAG, he served in the |
| greatest political figures of the 20th century. The | | | | Army during World War II. |
| Ronald Reagan Presidency (as 40th President of the | | | | Politically, Reagan's interest began as a member of |
| United States) began in 1981 and ended in 1989. | | | | the "Democrats for Eisenhower." But over time his |
| Reagan served two terms and the legacy of his | | | | political affiliation shifted and in 1962, he became a |
| tenure is stored in the Ronald Reagan library. | | | | member of the Republican party. He ran for |
| Roanld Reagan was born in Tampico, Illinois on | | | | Governor of California in the 1966 election and scored |
| February 6, 1911 to John Edward "Jack" Reagan and | | | | an easy victory over his opponent Edmund Brown. |
| Nelle Wilson Reagan. He had one brother - Neil "Moon" | | | | Reagan ran for President in 1980 and became the |
| Reagan. | | | | 40th President where he accomplished many great |
| He moved around quite a bit as a child, eventually | | | | victories - like the genesis of the collapse of the |
| moving to Dixon where he attended Dixon High | | | | USSR and the tearing down of the Berlin wall. He also |
| School and became interested in sports, acting and | | | | appointed the first female Supreme Court Justice in |
| storytelling. He also had his first job at River Rock as | | | | 1981. He also presided over one of America's |
| a lifeguard. In 1926, he saved a remarkable 77 people. | | | | greatest modern tragedies - the explosion of the |
| At Eureka College, he got his first taste of public life | | | | Space Shuttle Challenger. |
| when he became a Chicago Cubs announcer for | | | | Reagan was known as the great communicator as |
| WHO in Des Moines, IA. This announcer job | | | | exmplefied in many of his speeches. From the teary |
| eventually brought him to Hollywood to announe a | | | | eyed speech he delivered after the shuttle disaster |
| Cubs game there. While in Hollywood, he went to a | | | | to the powerful speech aimed at USSR with the |
| screen test which led to a job with Warner Brothers | | | | famous phrase "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!", |
| for $200 a week. | | | | he was a master of the delivery. In fact, his video |
| During his time in Hollywood, he appeared in over 50 | | | | speech library is one of the greatest gifts he left to |
| major films. He was also elected President of the | | | | modern politicians who wish to study a master |
| Screen Actors Guild in 1947 where he served for a | | | | communicator. |
| total of five terms. He left the office in July 1960. | | | | |