Spouse
Nancy Reagan

"My life really began when I married my husband," says Nancy Reagan. Her story actually began in New York City, where she was born on July 6, 1921. When she was six, her mother, Edith—a stage actress—married Dr. Loyal Davis, a neurosurgeon, who adopted Nancy, and she grew up in Chicago. She received her formal education at Girls’ Latin School and at Smith College in Massachusetts, where she majored in theater.
After graduation she toured with a road company, then landed a role on Broadway in the hit musical Lute Song. More parts followed. One performance drew an offer from Hollywood. Billed as Nancy Davis, she performed in 11 films from 1949 to 1956.
She met Ronald Reagan in 1949, when he was president of the Screen Actors Guild. The following year they were married in a simple ceremony in Los Angeles. Mrs. Reagan soon retired from making movies to devote her self to the roles of wife and mother of two.
As first lady of California, Mrs. Reagan regularly visited hospitals, nursing homes, and schools for disabled children, where in 1967, she first saw the seniors reach out to disabled young people. She quickly adopted the Foster Grandparents Program, and later became its champion in the White House. In 1982, the program was the focus of her first book, To Love a Child. Her interest in young people led her to become an outspoken critic of drug and alcohol abuse. As part of her "Just Say No" campaign, she traveled almost 250,000 miles, appeared on dozens of radio and television shows, and hosted a 1985 White House conference on drug abuse. Mrs.Reagan also devoted her considerable energies to the arts. She gave young artists a forum in the PBS televised "In Performance at the White House" and directed a major renovation of the second and third floors of the White House.
Nancy Reagan remained active after the Reagans returned to California. She worked with the Nancy Reagan Foundation to promote the dangers of addiction and with the Nancy Reagan Afterschool Program. In 1989, her memoir My Turn was published. She joined the board of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation, played a key role in the development of the Ronald Reagan Library, and lent her time to the Alzheimer’s Association and its affiliate, the Ronald and Nancy Reagan Research Institute.
As President Reagan grew ill, Nancy Reagan rarely left his side, and when he died she planned his funeral. Her poise and courage in the depths of her grief honored her husband. She died twelve years later, on March 6, 2016, and is buried along side her husband at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley, California.
You Might Also Like
-
Podcast Conversations from History Happy Hour
In this first episode of 2021, White House Historical Association President Stewart D. McLaurin introduces the Association’s popular virtual program Hi...
-
Collection Animal Ambassadors
Animals, whether pampered household pets, working livestock, birds, squirrels, or strays, have long been a major part of White House...
-
Podcast Fearless Leadership: A Conversation with Jean Case
Fearless leaders have walked the halls of White House for centuries. In this episode, White House Historical Association President Stewart...
-
Collection The Presidents
Biographies & Portraits
-
Collection The First Ladies
Biographies & Portraits
-
Podcast Beyond the Textbook: Teaching White House History
The White House Historical Association is making history come alive in new and interesting ways. Stewart McLaurin hosts a roundtable...
-
Collection Cherry Blossoms
Since the first cherry blossom planting in 1912 by First Lady Helen Herron Taft, Washingtonians have celebrated the scenic beauty and...
-
Podcast Entertaining at the White House
From diplomatic dinners to holiday gatherings, the White House has always played a central role in the nation’s official en...
-
Collection Women and the White House
While there has yet to be a female president, women have played an integral role in shaping the White House...
-
The First Ladies Symposium Contributors
Mary C. BrennanBorn and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, Mary C. Brennan earned a Ph.D. from Miami University of Ohio...
-
The First Ladies Symposium Schedule
May 6, 2021This program will be virtual9:00-9:15amWelcome and Overview Anita McBride, Director of American University’s First Ladies Initiative an...
-
The Decorative Arts in the White House Symposium Scholarly Contributors
James Archer AbbottJames Archer Abbott currently serves as the Executive Director of the Lewes Historical Society in Lewes, Delaware. A...