Anne Frances Robbins was born on July 6, 1921, in Flushing, NY, the only child of Kenneth Seymour Robbins, a car salesman, and Edith Luckett, an actress. She lived in New York for her first two years, as her parents had divorced soon after she was born The future First Lady was raised in Bethesda, MD for the next six years by an aunt and uncle while her mother traveled the country for her acting career. In 1929, her mother married Loyal Davis, a politically conservative neurosurgeon who moved them to Chicago, IL. He formally adopted her in 1935 and her name was legally changed to Nancy Davis. She attended the Girls’ Latin School of Chicago and graduated in 1943 from Smith College in Massachusetts with a degree in drama. There, she was almost the schoolmate of fellow First Lady Barbara Bush, who enrolled three months after her graduation.
After Smith College, Reagan moved back to New York to pursue an acting career. She had roles in Broadway and off-Broadway shows, including “Lute Song” (1946), where she played the role of Si-Tchun, a lady-in-waiting. In 1949, she signed a seven-year contract with Metro Goldwyn Mayer Studios where she appeared in 11 films, often in roles that called for a “responsible young woman” or “loyal housewife.” She co-starred in a number of movies, including “The Doctor and The Girl” (1949) with Glenn Ford and “East Side, West Side” (1949). Film critics raved about her performance in the film noir “Shadow on the Wall” (1950) and in films such as “The Next Voice You Hear” (1950), where she played a pregnant housewife who hears the voice of God from the radio.
In 1951, the actress landed a part in “Night Into Morning,” a film that explored bereavement. Reagan called it her personal favorite of all the movies she made. A year later, the actress left MGM – the studio that had discovered her – and sought roles that did not typify her simply as the “good wife.” She got her wish in the 1953 science fiction flick “Donovan’s Brain,” with a role that called for her to essay a possessed scientist’s baffled wife. Reagan also dated a few Hollywood leading men during her career, including MGM’s King, Clark Gable, but it was her next project that led her to the love of her life.
In “Hellcats of the Navy” (1957), the actress played nurse Lieutenant Helen Blair. Cast opposite her was the ruggedly handsome B-movie star Ronald Reagan, who was also the president of the Screen Actors Guild at the time. The two began a very public courtship, described by some in the Hollywood press as “the romance of a couple with no vices.” He was skeptical about tying the knot again, following a bitter divorce from actress Jane Wyman in 1948. But he eventually proposed to her in their favorite booth at the Beverly Hills restaurant Chasen’s. To avoid the press, they had a simple ceremony at the Little Brown Church in Los Angeles on March 4, 1952. She was quoted as saying, “My life really began when I married my husband.” Their first child, Patricia Ann Reagan (Patti Davis), was born six months later, and their son, Ronald Prescott, was born in 1958. Theirs was a very close and intimate relationship; one press secretary said, “They never took each other for granted.” Reagan often called her “Mommy;” she lovingly called him “Ronnie.”
After making her last film “Crash Landing” (1958), Reagan’s acting resume in the 1960s consisted of small screen appearances. She had one-episode roles on shows such as “The Tall Man” (NBC, 1960-62) and “The Dick Powell Show” (NBC, 1961-63). Her only recurring role was with a four-episode stint as Betty Anderson in “General Electric Theater” (CBS, 1953-1962), hosted by her husband. Shortly after her husband became governor of California (1967-1975), Reagan became involved in numerous charities - visiting veterans, the elderly and the handicapped. She helped popularize the Foster Grandparent Program, first in the United States; then in Australia. The press continued to watch her every move. She reportedly disliked living in Sacramento, as it lacked the excitement and social life that Los Angeles afforded her. She also attracted criticism when she moved her family out of the Governor’s Mansion into a wealthy suburb because fire officials called the mansion a “firetrap.” In 1967, the president appointed her to the California Arts Commission. A year later, she was named The Los Angeles Times’ Woman of the Year. While her ascent into politics was quickly gaining speed, her biggest role was yet to come.
Reagan became the First Lady of the United States when her husband was inaugurated as President in 1981, following his defeat of the incumbent president, Jimmy Carter. During her early years at the White House, she spearheaded a major renovation, which was accomplished with private donations. The renovation, often compared to the glamour during the Kennedy years, included the conversion of the master bedroom’s closet into a beauty parlor, as well as another bedroom into a small gym. She reportedly spent more than $210,000 on new china, a move that raised more than a few eyebrows, for it happened at a time when the nation was in the throes of a recession.
Even though she was living in Washington, D.C., traces of her glamorous Hollywood life never left Reagan. She held a strong interest in fashion and often called on designers such as Oscar De la Renta and James Galanos to design her trademark wardrobe of red suits, dresses and gowns. The fire-engine shade became so synonymous with the First Lady that it was known as “Reagan red.” The inaugural gown Galanos created for Reagan was estimated to cost $10,000, so it was no surprise that her luxurious choices in wardrobe soon became controversial. In 1982, Reagan confessed she accepted thousands of dollars worth of clothing and jewelry, but stated they were borrowed and were to be donated to museums after she wore them. Soon after, Reagan told the American people she would no longer accept such extravagant gifts.
In 1982, Reagan launched the “Just Say No” drug awareness campaign, her major initiative as First Lady. She traveled throughout the United States and other countries, visiting drug abuse prevention programs and rehab centers. The phrase caught on and became the name of numerous school anti-drug programs. In 1987, President Reagan signed a drug enforcement bill into law. While some criticized the bill, she considered it a personal victory. In 1988, she addressed the United Nations General Assembly, where she talked about drug abuse and trafficking laws.
Reagan’s other important role was that of the President’s “protector,” especially after the attempted assassination on his life in March, 1981 by John Hinkley, Jr. She took it upon herself to know the President’s schedule, the events he attended, and with whom. She was said to have consulted astrologer Joan Quigley and managed his schedule according to her insight. Her influence over his presidency became more apparent in the mid-1980s, much to the dismay of the President’s handlers. During the Iran-Contra affair, there were reports that she had expressed to her husband that the White House Chief of Staff, David Regan, should resign because she felt that the scandal was damaging him. President Reagan did not agree with her, but eventually took her side after he learned that Regan had hung up on his wife out of anger during a phone conversion. Her influence spread beyond politics and affected the choices that many women took regarding their health. In October 1987, Reagan was diagnosed with breast cancer. She decided to have a mastectomy performed rather than a lumpectomy. After her surgery, more women started going in for mammograms.
After her husband’s term ended, the couple moved back to California; they divided their time between Bel-Air and the Reagan Ranch in Santa Barbara. After President Reagan was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 1994, she became his primary caregiver and became actively involved with the National Alzheimer’s Association and its affiliate, the Ronald and Nancy Reagan Research Institute in Chicago. When her husband died in their Bel-Air home on June 5, 2004, Reagan kept her composure, traveling from her home to the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, CA for a memorial service, then to Washington D.C. for a national funeral service. She returned to the library in California for a sunset memorial service, where she became overcome with emotion and cried in public for the first time during that week. After she accepted the folded flag, the former First Lady kissed the casket and said, “I love you” before leaving. This rare glimpse of vulnerability touched even the most ardent of Reagan detractors.
After her husband’s death, Reagan remained active in politics, specifically in her quest to further fund stem cell research so that it might one day eradicate Alzheimer’s – a stance that ran counter to the Republican party’s conservative line. Over the years, she had co-authored four books, including Nancy (1981), To Love A Child (1982), My Turn (1989), and I Love You, Ronnie (2000). Since being widowed, Reagan remained largely low-key, but on Feb. 17, 2008, she suffered a fall and was taken to St. John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA, but was released two days later. In March of that same year, Reagan officially endorsed Senator John McCain for President of the United States.