Nancy Reagan

Nancy Reagan (Anne Frances Robbins Davis Reagan) was first lady of the United States from 1981-1989, the wife of the 40th president of the United States, Ronald Reagan.

Reagan was born on July 6, 1921, in New York City. She graduated from Smith College in 1943 with majors in English and drama. After graduation, she pursued an acting career, eventually working in stage, film, and television productions, and in 1949, she signed a seven-year contract with MGM. She made eleven films in all, including three after her March 4, 1952, marriage to fellow actor Ronald Reagan.

Ronald Reagan became governor of California in 1967. As first lady of California, Mrs. Reagan visited wounded Vietnam veterans and became active in projects concerning POWs and servicemen missing in action, and wrote a syndicated column. She also visited hospitals and homes for the elderly and schools for physically and emotionally handicapped children. After observing participants in the Foster Grandparent Program, she worked to help expand the program on a national level and promote private funding in local communities.

After becoming first lady of the United States in 1981, Reagan's special project was fighting drug and alcohol abuse among youth. In April 1985, Reagan expanded her drug awareness campaign to an international level by inviting first ladies from around the world to attend a two-day briefing in Washington, D.C., and Atlanta, Georgia, on the subject of youth drug abuse.

After leaving the White House, Reagan established the Nancy Reagan Foundation to continue her campaign to educate people about the dangers of substance abuse. She remained active with the Reagan Library and in politics, particularly in support of embryonic stem cell research, until her death on March 6, 2016.

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Sources:

National First Ladies Library. (n.d.). First Lady Biography: Nancy Reagan. Retrieved on October 5, 2020, from http://www.firstladies.org/biographies/firstladies.aspx?biography=41.

Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum. (n.d.). Biography of Nancy Davis Reagan. Retrieved on Oct. 5, 2020, from https://www.reaganlibrary.gov/reagans/nancy-reagan/biography-nancy-davis-reagan.