Nensey Reagan The wife of Ronald, the 40th President of the United States, did not have a brilliant career as an actress. Date of Birth: 06.07.1921 Country: USA

Nancy Reagan: A Biography

Nancy Reagan, the widow of the 40th President of the United States, Ronald Reagan, served as the First Lady from 1981 to 1989. She was determined to make a mark as a fashion legislator, following in the footsteps of Jacqueline Kennedy. In Washington, she introduced a new style of fashion, which only the wives of wealthy men could afford. The most elegant way to dress was in the exquisite salons of the Washington fashion scene, such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus. Nancy shared her husband's conservative views and was also against abortion, the Equal Rights Amendment, and gun control. She dedicated herself to fighting drug abuse and alcoholism among young people. In 1985, a conference on drug abuse and addiction among youth was held in Washington, which was attended by First Ladies from 17 countries. In 1987, Nancy announced to the press that she had given speeches in 60 cities across 30 states in the US and seven other countries to raise awareness about the dangers of drug trafficking.

Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States (1981-1989), was the only US president to have been divorced. He was also the only president who earned a living as a professional actor. Both of his wives, Jane Wyman and Nancy Reagan, were also actresses. Jane Wyman continued her acting career, achieving international recognition and even receiving an Oscar for her achievements. Nancy, on the other hand, left the film industry a few years after getting married. Reagan enjoyed comfort in his daily life, and Nancy worked hard to create a sanctuary of peace and emotional balance for him, to which only she had access, amidst the turbulence, attacks, harsh criticism, and other unpleasantness that come with political life. Many biographers claim that it was Nancy who contributed to her husband's success and that her priority in life was his well-being. When Reagan underwent his second and third surgeries on his colon in July and October 1985, Nancy decided that his health was more important than his work. She delegated some of his presidential duties to Donald Regan, and only he had access to the hospital room. When Vice President Bush wanted to visit Reagan a few days after the surgery, he had to discuss the visit with Donald Regan, but Nancy had the final say. It was only in the last few days of Reagan's hospital stay that Nancy allowed Robert McFarlane, a national security advisor, and Larry Speakes, the White House press secretary, to visit the president. At Nancy's insistence, all appointments were canceled until mid-August, and she allowed Reagan to go to the White House for a short time only to receive the President of the People's Republic of China, Li Xiannian. It was then that people in Washington began to speculate about who actually had a voice in the White House. The most common response was a triumvirate consisting of the president, the White House chief of staff Donald Regan, and the First Lady. Nancy sat next to him when Reagan addressed the American people after leaving the hospital. He said, "First Ladies are not elected, and they receive no compensation. They are private individuals forced to always be in the public eye. Abigail Adams helped build America, Dolley Madison defended it. Eleanor Roosevelt represented the President's eyes and ears. Nancy Reagan means everything to me." Nancy burst into tears at these words.

"Does she have an influence on me?" Reagan asked himself and answered, "Yes. I have never been as happy in my life as I am with her. She is exactly as you see her. Tactful and very conscientious. I always miss her when we are apart. We are very happy. I am sure that even if I were to sell shoes, like my father did, she would help me in that too. She is a very intelligent person. There is no topic that I cannot discuss with her." Lawrence Leamer, the author of the Reagan biography, claims that it was Nancy's determination and ambition that made Reagan president. The famous actor Jimmy Stewart once said, "If Ronni had married Nancy instead of Jane Wyman, he would definitely have won an Oscar. She would have taken care of that." According to Smith College records, Nancy was born on July 6, 1923, in New York. Her name was Anne Frances Robbins, but she later subtracted two years from her age. Her father sold cars and left the family after Nancy's birth, without even visiting the hospital to see his daughter. Her mother, Edith Luckett, was an actress, so Nancy was raised by her aunt in Maryland. She visited her mother in New York from time to time, where she had the opportunity to admire her on Broadway. It was there that she also met her father, whom she had not seen since she was thirteen. He locked her in the bathroom for defending her mother. From then on, Nancy developed a fear of small enclosed spaces.

This difficult time ended for Nancy and her mother in the spring of 1929 when they met Lowell Davis, a wealthy and conservative neurologist from Chicago, while traveling to Europe on a ship. They got married in May of the same year. For both of them, it was their second marriage. Nancy grew to love her stepfather. Once, when she was still a little girl, she knocked on the door of a retired judge's neighbor.
"Mr. Judge, I have an important matter to discuss with you," Nancy said.
"What is it, Nancy?" the judge asked, interested.
"I would like to know how I can adopt Dr. Davis."
"It's not that simple. But let's see what we can do," the judge replied.
The judge called Dr. Davis and told him about the conversation. Touched, Davis adopted seven-year-old Nancy and provided her with a comfortable life. She grew up in Chicago, where her parents lived on the fashionable Lake Shore Drive. She attended the Latin School for Girls and began studying drama at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts in 1939, graduating in 1943.

After returning to Chicago, she started working at Marshall Field's, the largest department store. Both in school and college, Nancy had many admirers. In Chicago, she reunited with her childhood sweetheart, Kim White, who was serving in the Navy. Their romance developed rapidly, and they became engaged, planning to marry after the war.

At this time, Nancy became serious about pursuing a career in theater and called off the engagement, deciding not to marry so early. She landed a role in one of Detroit's theaters, and when the play was taken off the repertoire, she decided to try her luck in New York. She didn't get leading roles, and New York also disappointed her. She met Clark Gable and went on several dates with him, but it never turned into a serious relationship.

Some admirers invited her to the Stork Club. She would often discreetly take one or two rolls from the table to have breakfast the next morning. One day, the owner of the club, Sherman Billingsley, instructed her to put a packet of butter on the table and included a short note that said, "I thought these rolls could use a little butter." Benny Thau, the vice president of production at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), happened to be in New York for business and one of his friends recommended that he call Nancy Davis if he wanted someone to go to the theater with. She was described as a very pleasant and sociable girl. He followed the advice and asked Nancy to attend a play with Spencer Tracy. He then asked if she would be interested in going on a screen test in Hollywood.

In the spring of 1949, full of hope, Nancy went to Hollywood. MGM was satisfied with the screen test and offered her a seven-year contract. She was only given supporting roles in B-movies. In her first film, "Shadow on the Wall," she acted alongside Zachary Scott, and she starred with Glenn Ford in "The Doctor and the Girl." She did not achieve a brilliant career as an actress, only playing average roles. She often played pregnant women to the point that people would mistake her for being pregnant when they saw her on the street. Disappointed with the roles she was offered, she eventually left MGM. She appeared in a total of eleven films, none of which were particularly popular. In her last film, "The Next Voice You Hear...," she acted alongside Reagan. By then, they were already married. Her other films include "East Side, West Side," "Shadow on the Wall," "Night into Morning," "The Big Country," and "Talk About a Stranger." The film "She's Working Her Way Through College" was such a failure that Nancy didn't even want to watch it.

Reagan was not the only man Nancy dated. Hollywood gossip linked her name to actors Robert Walker and Robert Stack, as well as screenwriter Leonard Spigelgass. Despite these rumors, Nancy was considered a strict and non-flirtatious woman. She was not talkative and preferred to listen. Unlike other Hollywood stars, she did not chase after studio management. She wholeheartedly pursued a noble life. Nancy decided to marry Reagan because his seriousness and calmness reminded her of her stepfather, Dr. Lowell Davis.

Reagan also needed Nancy. She gave him warmth and stability, treated him with respect, and was willing to sacrifice her own career for him. She was the ideal American wife of the 1950s, devoting herself to her husband, domestic duties, and children. She fulfilled any request he made. Thanks to her, he felt like a master and loved it.

Everything happened so quickly that Reagan didn't even have time to buy an engagement ring for his bride. On March 4, 1952, they were married in a small church in San Fernando Valley, known as the "Little Brown Church." It was a modest celebration. Ardis Holden baked the wedding cake, which they ate at the Holden's home in Toluca Lake. Reagan was 41 years old, and Nancy was 29, or rather 31. Above all, it was the day when their dreams came true.

They went on a honeymoon to Phoenix, Arizona. Nancy claimed that she could still remember the scent of blooming orange trees. Back in Los Angeles, the Reagans settled into Nancy's room in Westwood. However, Reagan kept his previous apartment because there was no space in their marital home for his clothes, which affected their lifestyle. If they were going out in the evening, he would read the newspaper while she got dressed. Then they would go to his apartment and switch roles: she would read the newspaper while he got dressed. This often led to them being late.