Reagan, Ronald
Reagan, Ronald (1911–2004), actor, governor, U.S. president.Reagan grew up in Dixon, Illinois, in an impoverished family, and worked his way through Eureka (Ill.) College. From a radio station in Des Moines, Iowa, he left for Hollywood, where he worked as a film and TV actor, 1937–66. A captain during World War II, he made training films for the Army Air Forces. Later, as a TV spokesman for General Electric Company, he became an active Republican. Urged by conservative Southern California businesspeople, Reagan entered politics and was elected governor of California, serving from January 1967 to January 1975. A champion of the GOP's conservative wing, Reagan defeated Democrat Jimmy Carter to become president in 1980. He was reelected in 1984.
As president (1981–89), Reagan sought to reduce the federal government's domestic programs. Initially, his administration adopted the “supply side” theory to...
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