Reagan Administrations - Early Life
Early Life
Ronald Reagan spent his childhood in a succession of small towns in Illinois. His father, a salesman, was a heavy drinker, but his mother provided guidance, stability, and a commitment to the Disciples of Christ Church. The family settled in Dixon, Illinois in 1920 and Reagan spent the rest of his childhood there. He was student body president at Dixon High, a good all around athlete, and an especially good swimmer. He spent the summers working as a lifeguard, and a plaque commemorating the 77 people he saved between 1927 and 1933 is now on display in the Loveland Museum.
A conventional, handsome, and popular young man, Reagan learned and accepted the Protestant values and work ethic of the small midwestern town and held to them throughout his later life. Reagan's father began working for the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA), a New Deal agency, in 1933, and throughout the Depression decade the Reagans...
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