Nancy Reagan

Nancy Davis Reagan (née Anne Frances Robbins; July 6, 1921 – March 6, 2016) was an American actress and a political figure who served as the First Lady of the United States from 1981 to 1989. She was the second wife of Ronald Reagan, the 40th president of the United States.

Early Life and Education

Anne Frances Robbins was born in Manhattan, New York City, on July 6, 1921. Her parents were Kenneth Robbins, a used car salesman, and Edith Luckett, a retired actress. Alla Nazimova, the actress, was her godmother. Robbins' family environment was characterized by instability; her parents separated in 1923 when she was approximately two years old. Following the separation, she lived with her aunt Virginia Galbraith, her uncle, and her cousin in Bethesda, Maryland. During her childhood, her mother remarried in 1929 to Loyal Davis, a neurosurgeon, after which the family moved to Chicago.

Robbins attended Girls' Latin School in Chicago, where she participated in drama, field hockey, and student government. She had a lead role in the school play "First Lady" during her senior year. She was adopted by her stepfather at age fourteen and changed her legal name to Nancy Davis. In 1939, she enrolled at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, majoring in English and drama. She graduated in 1943.

Family and Personal Life

Robbins' early family life was marked by frequent moves and divorce. Her mother’s second marriage to Loyal Davis provided her with a financially comfortable upbringing and connections within high society. Robbins was a debutante in December 1939 and became engaged to Frank Birney, who was later killed in a train accident before they could marry.

In 1952, she married Ronald Reagan, then president of the Screen Actors Guild. The couple had two children together: Patricia (Patti Davis) and Ronald Reagan Jr. Ronald Reagan also had two children from his previous marriage to actress Jane Wyman: Michael Reagan and Maureen Reagan.

Acting Career

Nancy Davis moved to New York to pursue acting and modeling, receiving guidance from Walter Huston and Spencer Tracy. Her early acting roles included a Broadway debut in "Ramshackle Inn" in 1945, with a subsequent role in "Lute Song" alongside Mary Martin and Yul Brynner. She appeared in a short film for the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis in 1940.

Her film career began with MGM in 1949, where she was under contract for seven years. She appeared in eleven films, often cast as a wife or mother. Notable early films included "The Doctor and the Girl" (1949), "East Side, West Side" (1950), and "Shadow on the Wall" (1950). Her performance in "The Next Voice You Hear..." (1950) was positively received. Her role in "Night into Morning" (1951) was a favorite of her own, portraying a widow dealing with grief.

In 1952, she left MGM after her contract was terminated, intending to seek more varied roles. That same year, she married Ronald Reagan and they had their first child, Patti. She appeared in science fiction film "Donovan's Brain" (1953) and her last credited roles included "Hellcats of the Navy" (1957).

Public Service and First Lady

Nancy Reagan served as First Lady of California during Ronald Reagan's governorship from 1967 to 1975. During this period, she engaged in social work, including involvement with the Foster Grandparents Program.

Following Reagan's election as President, she assumed the role of First Lady in January 1981. Her tenure was marked by initiatives such as the "Just Say No" drug awareness campaign, which aimed to oppose recreational drug use, especially among youth. She was involved in decisions regarding White House decor, notably replacing the China set paid for by private donors, and accepted clothing from fashion designers.

Her tenure as First Lady was also scrutinized after reports in 1988 revealed she consulted an astrologer to help plan the President's schedule following an assassination attempt in 1981. She was perceived to exert significant influence on her husband's personnel and diplomatic decisions.

Later Life

After leaving the White House, Reagan resided in Bel Air, Los Angeles. She dedicated herself to supporting her husband through his decline due to Alzheimer's disease, which was diagnosed in 1994. Ronald Reagan died in 2004 at age 93. Nancy Reagan remained involved with the Reagan Library and engaged politically, advocating for causes such as embryonic stem cell research. She died from congestive heart failure at age 94 on March 6, 2016. Her later years were characterized by high public regard for her fidelity to her husband during his terminal illness.