Reagan A Life in Letters

Introduction You specified that you wanted to hear from me personally, so here I am," Ronald Reagan wrote to a citizen in 1981. And here he is, in his own words, in over 1,000 letters -- to family, friends, colleagues, and often to people he had never met. This book presents letters by Ronald Reagan written during 72 years of his life, from 1922 to 1994. Reagan revealed himself -- his beliefs, his values, his character, and his policies -- through these private letters. He made candid, considerate, and tough statements that he rarely made in a public speech or an open forum. He enjoyed responding to citizens, and comforting or giving advice or encouragement to friends. Throughout some periods of his life, there are many thousands of surviving letters written in his own hand. We created a database of over 5,000 letters of interest for which we have a hand-written draft or which he dictated. We have found thousands of others of lesser interest, and we believe that there are still scores more in private collections. Over the course of his life, Reagan may have written upwards of 10,000 letters.Reagan wrote to many people. He wrote to members of his family; to old friends from high school and college; to old friends from his years as a radio announcer, an actor, and a spokesman for General Electric. He wrote to Californians he came to know when he ran for and served as governor. He wrote to people who supported him financially, politically, and philosophically when he was running for president. He wrote to members of the media, some of whom were also friends; to movie fans who became friends and supporters; to heads of government; to civic and intellectual leaders; and to children and young people. Among Reagan's most unguarded correspondents were old friends such as Walter Annenberg, Laurence Beilenson, George Murphy, William F. Buckley Jr., Victor Krulak, and Barney Oldfield.He also wrote to "uncommon" people, as he called them -- typical Americans who wrote to him about his policies or their problems. Nancy Clark Reynolds, one of Reagan's secretaries during his governorship, reports that "Reagan was willing to talk to anybody. He was willing to write to anybody."Reagan reached out to people, including his critics, through letters. During the second year of Reagan's presidency, Deputy Chief of Staff Michael K. Deaver put it this way: "I don't think there's a day goes by that he doesn't appear with that yellow pad and say, 'Boy, did I let this guy know what I think.' " Reagan also wrote many letters of sympathy and support. Lindy Fekety (then Lindy St. Cyr), a secretarial assistant at the White House, remembers that she would "sometimes tear up listening to the tapes [on the Dictaphone] and typing up the letters. They were heartwarming and gallant." Chuck Donovan, deputy chief of the Correspondence Unit, saw thousands of Reagan's letters during his eight years at the White House. As he remembers, "It was emotion for emotion....He could be sympathetic for someone who needed it."Reagan especially seemed to enjoy correspondence with children. At the beginning of his governorship, Reynolds took responsiblity for letters that came from children. Later, she began giving these letters to Reagan, and he continued corresponding with children who wrote to him even during his presidency. "Even though he had tough days," she recalls, "he had an optimistic view of life. I saved children's letters for tough days."It was not until 1967 when Reagan became governor of California that much of his correspondence was systematically saved. Many early letters survive, however, offering fascinating glimpses into his life.During his years as governor, from 1967 to 1975, Reagan wrote letters in his office in the state capitol as well as in his home in Pacific Palisades, which he often visited on the weekend. He dictated some of them. It was in these years that Helene von Damm began a practice of giSkinner, Kiron K. is the author of 'Reagan A Life in Letters' with ISBN 9780743219662 and ISBN 074321966X.