Nancy Reagan biography

First Lady. Born July 6, 1923 (some sources say 1921) in New York City. Nancy Davis Reagan is a former film and stage actress who became First Lady of the United States when her husband, Ronald Reagan, was elected fortieth president in 1980. Mrs. Reagan served as First Lady from 1981 until 1989 and has since continued to campaign for such social causes as drug-free youth and the Foster Grandparent program. Mrs. Reagan spent most of her childhood in Chicago. Her mother, Edith Luckett Davis, was a stage actress, and her adoptive father, Dr. Loyal Davis, was a neurosurgeon. Mrs. Reagan attended Smith College, where she majored in drama. After her graduation in 1943 she secured work in summer stock productions. Eventually she moved to New York City and appeared in Broadway and Off-Broadway shows. In 1949 she signed a seven-year contract with MetroGoldwyn-Mayer in Hollywood, appearing in eleven films between 1950 and 1956. Nancy Davis married Ronald Reagan on March 4, 1952. Thereafter she curtailed her film work in deference to the needs of her husband and children. Ronald and Nancy Reagan made only one movie together, Hellcats of the Navy, released by Columbia Pictures in 1956. The Reagans raised two sons and two daughters--Maureen and Michael, offspring from Mr. Reagan's first marriage, and Patti and Ronald, Jr. All of the Reagan children are now married and living in California; the Reagans also have two grandchildren. Shortly after her husband became governor of California in 1967, Mrs. Reagan began visiting wounded Vietnam veterans and became active in projects concerning prisoners of war and servicemen missing in action. For some time she wrote a syndicated newspaper column, "Questions for Nancy," that addressed the POW/MIA issues. After visiting hospitals for physically and emotionally handicapped children, Mrs. Reagan became a strong supporter of the Foster Grandparent program, a nonprofit service that unites senior citizens with needy children. Mrs. Reagan continued her work with the Foster Grandparent program on a national level when she became First Lady. Mrs. Reagan's special project as First Lady was a campaign against drug and alcohol abuse among youth. She traveled nearly 200,000 miles throughout the United States and abroad as a spokeswoman for the "Just Say No" Foundation and its philosophy. Mrs.

Reagan also appeared on national television shows such as "Diff'rent Strokes," "Good Morning America," and the specials "The Chemical People" and "Chemical People II" to encourage youngsters and their communities to organize against drug abuse. Since leaving the White House in 1989 Mrs. Reagan has continued her work for drug-free youth under the aegis of the Nancy Reagan Foundation. Mrs. Reagan has co-authored three books, all of them nonfiction. Her work To Love a Child concerns the Foster Grandparent program and was written to help raise funds for the project. Her other books, Nancy and My Turn, detail her life as an actress, homemaker, and political figure. My Turn was published in 1989 and spent several weeks at the top of the bestseller lists. .