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Ronald Reagan, 1911-2004: One of America's Most Popular Presidents |
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Before he became the 40th president, Reagan was an actor and
governor of California. Transcript of radio broadcast: |
ANNOUNCER:
Welcome
to People in America in VOA Special English. Today Gwen Outen and Steve
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Ronald Reagan |
Ember tell about America's fortieth president, Ronald
Reagan. Experts say Ronald Reagan re-defined the American presidency during his
two terms in the nineteen eighties. He became president when he was
sixty-nine years old. It was a far different place from that of his birth
on February sixth, nineteen eleven.
(MUSIC)
VOICE
ONE:
Ronald
Wilson Reagan was born in Tampico, Illinois. His mother Nelle, father
Jack, and brother Neil lived above a bank in the town. Ronald Reagan’s
family began calling the baby “Dutch.” The nickname
remained for the rest of his life.
Jack
Reagan worked at a general store. The family was poor. Yet, in a
book about his life, Ronald Reagan wrote that he never felt poor. He was good
at sports, especially football. During the summers, he was a lifeguard at a
local swimming pool. He reportedly rescued many people from drowning.
Ronald
Reagan said there was a feeling of security throughout his childhood. But
it was not perfect. His father was dependent on alcohol.
VOICE
TWO:
Ronald
Reagan studied at Eureka College in Illinois. After seeing a play at college,
he said: “More than anything in the world, I wanted to speak the actor’s
words.”
But
Ronald Reagan did not have enough money to go to New York or Hollywood to
become an actor. So, after college he found a job as a sports broadcaster
for a radio station in Iowa. Later he moved to a bigger radio station in
Chicago, Illinois. He announced the action of baseball games. This work took
him on a trip to California. He took a screen test to become an actor. Warner
Brothers Studios offered him a job.
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Ronald
Reagan as ''The Gipper.'' |
Ronald
Reagan moved to Hollywood and became a movie star. He appeared in many
movies. “Knute Rockne – All American,” is probably his most famous. It is
where he got the nickname “The Gipper.”
Mister
Reagan played George Gipp, one of the greatest college football players ever.
In the movie, he speaks of the school’s football team as he is dying.
RONALD
REAGAN:
“...Ask
them to go in there with all they got, win just one for the Gipper.”
VOICE
ONE:
Those
words, “win one for the Gipper,” later became a political battle cry for Ronald
Reagan. In nineteen forty, he married actress Jane Wyman. They had two children,
Maureen and Michael. But the marriage ended in nineteen forty-nine.
Ronald
Reagan became president of the main labor group for movie actors in nineteen
forty-eight. He served six terms. He met actress Nancy Davis
through the union. They married in nineteen fifty-two. They later had two
children, Patti and Ron.
At this
time, Ronald Reagan was a member of the Democratic Party who described himself
as a liberal. But, he became increasingly conservative as his worries about
communism grew. He opposed anyone in the movie industry who supported
communism.
(MUSIC)
VOICE
TWO:
In the
early nineteen fifties, Ronald Reagan began to appear on television. He
presented dramatic shows produced by the General Electric Company. He
became a spokesman for the company. Mister Reagan learned a lot about public
speaking. He began to campaign for Republican Party political candidates a few
years later. Reagan developed the ability to reach people through his speeches.
He later became known as “The Great Communicator.”
Nancy
Reagan supported her husband’s political interests. Political experts say
she was always his most important adviser.
In
nineteen sixty-six, Ronald Reagan announced his own candidacy for governor of
California. Democrats in the state did not think he was a serious
candidate. However, Mister Reagan was elected governor by almost one
million votes.
Ronald
Reagan received mixed public opinion as governor of the nation’s most populated
state. He was praised for lowering California’s debt, yet criticized for
raising taxes. Voters re-elected him as governor in nineteen
seventy.
VOICE
ONE:
Ronald
Reagan was unsuccessful in his first two attempts to win the Republican
nomination for president. Then, in nineteen eighty, he became the
Republican Party’s presidential candidate. His opponent was President
Jimmy Carter.
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Ronald
Reagan debates Jimmy Carter in 1980 |
The two
men debated on national television. Ronald Reagan spoke directly and
simply to the American people and asked them some questions:
RONALD
REAGAN:
“Are
you better off than you were four years ago? Is it easier for you to go
and buy things in the stores than it was four years ago? Is there more or
less unemployment in the country than there was four years ago?”
VOICE
TWO:
Ronald
Reagan won the United States presidential election by a huge majority. He and
his vice-president, George Herbert Walker Bush, were sworn into office in
January, nineteen eighty-one. Many people called the change in political
power “The Reagan Revolution.”
President
Reagan immediately began to work to honor a major campaign promise. He
called on Congress to lower taxes. But only two months later, tragedy
struck. A mentally sick man shot the president and three other people
outside a hotel in Washington. President Reagan and his press secretary, James
Brady, were severely wounded.
Mister
Reagan had a bullet in his left lung, close to his heart. But he showed
his sense of humor at the hospital. As the president was taken into the
operating room he said he hoped all the doctors were Republicans.
Ronald
Reagan recovered from the shooting and returned to work within two weeks.
VOICE
ONE:
The
President now began work on his main goal to reduce the size of the federal
government. He had campaigned on the idea that the government was too
costly and interfered too much in the lives of Americans.
Mister
Reagan and Congress reduced taxes and cut spending for social programs.
The administration argued that these actions would create economic growth.
Extremely
high inflation rates did begin to fall. But the United States’ debt rose
sharply. This was partly from big increases in military spending.
The
Reagan economic policy became known as “Reaganomics.” It had, and still
has, supporters and opponents. Some people argued that the cuts in social
programs greatly hurt poor people. Others said the policy improved the
economy.
President
Reagan sought re-election in nineteen eighty-four. His Democratic opponent was
former Vice-President Walter Mondale. Again Mister Reagan won the
election by a large amount.
(MUSIC)
VOICE
TWO:
President
Reagan dealt with many serious foreign issues while in office. He sent
American Marines to Lebanon to stop the fighting among several opposing
groups. But more than two hundred Marines were killed in an extremist
bomb attack.The so-called “Reagan Doctrine” was the Administration’s most
famous foreign policy. That policy was to support anti-communist forces
anywhere in the world. Under the policy, American forces invaded the
Caribbean island nation of Grenada. The policy also led to secret United
States support for rebels in Nicaragua.
President
Reagan met with Soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev several times in an effort to
reduce nuclear weapons. He gave a famous speech at the Berlin Wall that divided
Soviet-controlled East Germany from West Germany on June twelfth, nineteen
eighty-seven.
RONALD
REAGAN:
“General
Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet
Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this
gate! Mister Gorbachev, open this gate! Mister Gorbachev, tear down
this wall!”
VOICE
ONE:
Some
historians say Ronald Reagan helped cause the fall of the Soviet Union.
They say his military spending forced the Soviets to spend more, too. They
say this led to the communist nation’s economic failure.
President
Reagan enjoyed very high public approval ratings throughout his presidency.
Many Americans considered him a friendly leader, a “man of the people,” filled
with hope for America.
VOICE TWO:
Ronald
and Nancy Reagan returned to California after his second term ended in nineteen
eighty-nine. In nineteen ninety-four, Mister Reagan wrote an open letter
to the American people. He informed them that he had the brain disease
Alzheimer’s. The former president expressed his love for the country and
thanked Americans for letting him serve. And, he wrote: “I know that for
America there will always be a bright dawn ahead.”
Ronald
Reagan died at his home in California on June fifth, two thousand four.
He was ninety-three.
(MUSIC)
VOICE
ONE:
This
program was written by Caty Weaver. Mario Ritter was the producer.
I’m Gwen Outen.
VOICE
TWO:
And I’m
Steve Ember. Listen again next week for another People in America in VOA
Special English.