FIRST LADY NANCY DAVIS REAGAN - TYPED LETTER SIGNED 05/06/1970 - HFSID 263250

NANCY DAVIS REAGAN
The First Lady and actress signed and sent this typed letter to Mr. Blackwell thanking him for the brown and white outfit
Typed Letter Signed: "Nancy Reagan", 1p, 6¼x9¼. Sacramento, California, 1970 May 6. To Mr. Blackwell, R.L. Spencer, Inc., Los Angeles, California. In full: "Thank you so much for sending the pretty brown and white costume. I'm sure I will get a lot of use out of it, and it certainly was worth waiting for. I hope you enjoyed your short visit to Sacramento. It was nice to meet you, and my thanks again." In 1958, former actor Richard Blackwell, with the help of friend R.L. Spencer, who owned a dress company, launched his first collection of dress wear, labeled "Mr. Blackwell". In the 1980s, when women began dressing more casually, Blackwell's fashion business crumbled, but he continued to author his popular annual "Best and Worst Dressed" list. Nancy Davis Reagan(1921-2016) appeared on his "Best Dressed" list. She was an actress and First Lady who married U.S. President and actor Ronald Reagan in 1952. When both were actors, she noticed that her name was on the Hollywood blacklist, associating her with the Communist Party. An affiliation with the Communist Party would mean the end of her career, so she consulted with film director Mervyn LeRoy. LeRoy connected her with Screen Actors Guild President Ronald Reagan in 1949, who assured her that there were multiple actresses named Nancy Davis and that he would make sure her name was removed from the blacklist. As an actress, Nancy appeared in film and television roles including The Next Voice You Hear… (1950) and Hellcats of the Navy (1957). The latter film is the only film collaboration between Nancy and Ronald. The two also appeared in an episode of the Zane Grey Theatre (1956-1961) together in 1961. She became the First Lady of California (1967-1975) and the First Lady of the United States (1981-1989) as her husband became an elected official. In the White House, Nancy became an influential force. She renovated the White House and, following an assassination attempt in 1981, threw herself into protecting the President. Her influence on the decision-making process for the President was unprecedented. As First Lady, she also launched the “Just Say No” anti-drug program. Mrs. Reagan was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2002. Two, nail head-size file nicks at upper and lower blank right areas. Lightly creased. Otherwise, fine condition.