PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN - AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED 08/31 - HFSID 291376

RONALD REAGAN
Handwritten letter to singer/actor (and early supporter) Phil Regan and his wife Josephine, written on a note card bearing printed Presidential seal
Autograph Letter signed: "Ron", 1 page, 6¼x4¼. No place, August 31, n.y. On personal note card with imprinted Presidential seal to "Dear Jo & Phil" [Regan]. In full: "Your very nice letter reached me at last-not the fault of the postal service-just that I've been absent from the office for a couple of weeks. But thank you for your very kind words. Nancy sends a thank you also. We both appreciate your prayer and pray for your happiness." Ronald Reagan (1911-2004) had two careers: actor and politician. His first movie was Love is on the Air (1937) and his 53rd and last film was The Killers (1964). He was President of the Screen Actors Guld. In 1965, he wrote his autobiography, Where's the Rest of Me?, a line from his role as Drake McHugh in King's Row (1942). He hosted TV's Death Valley Days. During the failed Presidential campaign of Senator Barry Goldwater (1964), Reagan, a former Democrat, emerged as an eloquent spokesman for Goldwater and for the conservative cause. Elected Governor of California in 1966, he was reelected in 1970. Reagan began his campaign for the presidency and narrowly lost the 1976 Republican nomination to Gerald Ford. He was elected President in 1980 and was reelected in 1984. While Reagan was never without his critics, he had two undisputed achievements as President: moving the conservative message and program to the center of American politics; and helping to set in motion the collapse of the Soviet system which he had called "the evil empire." After leaving office in 1989, he wrote his second autobiography, An American Life. His final years were a valiant struggle against the ravages of Alzheimer's disease. Actor and singer Phil Regan (1906-1996) appeared in film musicals for Republic and Monogram in the 1930s and forties. He was among the first to endorse Ronald Reagan's gubernatorial bid in 1966. Regan served prison time for bribery in connection with a Santa Barbara real estate scheme. His wife, Josephine (Dwyer) died in 1994. Corners lightly worn. Adhesive residue at left edge. Fine condition.