41: Ronald Reagan's Traumatic Childhood: An Alcoholic Father, an Optimistic Mother, and the Seeds of Aloofness. Max Boot discusses Ronald Reagan's childhood during the Great Depression, beginning in late 1932 when Reagan visited his father, Jack Reagan, in Sp
Update: 2025-11-03
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Ronald Reagan's Traumatic Childhood: An Alcoholic Father, an Optimistic Mother, and the Seeds of Aloofness.Max Boot discusses Ronald Reagan's childhood during the Great Depression, beginning in late 1932 when Reagan visited his father, Jack Reagan, in Springfield, Illinois, where Jack was running a shoe store. Jack Reagan, an Irish American shoe salesman, was characterized as a "ne'er-do-well" with a charming gift of blarney but plagued by alcoholism. His drinking problem contributed significantly to the misery of Ronald Reagan's childhood, as Jack repeatedly lost jobs, forcing the family to constantly move. This created a sense of dislocation in young Ronald, known as Dutch, and the need to conceal the "family secret" fostered a lasting sense of remoteness and a "mental barrier." His difficult childhood also resulted in an aversion to personality conflict, stemming from the numerous arguments he witnessed between his father and mother, Nelle. Ronald Reagan was born in a winter storm in 1911, with his nickname "Dutch" originating from his father's remark that he was a cheerful, chubby little baby boy. Nelle Reagan was an extremely admirable Protestant who belonged to the Disciples of Christ faith and was intensely religious and highly committed to community service. She was also a "frustrated actress" who cast Dutch and his brother Moon as extras in plays she staged. Nelle's relentlessly positive, upbeat, and optimistic personality taught her son that one must always look on the "sunny side of life," allowing Reagan to cope with his difficult childhood by always placing a positive gloss on it. A formative experience occurred around age 15 when Reagan secured a job as a lifeguard at the Rock River, saving 77 people from drowning and becoming a small-town hero, providing him with a taste of being renowned and admired.
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