In 2011, during the 100th anniversary year of Ronald Reagan’s birth, Young America’s Foundation supporter Mary Dell Pritzlaff stepped forward with a special gift to preserve the United States Secret Service (USSS) Command Post Acre at Rancho del Cielo.
Through Ms. Pritzlaff’s generous support, Young America’s Foundation not only made vast improvements to the USSS Command Post structure but also learned more of the USSS history at the Reagan Ranch. Without Ms. Pritzlaff’s vision and perseverance, this special building would not be
The Secret Service Command Post’s “ready room” is depicted in this Polaroid, one of only four known photos of Rancho del Cielo’s Command Post taken during Presidential years.
what it is today. Young America’s Foundation is grateful for Mary Dell Pritzlaff’s sacrificial gift to sponsor this important piece of Presidential and Reagan Ranch history.
Rancho del Cielo, Ronald Reagan, and th Young America’s Foundation Restores Important Part of Reagan Ranch History By danielle fowler, young y America’s foundation Alumna
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fter the assassination of President William McKinley in 1901, Congress directed the Secret Service to protect the President of the United States. Today, protection remains a key mission of the United States Secret Service, and Young America’s Foundation is honored to preserve a small, but significant, part of the USSS’s history at the Reagan Ranch. The Foundation cannot accurately share the history of the Western White House without revealing the history of the Secret Service at the Ranch as well as the agents’ unique relationships with President Reagan. During uring and after his Presidency, Secret Service agents protected President Reagan at his ranch retreat in the hills above Santa Barbara, California. Their vigilant presence allowed Ronald Reagan the luxury of leaving Washington to visit his beloved “Ranch in the Sky” for brief periods of time. The Ranch, however, proved to be unlike any other assignment that these agents had encountered (or would encounter again), as they protected the Commander-in-Chief on 688 open acres overlooking the Pacific Ocean and the Santa Ynez Valley. It was at the Ranch where the President enjoyed some of his favorite—but potentially dangerous activities—including horseback riding, chopping wood, and clearing brush. U Upon arriving at Rancho del Cielo, Secret Service agents quickly realized that this assignment was especially unique due to the character of their protectee, President Ronald Reagan. President Reagan personally welcomed each new agent to Rancho del Cielo. 30
Young America’s Foundation | Libertas | 15th Reagan Ranch Anniversary Issue