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The Making of a Man: How Ronald Reagan’s Childhood Shaped His Character
The Making of a Man:
How Ronald Reagan’s Childhood Shaped His Character
By Eloise Smith, Curator
From the couches in the parlor to the magazine prints on the walls, the character of President Ronald Reagan—his faith, frugality, charity, and humility—echoes throughout his childhood home in Dixon, Illinois.
The Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home and the Reagan Ranch, both preserved by Young America’s Foundation to educate and inspire young people, serve as natural bookends to the life story of one of America’s greatest Presidents. They display the memories, values, and lessons that Reagan carried with him from his childhood through his Presidency.
It is evident from the President’s humble childhood home, built in 1891—which the Reagan family rented because they could not afford to purchase their own home—how and where Ronald Reagan developed his lifelong values. Growing up in Dixon—with his father, Jack; mother, Nelle; and brother, Neil—was a formative experience for the future leader of the free world.
One of the biggest influences on young Ronald was Nelle,
who taught her sons the importance of treating others with dignity and respect. She was also a woman of great faith who believed in the Divine Plan—that God has a path for everyone, and everything happens for a reason. Over time, Nelle built a collection of teacups in the family dining room. Though she had a profitable sewing business, Nelle would often use her skills to benefit those President Ronald Reagan enjoys reading the Dixon Evening Telegraph less fortunate than her own in the Oval Office to stay abreast of the news in his hometown. struggling family. In lieu of payment, she would ask for a teacup and saucer—she made clear that they did not even have to match—from those she helped. Upon receiving a cup and saucer, she would place them in the dining room china cabinet and pray for the respective family’s welfare. Nelle viewed her approach as giving members of her community a hand up rather than a handout. President Reagan would later say, “The dreams of people may differ, but everyone wants their dreams to come true…everybody wants to do something with one’s life that will give him or her pride and a sense of accomplishment.” His observation of his mother’s actions, both in charity and prayer, impacted his view of hard
Brothers Ronald (right) and Neil (left) Reagan developed their values of faith, frugality, charity, and humility during their modest childhood in the quintessential Midwestern town of Dixon, Illinois. Throughout Reagan’s childhood, his mother would faithfully bring him to First Christian Church, which still stands in Dixon today. Ronald and Neil shared this upstairs bedroom during their childhood because their mother, Nelle, kept the guest bedroom ready to house those who had fallen on hard times.
work and individual dignity.
As a committed member and teacher at First Christian Church in Dixon, Nelle brought Ronald to church every Sunday. Importantly, she taught him that to be faithful, he needed to do more than attend church.
Nelle lived out Christian charity by opening up her family’s home to the local poor and recently released prisoners until they could land on their feet. Because she kept one bedroom ready for such guests in the threebedroom home, Neil and Ronald shared a small room and slept in the same bed.
When Ronald was in college, Nelle’s generosity took on even greater significance. During his junior year at Eureka College, his football team stopped in Dixon on their way to a game. The hotel where the team was scheduled to stay overnight informed the coach that the team’s two black players would not be allowed to room there.
In response, Ronald proposed the coach inform the team that the hotel did not have enough rooms for everyone, so Ronald and the two black players were going to spend the night at the Reagans’ home. The coach approved, and Ronald and his teammates were warmly welcomed by Nelle and Jack.
Reagan remarked about his mother, “She was absolutely color blind when it came to racial matters; these fellows were just two of my friends. That was the way she and Jack had
always raised my brother and me.” Jack and Nelle strongly believed in religious and racial tolerance—largely because of their own experiences. Jack was the grandson of Irish Catholic immigrants and grew up in an era when anti-Irish and antiCatholic discrimination were prevalent. Both Jack and Nelle “drummed into [my brother and me] the importance of judging people as individuals,” Reagan wrote in his autobiography, An American Life. He noted, “There was no more grievous sin at our household than a racial slur or other evidence of religious or racial intolerance.” President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan visit the President’s When students and boyhood home in Dixon, Illinois, with Reagan’s brother, Neil, in 1981. visitors of all ages walk into President Reagan’s boyhood home today, the stories the rooms and walls tell strike a chord. They reveal in a tangible way that our 40th President’s character was more than skin deep. Indeed, it was here in Dixon that Ronald Reagan developed the values that would later influence him to sign the largest tax cuts in U.S. history, stand up to the Soviet Union, and encourage future generations of Americans to fight for faith and freedom. ———————————————————————— Select photos in this article (Reagan reading the newspaper, young Ronald and Neil Reagan, and Reagan on the football team) are courtesy of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum.
Photo courtesy Dirck Halstead / The LIFE Images Collection via Getty Images
The Bible in the parents’ bedroom of the Reagan Boyhood Home remains open to 2 Chronicles 7:14, the favorite verse of both Ronald Reagan and his mother, Nelle.
Conference Date Location
Young Americans for Freedom Training Seminar* Atlanta Freedom Conference High School Conference at the Reagan Ranch The Great Beginnings Seminar for Middle Schoolers Freedom Unveiled Seminar*
January 28 and 29 Reston, VA February 11 and 12 Atlanta, GA March 16 to 19 Santa Barbara, CA April 2 Santa Barbara, CA April 8 and 9 Dixon, IL Standing Up for Faith & Freedom Seminar April 22 and 23 Reston, VA American Exceptionalism Seminar at the Reagan Boyhood Home May 6 and 7 Dixon, IL Liberate America From Wokeness Seminar* June 17 and 18 Dixon, IL High School Conference at the Reagan Ranch June 22 to 25 Santa Barbara, CA National High School Leadership Conference July 6 to 9 Reston, VA National Conservative Student Conference* July 25 to 30 Washington, D.C. High School Free Enterprise Leaders Conference September 16 and 17 Reston, VA Road to Freedom Seminar* September 23 and 24 Santa Barbara, CA High School Conference at the Reagan Ranch October 19 to 22 Santa Barbara, CA Fall College Retreat* November 11 and 12 Washington, D.C. Escaping Communism Seminar December 2 and 3 Santa Barbara, CA
* For college students only
For more information, visit YAF.org or contact conference directors Madison Habersetzer at 888-872-1776 / madisonh@reaganranch.org or Jaime Hahn at 800-872-1776 / jhahn@yaf.org
