The Education of Ronald Reagan: The General Electric Years and the Untold Story of His Conversion to Conservatism
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Based on a newly discovered collection of private papers as well as interviews and corporate documents, Thomas W. Evans links the eight years (1954-1962) in which Reagan worked for General Electric-acting as host of its television program, GE Theater, and traveling the country as the company's public-relations envoy-to his conversion to conservatism. Evans particularly focuses on the profound influence of GE executive Lemuel Boulware, who would become Reagan's political and ideological mentor. Known for his innovative corporate strategies to win over workers and his tough stance against the "excesses" of union officials, Boulware championed the core tenets of modern American conservatism-free-market fundamentalism, anticommunism, lower taxes, and limited government. Building on the ideas and influence of Boulware, Reagan would soon begin his rise as a national political figure and an icon of the American conservative movement.
BackgroundA New Dealer to the Core 3Politics: War by Different Means 24A Postgraduate Course in Political ScienceBoulwarism 37The Plant Tour 57Schools, Classes, and Trains 69An Apprenticeship for Public LifeThe Campaign 83Allies 98The Speech 111Two Unions 126The Art of Negotiation 139Encouraging an Increasing Majority of CitizensThe Campaign Continues 157The Presidential Bug 185A President's Vision 199AppendixSpeeches of Reuther, Boulware, and ReaganWalter P. Reuther, Labor and the Community 224Lemuel Boulware, Salvation Is Not Free 229Ronald Reagan, A Time for Choosing ("The Speech") 238Notes 251References 277Acknowledgments 285Index 287
