The Education of Ronald Reagan: The General Electric Years and the Untold Story of His Conversion to Conservatism
In October 1964, Ronald Reagan gave a televised speech in support of Republican presidential nominee Barry Goldwater. "The Speech," as it has come to be known, helped launch Ronald Reagan as a leading force in the American conservative movement. However, less than twenty years earlier, Reagan was a prominent Hollywood liberal, the president of the Screen Actors Guild, and a fervent supporter of FDR and Harry Truman. While many agree that Reagan's anticommunism grew out of his experiences with...
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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
\ The Washington TimesA revelation... Definitely worth reading for those who want to know how Ronald Reagan evolved into the 'Great Communicator' of political yore.\ — A.G. Gancarski\ \ \ \ \ \ Sacramento News and Review[ The Education of Ronald Reagan] fills a hole in Reagan's biography.\ — Daniel Oppenheimer\ \ \ \ Washington LawyerEvans's book is essential reading... a reasoned exploration of the shaping of an extraordinary political career.\ — Joseph C. Goulden\ \ \ \ \ \ National InterestThe Education of Ronald Reagan admirably fills... [a] gap... One of the most illuminating books ever written about Reagan.\ — Jacob Heilbrunn\ \ \ \ \ \ The Midwest Book Review[ The Education of Ronald Reagan]provides fresh revelations on Reagan's ideological development... a 'must' for any college level collection.\ \ \ \ \ \ Claremont Review of BooksEvans is undoubtedly correct to home in on the G.E. years as the key period in Reagan's self education.\ — Steven F. Hayward\ \ \ \ \ \ Register of the Kentucky Historical SocietyEvans provides useful insight into Reagan's GE years and calls attention to the influence of Boulware. \ — Emilie Raymond\ \ \ \ \ \ BizVoiceI recommend strongly that you get the (book).\ — Newt Gingrich\ \ \ \ \ \ Labor HistoryAn important work that ought to be read.\ — Ronald W. Schatz\ \ \ \ \ \ The Wall Street JournalAn elegant history of Reagan's 'studies' with General Electric.\ \ \ \ \ \ The Washington TimesA revelation... Definitely worth reading for those who want to know how Ronald Reagan evolved into the 'Great Communicator' of political yore.\ \ \ \ \ \ Sacramento News and Review[ The Education of Ronald Reagan] fills a hole in Reagan's biography.\ \ \ \ \ \ Washington LawyerEvans's book is essential reading... a reasoned exploration of the shaping of an extraordinary political career.\ \ \ \ \ \ Nicholas LemannA better companion to [ The Reagan Diaries].... By focusing on the decade or so when Reagan was a traveling spokesman for General Electric—a period that he began as a Democrat and ended as a Republican—Evans does a persuasive job of explaining where Reagan's political views came from.\ \ \ \ \ \ National InterestThe Education of Ronald Reagan admirably fills... [a] gap... One of the most illuminating books ever written about Reagan.\ \ \ \ \ \ Claremont Review of BooksEvans is undoubtedly correct to home in on the G.E. years as the key period in Reagan's self education.\ \ \ \ \ \ Register of the Kentucky Historical SocietyEvans provides useful insight into Reagan's GE years and calls attention to the influence of Boulware.\ \ \ \ \ \ BizVoiceI recommend strongly that you get the (book).\ \ \ \ \ \ Labor HistoryAn important work that ought to be read.\ \ \ \ \ \ The Wall Street JournalAn elegant history of Reagan's 'studies' with General Electric.\ — John H. Fund\ \ \
