Nelle Clyde Wilson Reagan

(July 24, 1883 - July 25, 1962)

Mother of Ronald “Dutch” Reagan (Class of 1932) and Neil “Moon” Reagan (Class of 1933)

During the 1930s Eureka College did not recognize “Parent/s of the Year” as an annual award presented at the Honors’ Day convocation as it does now, but if this had been the practice at the time, Nelle Wilson Reagan would certainly have been a contender for such accolades. During the harsh years of the Great Depression, Nelle Wilson Reagan was the steadfast wife and mother who kept her family together while managing to put both of her sons through college. Moreover, she did this while coping with the difficulties associated with her marriage to Jack Reagan, an alcoholic who could not keep a job and constantly moved his family from town to town across the state of Illinois.

Nelle Wilson married John Edward “Jack” Reagan in 1906. Although she was a Protestant, a member of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), the wedding ceremony was a Catholic one as Jack Reagan came from a devout Irish Roman Catholic background. Mrs. Reagan served as the acknowledged moral leader of the household and she worked to impart meaningful values in her sons.

In many respects, Nelle Wilson Reagan was a thoroughly “modern” woman. She was devout in her religious beliefs, but she also believed in and lived the social gospel as she worked to help others. She regularly visited prisoners and victims of tuberculosis who were hospitalized as she tried to teach her children that none should be marginalized since all were children of God. In addition, she taught her sons to understand that their father’s alcoholism was not a moral failing but a disease, and as such, they should hold no resentment toward him for an affliction that was beyond his control.

Ronald Reagan lived in ten different houses before his family finally settled in Dixon, Illinois, where he attended high school. The Reagan sons had few lasting childhood friends because they moved so frequently. Nelle Wilson Reagan also had a limited circle of social acquaintances because of the all-too-frequent relocation of the family from town to town. As a result, she doted on her children and tried to empower them through a values based education. In addition, she organized drama recitals for young neighborhood children and inspired young “Dutch” to find joy in acting.

When the family finances ran thin during the Great Depression and the obligation of tuition had to be met, Nelle Wilson Reagan began working as a salesclerk and a seamstress at a local dress shop in Dixon. There were many weeks in which she was the only breadwinner in the family, but she managed to hold things together.

The Reagans did not own an automobile and the distance between Dixon and Eureka in the 1930s was vast, so Nelle’s visits to the campus were quite infrequent. She was not able to attend all of the football games, swim meets, or theatre productions in which her children participated, but frequent letters home from “Dutch” and “Moon” kept her informed about what was happening “neath the elms” at Eureka College.

Ronald Reagan adored his mother and considered her a saint throughout his life. Whenever any good fortune came his way in his later life, he always credited that it was Nelle who was smiling down upon him. After signing his movie contract with Warner Brothers, Ronald Reagan purchased a home for his parents in California in 1939—it was the first home that they ever owned.

An afterthought . . .

Heavy rainstorms occurred on May 9, 2000, when the Reagan Peace Garden was dedicated. There were downpours in the morning and the skies remained threatening into the afternoon when the dedication ceremony was scheduled to take place. When Maureen Reagan stepped forward to speak the clouds cleared and sun began to shine through. Maureen paused and said “The sun always shines on Ronald Reagan,” and then added, “It’s got to be Nelle…”