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Jack Reagan

John Edward "Jack" Reagan (July 13, 1883 – May 18, 1941) was an American salesman of Irish Catholic descent best known as the father of Neil Reagan and Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States.^[1]^[2] Born in Fulton, Illinois, Reagan worked primarily as a traveling shoe salesman and store manager, facing frequent job instability due to economic downturns and his struggles with alcoholism.^[1]^[2] He married Nelle Clyde Wilson in 1904, and the couple raised their two sons amid relocations across Illinois towns including Tampico—where Ronald was born in 1911—Galesburg, and Dixon.^[1]^[2] Despite his personal challenges, Jack Reagan was described by his son Ronald as a gregarious and affectionate figure with a grade-school education who instilled a strong work ethic and lessons in human dignity, particularly in combating prejudice; Ronald later recounted how his father defended him against anti-Catholic bias and extended kindness to individuals regardless of race or background during the Great Depression.^[2]^[3] His alcoholism, however, led to family hardships, including lost employment and financial strain, shaping Ronald's early awareness of personal responsibility and resilience.^[1]^[2] Reagan died in 1941 after years of battling health issues related to his habits, leaving a legacy primarily through his influence on his presidential son rather than independent accomplishments.^[1]

Ancestry and Early Life

Irish Catholic Roots

Jack Reagan's paternal ancestry traced to Catholic immigrants from County Tipperary, Ireland, where the Reagan (originally Regan or O'Regan) surname originated among clans in the region.^[4]^[5] His great-grandfather, Michael Reagan, was baptized on September 3, 1829, in Ballyporeen, County Tipperary, as the youngest son of Thomas Reagan, a farmer, and Mary Regan (née Regan).^[6]^[7] The family belonged to the Roman Catholic parish there, reflecting the predominant faith among Irish Gaels in pre-famine Munster.^[5] Amid the Great Famine of the 1840s, which devastated Tipperary and prompted mass emigration, Michael left Ireland around 1849, initially laboring in London as a laborer or clerk.^[8]^[4] On October 31, 1852, he married Catherine Mulcahy in St. George's Cathedral, Southwark, London; she was also from County Tipperary, linking both sides of the immediate immigrant generation to the same Irish county and Catholic traditions.^[9] The couple emigrated to the United States shortly thereafter, arriving by 1853 and settling in rural Whiteside County, Illinois, where Michael worked odd jobs before dying around 1874.^[7]^[5] Michael and Catherine's son, John Michael Reagan (born circa 1854 in Illinois), Jack's father, carried forward the Irish Catholic heritage despite intermarriage with Margaret "Jenny" Cusick, of Scots-Irish descent.^[10] Jack, born in 1883, was immersed in this background, with family stories of Tipperary origins and Catholic practices shaping his identity; he often sang Irish ballads and identified strongly with his heritage, even as personal struggles later distanced him from formal religiosity.^[11]^[12] The paternal line's Catholicism contrasted with the Protestant Scots-English maternal side of Ronald Reagan's family, highlighting the immigrant roots' enduring cultural and religious imprint.^[3]

Birth and Childhood in Illinois

John Edward "Jack" Reagan was born on July 13, 1883, in Fulton, a small town in Whiteside County, Illinois.^[1]^[13] His parents were John Michael Reagan, born in 1854 in England to Irish immigrant parents, and Jennie Cusick, whose lineage also traced to Irish roots.^[14] The Reagan family maintained strong ties to Irish Catholic traditions, with Jack raised in the Catholic Church from infancy, reflecting his paternal grandparents' heritage—Michael Reagan and Catherine Mulcahy, who had married in London in 1852 before emigrating to the United States.^[1]^[5] Jack's early childhood unfolded in Fulton, a Mississippi River community where his family resided amid modest circumstances typical of late-19th-century Midwestern towns.^[15] Limited records detail daily life, but the household was shaped by his father's occupation—likely manual labor or trade, given the era's economic patterns for Irish-American families—and the cultural influences of Catholicism and immigrant storytelling.^[3] By age five, however, stability ended with the death of his father on March 10, 1889, in Fulton, leaving Jack and his siblings orphaned or under strained guardianship.^[14]^[16] This loss prompted the dispersal of the children; Jack, at approximately six years old, remained in Illinois briefly before arrangements were made to live with relatives elsewhere, marking the transition from his Illinois roots.^[17]^[18] His time in Fulton thus encapsulated a formative but truncated phase, steeped in family heritage yet curtailed by tragedy, with no evidence of formal education or notable events recorded prior to the upheaval.^[15]

Professional Career

Initial Jobs and Economic Struggles

John Edward "Jack" Reagan entered the workforce after completing only a grade-school education, initially taking up positions in sales.^[2] By the early 1900s, following his marriage to Nelle Wilson in November 1904, he focused primarily on selling shoes, working as a clerk for firms like the Faultless Shoe Company in Galesburg, Illinois.^[19] In February 1911, at the time of his second son Ronald's birth, Reagan held a job as a clerk in the H.C. Akers General Store in Tampico, Illinois, reflecting his early reliance on retail and mercantile roles in small Midwestern towns.^[20] Economic instability marked Reagan's early career, exacerbated by frequent relocations across Illinois communities such as Tampico, Monmouth, Galesburg, and later Dixon, often in pursuit of better sales opportunities.^[21] His alcoholism, which persisted throughout his adult life, undermined job retention despite his acknowledged gift for salesmanship, leading to periods of unemployment and financial strain on the family.^[2]^[22] Money remained perpetually tight, with the household scraping by amid inconsistent income from commission-based shoe peddling and general store work.^[22]^[23] These early professional challenges were compounded during the Great Depression, when sales jobs became scarcer, forcing further dependence on temporary gigs and familial support, though Reagan's core struggles originated in the pre-Depression years from personal habits rather than solely macroeconomic forces.^[2]^[3]

Long-Term Role in Shoe Sales

John Edward "Jack" Reagan pursued a career in shoe sales for over three decades, primarily as a retail clerk and traveling salesman in small-town Illinois stores, where he specialized in footwear amid fluctuating economic conditions.^[2] His roles often involved direct customer interaction in general merchandise outlets and dedicated shoe departments, reflecting the era's common practice of itinerant salesmanship tied to agricultural cycles in farm communities.^[24] In 1913, Reagan secured a position as a shoe salesman at Marshall Field's department store on Chicago's South Side, a brief urban stint before returning to rural prospects.^[25] By the early 1920s, after the family settled in Dixon, Illinois, Reagan co-owned the Fashion Boot Shop, demonstrating entrepreneurial involvement in the local footwear trade despite broader financial instability.^[26] He approached the profession with notable diligence, enrolling in correspondence courses on sales techniques and dedicating time to studying foot anatomy to enhance fitting accuracy and customer satisfaction—practices he emphasized in advising his son Ronald on persistence in sales.^[19] These efforts underscored his view of shoe selling as a skill-based craft requiring anatomical knowledge and persuasive engagement, though ventures like a short-lived independent shoe store highlighted the challenges of ownership in Depression-era markets.^[20] Reagan's shoe sales work persisted through the Great Depression, supplemented intermittently by government relief distribution roles, but footwear retail remained his core occupation until the family's 1937 relocation to Los Angeles, where he continued in the trade in West Hollywood until his death in 1941.^[27] This long-term commitment, spanning towns like Tampico, Galesburg, and Dixon, provided modest income amid frequent job shifts, with annual earnings typically hovering around $1,000–$1,500 in the 1920s before economic downturns reduced opportunities.^[2]

Family and Personal Challenges

Marriage and Household Dynamics

John Edward "Jack" Reagan married Nelle Clyde Wilson on November 8, 1904, in Fulton, Illinois, at the Catholic Church of the Immaculate Conception.^[28] The couple, both in their early twenties, settled initially in small Illinois towns where Jack pursued sales work, but their household was characterized by frequent relocations— including Tampico, Monmouth, Galesburg, and Dixon—driven by Jack's unstable employment as a shoe salesman.^[1]^[29] The marriage endured significant strain from Jack's chronic alcoholism, which led to job losses, financial hardship, and episodes of public embarrassment for the family.^[1]^[2] Despite these challenges, the Reagans did not divorce, and Jack was often described as affectionate and kind toward his wife and sons when sober.^[30] Nelle, a devout member of the Disciples of Christ denomination with Scottish-English roots, provided the primary moral and emotional anchor, reading Bible stories to her children and instilling values of faith and resilience that countered the instability.^[2] Religious differences marked the dynamic—Jack retained nominal Catholic ties from his Irish heritage, while Nelle's Protestant influence shaped their younger son Ronald more profoundly, though the family participated in both traditions variably.^[2] Household tensions arose particularly during Jack's drinking binges, which Ronald Reagan later recalled as creating a divide between his father's charismatic sober persona and the unreliability of his intoxicated states, fostering early lessons in imperfection and forgiveness.^[31] Nelle's role as the steady force was emphasized by Ronald, who credited her with holding the family together amid his father's struggles.^[30] The couple raised two sons, Neil born in 1908 and Ronald in 1911, in modest circumstances that reflected broader working-class challenges of the era, yet maintained a bond rooted in mutual dependence.^[1]

Fatherhood and Children

Jack Reagan and his wife Nelle Wilson married in November 1904 and had two sons: John Neil Reagan, born September 16, 1908, in Illinois, and Ronald Wilson Reagan, born February 6, 1911, in Tampico, Illinois.^[1]^[32] As a traveling shoe salesman, Jack frequently relocated the family across Illinois towns such as Tampico, Monmouth, Galesburg, and Dixon, and his job demands kept him away from home for extended periods, reducing his consistent presence in his sons' daily lives.^[2]^[3] Jack's alcoholism, which intensified during economic hardships, further limited his role as a reliable father figure; he experienced job losses and periods of heavy drinking that disrupted family stability, with Ronald recalling instances of finding his father unconscious from alcohol.^[22]^[33] Despite these challenges, Jack demonstrated affection and imparted values to his sons, including a robust work ethic that Ronald credited for his career progression from radio to film and beyond.^[34] He also taught opposition to discrimination, sharing personal stories of rejecting racial prejudice, such as refusing service to Black customers in his youth only to later regret and rectify it, lessons Ronald internalized and retold throughout his life.^[12]^[35] Neil Reagan pursued a career in advertising, becoming a vice president at a Los Angeles firm, while Ronald achieved fame as an actor and later as U.S. President; both sons maintained contact with their father until his death on May 18, 1941, from complications related to alcoholism and heart issues, at age 57.^[1]^[2] Ronald's experiences with his father's alcoholism contributed to his later advocacy viewing it as a disease, influenced also by Nelle's teachings, though it left lasting effects on his interpersonal relationships, marked by emotional distance.^[22]^[2]^[31]

Alcoholism's Effects

Jack Reagan's chronic alcoholism contributed to persistent job instability in his sales career, resulting in multiple family relocations across Illinois towns including Tampico, Galesburg, Monmouth, and Dixon between 1910 and 1920, which disrupted the children's schooling and social stability.^[2]^[1] His drinking binges often left him incapacitated, as recalled by his son Ronald, who at age 11 discovered him unconscious in a snowbank during a winter storm in Galesburg around 1918, an incident that instilled lasting embarrassment and prompted Ronald to shield his father from public view by scouting ahead during visits with friends.^[22]^[12] The condition strained household dynamics, with Reagan's wife Nelle maintaining family cohesion through her religious faith and viewing alcoholism as an illness rather than a moral failing, a perspective she instilled in her sons to foster compassion rather than resentment; she refused divorce despite the hardships, prioritizing unity amid financial precarity.^[30]^[34] Ronald later described his father's drinking as habitual rather than episodic, noting it did not stem from external triggers but persisted steadily, influencing his own lifelong aversion to alcohol—he rarely drank and avoided it entirely after entering public life.^[29]^[25] On the children, the alcoholism fostered emotional resilience in Ronald, who credited it with shaping his optimistic worldview and emphasis on personal responsibility, though psychological analyses suggest it left subconscious scars manifesting in his adult quest for paternal approval and policy inclinations toward viewing addiction as a treatable disease rather than willful vice.^[36]^[22] Less is documented on direct effects on elder son Neil, but the family's collective experience underscored themes of forgiveness, as Nelle taught her boys to pray for their father's recovery without excusing the behavior.^[30] Jack's unreformed drinking likely accelerated his health decline, culminating in death from a heart attack on May 18, 1941, at age 57, though direct causal links remain unverified in medical records.^[1] While some biographers, including Ronald's son Ron Reagan Jr., have questioned the label of alcoholism by citing lack of evidence for dependency, Ronald's firsthand accounts and family biographies affirm its pervasive role in daily life.^[37]^[24]

Beliefs and Civic Engagement

Political Affiliation as a Democrat

Jack Reagan maintained a lifelong affiliation with the Democratic Party, characterized by active involvement in local politics and strong support for progressive economic policies. In the predominantly Republican areas of northern Illinois where the family resided, such as Dixon, Reagan's Democratic leanings stood out, reflecting his populist sympathies and belief in government intervention to aid working-class families amid economic hardship.^[2]^[19] Following Franklin D. Roosevelt's election as president on November 8, 1932, Reagan's Democratic activism was recognized with an appointment as local director of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in Dixon, Illinois, a New Deal program aimed at providing employment during the Great Depression. This role, which began around 1933, offered steady work and income to the Reagan family after years of instability in the shoe sales industry, underscoring his alignment with Roosevelt's policies. Reagan, alongside his son Ronald, actively supported Roosevelt's campaigns, with the younger Reagan later recalling family enthusiasm for the president's fireside chats and relief efforts.^[2]^[38]^[39] Reagan's Democratic convictions were rooted in a fervent advocacy for labor rights and opposition to economic inequality, traits he instilled in his children despite his personal struggles with alcoholism. He remained a "devoted Democrat" until his death on May 18, 1941, never shifting to the Republican Party, in contrast to Ronald Reagan's later ideological evolution. Historical accounts describe him as a "sentimental Democrat" who prioritized the welfare of ordinary citizens over partisan expediency.^[40]^[19]

Opposition to Discrimination

Jack Reagan exhibited a strong personal opposition to racial and religious discrimination, rooted in his experiences as an Irish Catholic facing prejudice and extending to broader principles of individual judgment. He reportedly refused to stay at a hotel that boasted of excluding Jews, instead spending a freezing night sleeping in his car after confronting the clerk about the policy.^[41] On another occasion, while traveling as a shoe salesman, he chose to sleep in his car during a cold winter night rather than accept lodging at an establishment that discriminated against Black people.^[35] These actions reflected his broader stance against prejudice, which he instilled in his sons by emphasizing the evaluation of individuals based on merit rather than group affiliations, a lesson drawn partly from his own encounters with anti-Catholic bias.^[42] Reagan's aversion extended to organized bigotry, including vehement rejection of the Ku Klux Klan, which he opposed not only for its anti-Catholic elements threatening his faith but also for its racial animus.^[12] Despite his lifelong Democratic affiliation and support for figures like Franklin D. Roosevelt, Jack's anti-discrimination views led him to prioritize personal ethics over partisan conformity, as evidenced by his refusal to tolerate exclusionary practices in everyday interactions.^[43] His son Ronald later credited these examples with shaping a family ethos against racism, recounting how Jack and his wife Nelle encouraged their children to host Black playmates and treat others without preconceptions.^[44]

Later Years and Influence

Health Decline and Death

In the years leading up to his death, Jack Reagan's health was compromised by chronic alcoholism and heavy cigarette smoking—reportedly three packs per day—which contributed to cardiovascular strain.^[45] These factors, combined with the physical toll of his peripatetic sales career and economic pressures, likely accelerated his decline, though no extended period of documented illness is recorded prior to his fatal event.^[1] Reagan suffered a heart attack and died on May 18, 1941, at age 57 in West Hollywood, California.^[1]^[27] He was buried in Calvary Cemetery in East Los Angeles.^[27] The sudden nature of his passing occurred amid family transitions, with son Ronald Reagan then pursuing his acting career in California, marking the end of Jack's influence on the household dynamics shaped by his personal struggles.^[1]

Enduring Impact on Sons

Jack Reagan's opposition to racial and religious bigotry left a lasting impression on his sons, Ronald and Neil. Ronald Reagan later recalled his father's refusal to allow him and Neil to view the 1915 film The Birth of a Nation because of its glorification of the Ku Klux Klan and its racist depictions, interpreting this as an early lesson in rejecting prejudice despite the era's widespread Klan revival targeting Catholics, Jews, and immigrants.^[43]^[29] Jack's own experiences with anti-Irish and anti-Catholic discrimination, stemming from his immigrant Catholic heritage, reinforced this stance, which Ronald credited for shaping his commitment to individual dignity over group animosities.^[46] The elder Reagan's charismatic storytelling and persuasive salesmanship influenced both sons' communication styles. Ronald Reagan inherited his father's gift for vivid yarns and audience engagement, which he applied in acting, politics, and public speaking, often drawing from Jack's anecdotal flair honed in shoe sales.^[47] Neil Reagan, pursuing a career in advertising and radio production, mirrored his father's commercial acumen, rising to senior vice president at McCann Erickson and managing stations, reflecting Jack's persistent, if unstable, pursuit of sales success amid economic hardship.^[1]^[48] Jack's alcoholism, marked by periodic binges rather than constant inebriation, instilled caution in Ronald, who abstained from alcohol lifelong and viewed his father's relapses—such as waking him at age 11 to find Jack passed out in a snowbank—as poignant warnings against dependency.^[22]^[29] This dynamic fostered Ronald's resilience and optimism, traits he contrasted with Jack's vulnerabilities, while Neil, more akin to his father in temperament and initial Democratic loyalty, navigated similar familial patterns without public estrangement.^[2] Both sons retained Jack's early Democratic affiliation and value of conviction-driven action, though Ronald's evolved into conservative leadership, attributing foundational principles of fairness to paternal example over maternal piety.^[3]^[48]

References

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Ronald Reagan's Parents John Edward “Jack” Reagan and Nelle Clyde Wilson. Jack was born in Fulton, Illinois on July 13, 1883 and raised in the Catholic Church.
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Jack Reagan was a gregarious man with a grade-school education who made his way as a salesman, usually of shoes. He was a dreamer and also an alcoholic. Years ...
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Aug 6, 2025 · The fourth part examines the dynamics and effects of single parent alcoholic families ... New York: John Wiley. Alcohol and human behavior.Missing: Edward | Show results with:Edward
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Jun 13, 2012 · Before long, drinking—a lot of drinking—was helping Jack to cope. Jack uprooted the family at every turn. Throughout young Ronald Reagan's ...Missing: Neil | Show results with:Neil
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One of the few Reagan family photos, taken in Tampico, Ill., in 1913. Left to right, John Edward ("Jack"), Neil, Ronald and Nelle Clyde.
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Jun 29, 2012 · Ronald Reagan was a persuasive speaker. He had a genuine ... Reagan inherited his early story telling style from his father, Jack Reagan.
[48]
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Jan 31, 2025 · Both Neil and Ronald had been Democrats since youth. Historian Anne Edwards described their Irish Catholic father, Jack, as a “fervent Democrat.