Nancy Reagan

Nancy Reagan was her husband’s closest advisor and fiercest protector during his long political career, which began in the 1960s. As First Lady, she led the “Just Say No” campaign, her initiative to alert the nation to the dangers of drug abuse among children. Her tireless work brought about the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986. Nancy took her issue internationally and became the first First Lady to address the General Assembly of the United Nations when she spoke about the impact of international drug trafficking. Her detractors criticized her lavish designer wardrobe and her consultation with an astrologer about her husband’s well-being during her White House years, but softened later as she became a devoted caretaker during his Alzheimer’s disease.