HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 2001
(By Mr. Speaker, Mr. Kiss, and Delegates Trump, Amores, Anderson, Armstead, Ashley,
Azinger, Beach, Beane, Blair, Boggs, Border, Browning, Calvert, Campbell, Canterbury, Caputo,
Carmichael, Caruth, Coleman, Craig, Crosier, DeLong, Doyle, Duke, Ellem, Evans, Foster,
Fragale, Frederick, Frich, Hall, Hamilton, Hartman, Howard, Hrutkay, Iaquinta, Kominar, Kuhn,
Leggett, Long, Louisos, Mahan, Manchin, Manuel, Michael, Morgan, Overington, Palumbo,
Paxton, Perdue, Perry, Pethel, Pino, Poling, Proudfoot, Renner, Romine, Schadler, Schoen,
Shaver, Shelton, Smirl, Sobonya, Spencer, Stalnaker, Staton, Stemple, Sumner, Susman,
Swartzmiller, Tabb, Talbott, R. M. Thompson, Tucker, Varner, Wakim, Warner, Webb, G.
White, H. White, Williams, Wright, Yeager and Yost )
[Introduced June 15, 2004]
"Enrolling a Memorial to President Ronald Wilson Reagan, an exemplary public servant, gentleman
and statesman."
Whereas, Ronald Wilson Reagan, the 40th President of the United States, was born on
February 6, 1911, in Tampico, Illinois, to Nelle and John Reagan and died on June 5, 2004, at the
age of ninety-three; and
Whereas, as a lifeguard at Rock River in Lowell, Illinois, a young Ronald Reagan saved the
lives of seventy-seven swimmers; and
Whereas, Ronald Reagan enrolled in Eureka College where he played football, acted in
amateur theater, and graduated with a bachelor's degree in economics and sociology; and
Whereas, Ronald Reagan landed his first job as a radio announcer for WOC in Davenport,
Iowa, and went on to become a popular sports announcer; and
Whereas, Ronald Reagan launched a movie career that spanned fifty movies, including his most famous role as the football legend, "The Gipper"; and
Whereas, Ronald Reagan, who received more fan mail than any other actor at Warner
Brothers Studios except Errol Flynn, served as president of the Screen Actors Guild from 1947 to
1960; and
Whereas, On March 4, 1952, Ronald Reagan married his great love, Nancy Davis, who was
to become his lifelong confidante and companion; and
Whereas, Ronald Reagan was the father of four children: Maureen, Michael, Patti, and
Ronald Prescott; and
Whereas, In 1966, Ronald Reagan won the governorship of California and in 1970 was
reelected to a second term; and
Whereas, On July 16, 1980, the former Governor won the Republican nomination for
President and on November 4, 1980, won the United States Presidency; and
Whereas, President Reagan appointed the first woman to the United States Supreme Court,
Justice Sandra Day O'Connor; and
Whereas, On March 30, 1981, only two months into his Presidency, Ronald Reagan
survived an assassination attempt and upon meeting Nancy in the hospital, quipped with
characteristic good humor, "Honey, I forgot to duck"; and
Whereas, President Reagan delivered on his promise to cut taxes for American workers in
1981, and achieved the historic tax cuts of 1986 which overhauled the Federal tax code and reduced
tax rates for most taxpayers, including removing 6,000,000 Americans from the tax rolls; and
Whereas, Under President Reagan's leadership, inflation fell, interest rates declined, and
by the seventh year of his Presidency, the stock market hit an all-time high; and
Whereas, President Reagan presided over the longest economic expansion in the history of
the United States until that time and rebuilt the national defenses of the United States; and
Whereas, President Reagan won reelection in 1984 carrying 49 out of 50 states, one of the
biggest electoral victories in the political history of the United States; and
Whereas, During summit meetings with Soviet Union President Mikhail Gorbachev in
December, 1986, President Reagan signed a treaty to eliminate intermediate-range nuclear forces;
and
Whereas, President Reagan's steadfast opposition to communism, his unshakeable resolve
to defeat the 'Evil Empire', and his secure belief in government for and by the people, led to the
collapse of the Berlin Wall and victory in the Cold War; and
Whereas, President Reagan's belief in freedom as a God-given right of all peoples led to
a democratic revolution across Central America; and
Whereas, Ronald Wilson Reagan, father, husband, actor, and dedicated public servant,
restored the pride, optimism and strength of the United States and earned the deep respect and
affection of his fellow citizens; therefore, be it
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the West Virginia Legislature notes with deep sorrow and solemn mourning the death
of Ronald Wilson Reagan; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the West Virginia Legislature extends its heartfelt sympathy to the
Former First Lady, Nancy Reagan, and the children of President Reagan; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Clerk is hereby directed to send a copy of this Resolution to Mrs.
Reagan and the Reagan children.