Ronald Reagan He also strongly advocated the Republican ideal of less government regulation of the economy, including that of undue federal taxation. Reagan did not seek re-election to a third term as governor in 1974; he was succeeded by the Secretary of State, Democrat Jerry Brown, who took office on January 6, 1975. In 1976, Reagan challenged incumbent President Gerald Ford in a bid to become the Republican Party's candidate for president. Reagan soon established himself as the conservative candidate with the support of like-minded organizations such as the American Conservative Union, which became key components of his political base, while Ford
Ronald and Nancy Reagan Research Institute Ronald and Nancy Reagan Research Institute The Ronald and Nancy Reagan Research Institute, an affiliate of the National Alzheimer's Association in Chicago, Illinois, is an initiative founded by former United States President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan to accelerate the progress of Alzheimer's disease research. The center was dedicated in 1995. The development of the institute marked an important milestone in the maturation of Alzheimer's research; in 1982, most Alzheimer's research projects posed broad questions regarding the nature and effects of the disease, while the Reagan institute largely introduced – and expanded – the biological segment of disease