Ronald Reagan productions. Reagan was twice elected President of the Screen Actors Guild—the labor union for actors—where he worked to root out Communist influence. In the 1950s, he moved into television and was a motivational speaker at General Electric factories. Reagan had been a Democrat until 1962, when he became a conservative and switched to the Republican Party. In 1964, Reagan's speech, "A Time for Choosing", supported Barry Goldwater's foundering presidential campaign and earned him national attention as a new conservative spokesman. Building a network of supporters, he was elected Governor of California in 1966. As governor, Reagan raised taxes, turned a
Ronald and Nancy Reagan Research Institute research. The institute has awarded $12 million in research grants, and created the Ronald and Nancy Reagan Research Institute Award, given to individuals who have contributed greatly to Alzheimer's research. President Ronald Reagan was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 1994, and released a letter to the American people announcing his affliction.His diagnosis and decision to go public with the news greatly affected the perception of Alzheimer's and reduced the stigma attached to the disease. In 1995, he and Mrs. Reagan established the institute. When the president became too incapacitated and could not function normally, Nancy Reagan began supporting federally funded embryonic