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Each president gets to designate one location as their private residence. This residence is afforded secret service protection and security upgrades. Reagan decided to designate a small, quaint ranch named “Rancho del Cielo,” or “Ranch in The Sky,” as his private residence. I was afforded the truly humbling opportunity to visit the place that the president had called a home away from home for more than 30 years.
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| Evan Wright - Class of 2020 |
I had already learned much about Reagan from reading about him and hearing the stories of those who had lived through his presidency. But after visiting the Reagan ranch I realized that I never truly understood the dynamic of his presidency. From listening to his son Michael Reagan, I learned how this president was also a father who instilled in his son patriotic values, simply by recounting stories of America's past and singing patriotic songs on rides to their Ranch. He taught him the burden of taxes by stipulating his allowance would increase when a president was elected that lowered his taxes, and being the honest man he was, he stayed true to his word and gave him the allowance.
The ranch reflected the Midwestern values his parents instilled in him in an early age. His frugal nature is reflected in the humble size of his ranch home and the simple lifestyle he lived there. His passion for nature was reflected in his tender maintenance of the grounds and his pride in his ranch. He used a hands-on approach to improve the ranch and took time to make sure he was a good steward of the beautiful property he had been afforded.
John Barletta, his secret service, longtime friend, and riding partner shared his stories of Reagan: of his brave humor in the face of an assassination attempt, of his strong moral leadership within his administration. How he did not treat his secret service detail as protection, but rather as friends. Stories of his humility yet also of his great moral character that shined every day of his life.
At Reagan Ranch I didn’t learn about President Ronald Reagan; instead I learned about Ronald Reagan the friend, the rancher, and the father.
Evan Wright, of Louisville, Ky., is a freshman McConnell Scholar studying political science and finance.