REAGAN, RONALD. (1911-2004). Hollywood actor, governor of California and 40th president of the United States. DS. (“Ron”). 1p. 4to. Washington, March 21, 1983. To “Al,” ALFRED H. KINGON (b. 1931), Reagan’s cabinet secretary from 1985-1987 and ambassador to the EU from 1987-1989. Printed, typed press release on engraved White House stationery with a personal inscription from Reagan at the bottom.

“The President today announced his intention to nominate Alfred Hugh Kingon to be an Assistant Secretary of Commerce (International Economic Policy). He would succeed Raymond J. Waldmann.

Since 1971, he has been Editor-in-Chief of all publications for Macro Communications, Inc., in New York, New York In this position he has served as Editor-in-Chief of Financial World since 1973. He was Editor-in-Chief of Saturday Review (1980-1982) and Money and Credit (1970-1973). He was portfolio manager for The Businessman’s Fund (formerly The McDonnell Fund) in 1969-1971 and the security analyst vice president, and director of research for Scheiman, Hochstin and Trotta in 1967-1969.

Mr. Kingon is a member of the executive committee of the President’s Private Sector Survey for Cost Control Task Force. In addition, he was appointed in January 1982 to be a member of the President’s National Productivity Advisory Committee.

He graduated from Union College (B.S., 1953) and attended New York Graduate School of Business Administration. He is married, has one child and resides in New York, New York. He was born May 11, 1931.

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[In holograph:] Dear Al, Welcome aboard – now I know why the news came out. Ron”

After a successful career in Hollywood, during which he made more than 50 films, Reagan entered politics campaigning for Senator Barry Goldwater (known as “Mr. Conservative”) during his 1964 presidential bid. Reagan, who had only switched his party affiliation from Democrat to Republican several years earlier, began to gain prominence within the party and, in 1966, was nominated as the Republican candidate for Governor of California. He held that office for two terms before becoming a popular two-term U.S. president. The mixture of liberal and conservative traits embodied by Reagan led to a reshaping of the Republican Party and a phenomenon known as the “Reagan Democrat,” Democrats who vote Republican because of their conservative views on certain issues. During his eight years as president, Reagan became an icon of Cold War politics and the subject of inquiry in the Iran-Contra scandal. Although the scandal caused a decline in popularity, his approval ratings rebounded, earning him the nickname “the Teflon president.”

Kingon was a Wall Street investment adviser and publisher of Financial World and Saturday Review who served as Assistant Secretary of Commerce from 1983-1984, the position announced in our press release, Reagan’s cabinet secretary from 1985-1987, playing “a central role in domestic, agricultural, economic and trade policy,” and the U.S. ambassador to the European Union from 1987-1989, (“Working Profile: Alfred H. Kingon; Being a Fly on White House Wall and Loving It,” The New York Times, Weinraub).

Lightly creasing and wear; the inscription slightly faded and the “R” in “Ron” faint. Matted.