In a handwritten letter released on November 5, 1994, 83-year-old former President Ronald Reagan informs the world he has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
“Upon learning this news, Nancy and I had to decide whether as private citizens we would keep this a private matter or whether we would make this news known in a public way,” wrote Reagan, who had left the White House five years earlier. “In opening our hearts, we hope this might promote greater awareness of this condition. Perhaps it will encourage a clearer understanding of the individuals and families who are affected by it.”
When Reagan was first elected in 1980, he was the oldest president to take office at 69 years old. As a political candidate, Reagan’s mental capacity was the subject of speculation, with critics citing contradictory statements and memory lapses.
To address concerns about his age, Reagan promised to be tested throughout his presidency and to step down if doctors found signs of cognitive decline.
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"If I were President and had any feeling at all that my capabilities had been reduced before a second term came," Reagan said in 1980, "I would walk away.”
Speculation about Reagan’s mental acuity continued during his two terms as president. According to his physicians, however, there were no warning signs of Alzheimer’s while he was in office from 1981 to 1989.
Just months after leaving the White House, Reagan fell from a horse and hit his head in July 1989. He suffered a subdural hematoma, which required surgery. After the accident, Reagan’s doctors began conducting annual mental cognition tests. They first observed conclusive symptoms of Alzheimer’s in the summer of 1993.
Reagan’s 1994 letter marked one of the first times a major public figure spoke openly about Alzheimer’s disease. By sharing his diagnosis publicly, he and his wife Nancy sought to raise awareness and reduce the stigma surrounding the illness—a commitment that led to the creation of the Ronald and Nancy Reagan Research Institute in 1995.
