National Press Club Luncheon Speakers

Ronald Reagan, June 16, 1966

Ronald Reagan. International News Photos. National Press Club Archives

In the week following his first triumph in a campaign for public office—a stunning two-to-one victory in the Republican primary for governor of California—Ronald Reagan (1911-2004) traveled east to confer with the national party chairman, California’s Republican representatives in Congress, and leading industrialists. Not only had Reagan become the favorite in his bid to unseat two-term Democratic Governor Edmund G. “Pat” Brown, politicians and pundits now considered him a major national figure and future contender for the presidency. Feared as an extremist by some, Reagan visited former President Dwight D. Eisenhower at his farm in Gettysburg and gained his support. One day later, Reagan appeared before a capacity crowd at the National Press Club in Washington, where he delivered, in the opinion of a Los Angeles Times reporter, a “witty, deft, engaging performance in his debut in one of the capital’s chief forums." ... More [PDF; 132 KB]

Timings (hh:mm:ss)

Introductions: 00:00-06:15
Speech: 06:16-39:04
Q & A: 39:05-01:04:08 (Recording ends abruptly during Q&A)

Topics of the Talk

• Human Need and the Role of the Federal Government: 14:41-16:18
• State Sovereignty and the Need for Better Government: 16:19-17:35
• The “Creative Society” and the State: 17:36-21:19
• California Agriculture: 34:06-35:50
• California Education: 35:51-36:59
• Watts Riots, Welfare, and the Bracero Program: 39:56-44:22
• University of California, Berkeley, and the Free Speech Movement: 44:24-47:12
• Uniting the Republican Party: 51:15-53:55
• Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act: 53:59-56:51
• Pay Television: 59:08-01:00:02
• Supreme Court Miranda v. Arizona Ruling: 01:02:00-01:03:02
• Federal Funding of Education: 01:03:03-01:04:09