Our History
A Presidential Legacy
Eureka College is the smallest college to graduate a future President of the United States. Ronald W. Reagan, a native of Dixon, Illinois (just 87 miles from campus), graduated from Eureka College in 1932 with a degree in Economics and Sociology. After a storied career in Hollywood, Reagan entered politics. He served as governor of his adopted state of California from 1967-1975 before being elected as President in 1980 and again in 1984. Reagan, despite his years in Hollywood, Sacramento, and Washington, D.C., never forgot what he learned in Illinois and at Eureka. He poignantly declared, when reflecting on the importance of Eureka College to his story and to his leadership: “Everything that’s been good in my life began here.” Reagan’s story is a uniquely Eureka College tale of how liberal arts education instilled leadership and the promise of opportunity in a young man who would discover his vision and voice to help change the world. The Reagan Leadership Program aspires to give every student the opportunity to do the same.
A One-of-a-Kind Presidential Leadership Program
The Ronald W. Reagan Leadership Program, founded by President Reagan in 1982, is the only one of its kind established by a sitting U.S. president at his alma mater to help students in every imaginable field develop into the leaders of tomorrow. Since it’s founding, hundreds of students from across the country have been received personalized leadership training and development. And, like Reagan himself, they have gone on to become leaders in their communities—as doctors and nurses, as policy makers and activists, as teachers and professors, as parents and grandparents, and more.
Leadership for the Future
President Reagan reminds us that “there are no great limits to growth because there are no limits of human intelligence, imagination, and wonder.” The Reagan Leadership Program develops leaders for the future in this spirit. We educate students of diverse backgrounds, abilities, and experiences. We seek applicants who are ready to think outside the box, to create change, and to position their communities for a better and brighter future. Our students are artists and scientists, policy makers and athletes, innovators and communicators (and much more!). The Reagan Leadership Program recognizes that leadership occurs in many aspects of life—on the court and field, in the studio and concert hall, in the laboratory and the counseling room, and more. We hope that you’ll join us as part of the future of this great program. To learn more, click here.