Illinois Land of Reagan State

Photograph of Reagan in full color over orange illustration of Illinois state in center surrounded by white text on blue background.

Before he was the 40th President of the United States, Governor of California, or even an actor, Ronald Reagan spent his time in Illinois. Born in 1911 in Tampico, Illinois, Reagan's poor family moved around the state many times. Finally, the family settled down in the town of Dixon in 1920. Reagan attended the local high school and graduated in 1928. He stuck around the area for college, attending Eureka University and graduating in 1932. Reagan finally left the area for Iowa, where he was hired to be a radio sports announcer.

Due to his origins in Illinois and the Presidency, many drew a comparison from Reagan to Abraham Lincoln during his campaigns. Lincoln served as a Senator for the state before rising to the Presidency. In 1955, the official state slogan of Illinois became "Land of Lincoln." Due to these similarities, the phrase was also applied to Ronald Reagan, resulting in "Illinois, Land of Reagan."