Subseries II: Presidential Autographs, 1986-2002; 2015
Sub-Series
Dates
- 1986-2002; 2015
Creator
- Reagan, Nancy, 1921-2016. (Person)
Disclaimer for Name and Subject Authorities
Some of the name and subject authority tags have been assigned by educated guessing and estimation of persons and subjects by region, age, profession, and familial relationships. They have been thoroughly researched by using primary and secondary sources available digitally, and named in each description, or in some cases linked directly to the person tag.
Access:
All series and subseries within this collection are open for research, with the exception of a few files within the Academia series that are restricted. The Academia series contains financial and sensitive institutional records from Wilkes College, and financial report records from Princeton University that will remain restricted for 80 years upon creation.
Extent
From the Collection: 17 Cubic Feet
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
Condition Note:
Most, if not all, pieces contained within this subseries seem to be in relatively good or perfect condition. Due to the recentness of these pieces, there are no real signs of age, and they have been preserved quite well.
Subseries II: Presidential Autographs, 1986-2002
Subseries II: Presidential Autographs, 1986-2002 is arranged chronologically by president, and contains letters, cards, and signatures from Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, George Bush, and Bill Clinton. Similarly to the previous subseries, this collection also contains items from the wives of these figures. As noted in the Subseries I description, this subseries is separated from Subseries I due to the death of Gilbert Stuart McClintock, the figure who collected Subseries I. Subseries II was collected by John Stachacz, the current Dean of the Library at Wilkes University as of 2022. Every item contained within this subseries was donated to the University by Mr. Willard Achuff. Mr. Achuff is a Wilkes University alumni from 1963
The presidents and first ladies included in Subseries II of the the collection appear as such:
Ronald Reagan and Nancy Davis Robbins Reagan, who were the 40th president and first lady of the United States. Reagan’s administration is considered one of the more true conservative presidencies within 50 years of his term. His presidency is most well recognized for his economic focus, more widely known as “Reaganomics,” which oversaw a great economic deregulation, as well as a dual plan of restricting government spending coupled with tax cuts. He also increased military spending, transitioning policy from the Cold War from ideals of detente—relaxed relations—with the Soviet Union and ordered the 1983 Grenada invasion.
George H. W. Bush and Barbara Pierce Bush, who were the 41st president and first lady of the United States. Bush’s administration is most well known for his work in international affairs, as he navigated the end of the Cold War and brought on a new era of relations between the country and the Soviet Union. He supported the reunification of Germany following the fall of the Berlin Wall, and oversaw leading an international country coalition to invade Iraq after it invaded Kuwait during the Gulf war. His administration also directed a military invasion intent on overthrowing the dictator of Panama, General Manuel Noriega.
Bill Clinton and Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton, who were the 42nd president and first lady of the United States. Clinton’s administration oversaw the second longest period of peace in the country, in which the economy stabilized and grew. Clinton’s presidency is marked by his signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico, creating a free-trade zone between the three countries with the hopes of increasing trade and investment, as well as the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, which expanded federal law and increased policing in communities while funding federal prisions. Though he wanted to oversee the creation of a national health care reform plan, he failed to find the necessary support to see it to fruition.
George W. Bush and Laura Lane Welch Bush, who were the 43rd president and first lady of the United States. Bush’s administration is marked by the events of September 11th. His presidency oversaw the declaration of a global war on terrorism, under which Congress created the United States Department of Homeland Security and Bush ordered an invasion of Afghanistan in efforts of pursuing the Taliban and capturing Osama bin Laden to overthrow them. His administration also signed the Patriot Act, a controversial bill that proposed an authorized surveillance of suspected terrorists. He also signed a number of conservative efforts within community action, such as signing the No Child Left Behind Act, passing a 1.3 trillion dollar tax cut program, and the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act, as well as a number of policies focusing on Medicare.
The presidents and first ladies included in Subseries II of the the collection appear as such:
Ronald Reagan and Nancy Davis Robbins Reagan, who were the 40th president and first lady of the United States. Reagan’s administration is considered one of the more true conservative presidencies within 50 years of his term. His presidency is most well recognized for his economic focus, more widely known as “Reaganomics,” which oversaw a great economic deregulation, as well as a dual plan of restricting government spending coupled with tax cuts. He also increased military spending, transitioning policy from the Cold War from ideals of detente—relaxed relations—with the Soviet Union and ordered the 1983 Grenada invasion.
George H. W. Bush and Barbara Pierce Bush, who were the 41st president and first lady of the United States. Bush’s administration is most well known for his work in international affairs, as he navigated the end of the Cold War and brought on a new era of relations between the country and the Soviet Union. He supported the reunification of Germany following the fall of the Berlin Wall, and oversaw leading an international country coalition to invade Iraq after it invaded Kuwait during the Gulf war. His administration also directed a military invasion intent on overthrowing the dictator of Panama, General Manuel Noriega.
Bill Clinton and Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton, who were the 42nd president and first lady of the United States. Clinton’s administration oversaw the second longest period of peace in the country, in which the economy stabilized and grew. Clinton’s presidency is marked by his signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico, creating a free-trade zone between the three countries with the hopes of increasing trade and investment, as well as the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, which expanded federal law and increased policing in communities while funding federal prisions. Though he wanted to oversee the creation of a national health care reform plan, he failed to find the necessary support to see it to fruition.
George W. Bush and Laura Lane Welch Bush, who were the 43rd president and first lady of the United States. Bush’s administration is marked by the events of September 11th. His presidency oversaw the declaration of a global war on terrorism, under which Congress created the United States Department of Homeland Security and Bush ordered an invasion of Afghanistan in efforts of pursuing the Taliban and capturing Osama bin Laden to overthrow them. His administration also signed the Patriot Act, a controversial bill that proposed an authorized surveillance of suspected terrorists. He also signed a number of conservative efforts within community action, such as signing the No Child Left Behind Act, passing a 1.3 trillion dollar tax cut program, and the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act, as well as a number of policies focusing on Medicare.
Processed By:
Processed and Transcribed by: First round transcriptions done by Christopher Smith, 2021 graduate, 2nd round transcription and description done by Conrad Middleton, Spring 2022, Archives intern. The collection was reprocessed by Jessica Van Orden, Graduate archives work-study in Spring 2025 and supervised and edited by Suzanna Calev, Archivist, Spring 2022 -Spring 2025.
Creator
- Reagan, Nancy, 1921-2016. (Person)
- Reagan, Ronald, 1911-2004 (Person)
- Clinton, Bill, 1946- (Person)
- (Rodham) Clinton, Hillary Diane, 1947– (Person)
- (Pierce) Bush, Barbara, 1925-2018 (Person)
- Bush, George H. W. (George Herbert Walker), 1924-2018 (Person)
- Bush, George W. (George Walker), 1946- (Person)
- (Welch) Bush, Laura Lane, 1946- (Person)
Repository Details
Part of the Wilkes University Archives Repository
Contact:
84 W South St.
Wilkes-Barre PA 18701 US
570-408-2000
570-408-7823 (Fax)
ask.archives@wilkes.edu
84 W South St.
Wilkes-Barre PA 18701 US
570-408-2000
570-408-7823 (Fax)
ask.archives@wilkes.edu