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Michael Deaver
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Michael Deaver
Michael Keith Deaver (April 11, 1938 – August 18, 2007) was a member of President Ronald Reagan's White House staff who served as White House Deputy Chief of Staff under James Baker III and Donald Regan from January 1981 to May 1985.
Deaver was born in Bakersfield, California, the son of Marian (née Mack) and Paul Sperling Deaver, a Shell Oil Co. distributor. He graduated from Desert High School at Edwards AFB, California in 1956. He received his bachelor's degree in political science from San Jose State College (now San Jose State University). Deaver was initiated and a member of the Delta Sigma Phi fraternity at San Jose State.
Deaver worked for IBM, served in the United States Air Force, and later was executive director of the Santa Clara County Republican Party. While Ronald Reagan was running for governor of California, Deaver worked as a political field representative for the California Republican Party, running several state assembly campaigns. After being elected governor, Reagan's chief of staff recruited Deaver to the administration, where he began a 30-year career working for Reagan and building a very close friendship with him and with Nancy Reagan. According to Kitty Kelley, his work for the latter earned him the disparaging nicknames "Nancy's Nancy" and "Lord of the Chamber Pot".
Deaver formed a consulting company after Reagan's term as governor. Reagan and his upcoming presidential campaigns were among his clients. Accompanying Reagan on his campaign plane in 1976, Deaver performed the Heimlich maneuver on Reagan to dislodge a peanut stuck in his throat and reportedly saved his life. Though initially he disliked the idea of moving to Washington, D.C., he ultimately agreed and was appointed Deputy Chief of Staff under President Reagan in 1981. His principal responsibilities were public relations and the president's schedule of events and speeches.
While serving on Reagan's staff, Deaver worked closely with Chief of Staff James Baker and Counselor to the President Ed Meese. They were known as "The Troika" by some observers of the White House due to their influence over policy.
As Deputy Chief of Staff, Deaver worked primarily on media management, forming how the public perceived Reagan, sometimes by engineering press events so that the White House set the networks' agenda for covering him.
On March 30, 1981, Deaver was present at the attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan; he stood feet away from John Hinckley Jr. as he fired at Reagan, wounding him. Deaver later supported Nancy Reagan in the hospital as she arrived.
Deaver resigned from the White House staff in May 1985. Health concerns were one reason for his resignation: he was a heavy drinker, consuming 1/5 gallon of whiskey daily and working under great pressure. He later wrote of that period in his life: "I was a sick guy."
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Michael Deaver
Michael Keith Deaver (April 11, 1938 – August 18, 2007) was a member of President Ronald Reagan's White House staff who served as White House Deputy Chief of Staff under James Baker III and Donald Regan from January 1981 to May 1985.
Deaver was born in Bakersfield, California, the son of Marian (née Mack) and Paul Sperling Deaver, a Shell Oil Co. distributor. He graduated from Desert High School at Edwards AFB, California in 1956. He received his bachelor's degree in political science from San Jose State College (now San Jose State University). Deaver was initiated and a member of the Delta Sigma Phi fraternity at San Jose State.
Deaver worked for IBM, served in the United States Air Force, and later was executive director of the Santa Clara County Republican Party. While Ronald Reagan was running for governor of California, Deaver worked as a political field representative for the California Republican Party, running several state assembly campaigns. After being elected governor, Reagan's chief of staff recruited Deaver to the administration, where he began a 30-year career working for Reagan and building a very close friendship with him and with Nancy Reagan. According to Kitty Kelley, his work for the latter earned him the disparaging nicknames "Nancy's Nancy" and "Lord of the Chamber Pot".
Deaver formed a consulting company after Reagan's term as governor. Reagan and his upcoming presidential campaigns were among his clients. Accompanying Reagan on his campaign plane in 1976, Deaver performed the Heimlich maneuver on Reagan to dislodge a peanut stuck in his throat and reportedly saved his life. Though initially he disliked the idea of moving to Washington, D.C., he ultimately agreed and was appointed Deputy Chief of Staff under President Reagan in 1981. His principal responsibilities were public relations and the president's schedule of events and speeches.
While serving on Reagan's staff, Deaver worked closely with Chief of Staff James Baker and Counselor to the President Ed Meese. They were known as "The Troika" by some observers of the White House due to their influence over policy.
As Deputy Chief of Staff, Deaver worked primarily on media management, forming how the public perceived Reagan, sometimes by engineering press events so that the White House set the networks' agenda for covering him.
On March 30, 1981, Deaver was present at the attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan; he stood feet away from John Hinckley Jr. as he fired at Reagan, wounding him. Deaver later supported Nancy Reagan in the hospital as she arrived.
Deaver resigned from the White House staff in May 1985. Health concerns were one reason for his resignation: he was a heavy drinker, consuming 1/5 gallon of whiskey daily and working under great pressure. He later wrote of that period in his life: "I was a sick guy."
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