Voting Station

Donald Regan

Please vote to return to collections.

Politician

The Resume

    (December 21, 1918-June 10, 2003)
    Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts
    Chairman and CEO of Merrill Lynch (1971-80)
    US Secretary of the Treasury (1981-85)
    White House Chief of Staff for Ronald Reagan (1985-87)
    Wrote 'For the Record: From Wall Street to Washington' (1988)

Why he might be annoying:

    He had a volcanic temper and noted, 'I chewed up an awful lot of executives.'
    Upon becoming Chief of Staff, he boasted 'I'll be doing the whole thing now.'
    He argued against imposing sanctions on South Africa by asking, 'Are the women of America prepared to give up their jewelry?'
    The Tower Commission investigating the Iran-Contra affair blamed him for 'the chaos that descended upon the White House.'
    His successor as Chief of Staff, Howard Baker, criticized his 'imperial' style of management.
    Nancy Reagan complained that he 'often acted as if he were the president.'
    He was so bitter about being forced out of office that he never spoke to Ronald Reagan again.

Why he might not be annoying:

    He earned an academic scholarship to Harvard.
    He dropped out of law school to join the Marines during WWII and fought in the battles of Guadalcanal and Okinawa.
    He modernized Merrill Lynch from an 'old boys network' to a cutting-edge brokerage.
    People magazine described his personality as 'a curious blend of Irish charm, Harvard polish and Marine Corps toughness.'
    He was married to Ann Buchanan for 60 years until his death.
    He clashed with Nancy Reagan over her attempts to dictate the Presidential schedule based on advice from her astrologer.
    News that he was being replaced as Chief of Staff by Howard Baker was leaked to the press by his political enemies to embarrass him.
    He commented about his ouster, 'I don't mind spears in the breast. It's knives in the back that concern me.'

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2023, Out of 3 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 15 Votes: 93.33% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 2 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 8 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 5 Votes: 60.0% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 5 Votes: 80.0% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 9 Votes: 44.44% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 10 Votes: 30.0% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 55 Votes: 50.91% Annoying