The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 10
Future President Ronald Reagan
meets with station manager John
Harkrader (second from right) and
others at the studios of WDBJ TV.
Reagan in Roanoke
I
n 1954, Ronald Reagan got just what he
needed most at the time...a job. Having
been released by Warner Brothers, the
Hollywood actor and future President was
trying to make ends meet by emceeing a
nightclub act in Las Vegas, a gig he despised.
General Electric needed a national spokesperson
to host the popular CBS primetime television
program " General Electric Theater " that
aired on Sunday nights. It was tailor-made for
Reagan, who hosted and occasionally acted in
the half-hour episodes for eight years. At its
10 MARCH/APRIL 2024
written by Nelson Harris
In 1957, General Electric brought the
future President to the Roanoke Valley.
peak, the show was the third most-watched
program in the nation.
Reagan, who's starting salary with GE in
1954 was $125,000 ($1.4 million today), had
more obligations than just hosting the electronics
giant's television series. Reagan quickly
became the corporate face of GE, traveling
the US to speak at factories, conventions and
ribbon-cuttings. Reagan's persona and GE's
marketing were so intertwined that GE outfitted
Reagan's home with the latest appliances
and electronics so that even the actor's ranch
served as a showcase for the latest GE had to
offer, even down to his toaster.
In March of 1957, GE sent Reagan to
Roanoke to help celebrate the operations of
the new $10 million GE industry control plant
near Salem that had opened in 1955. By the
time of Reagan's visit, the plant was a muscular
presence in the valley. Within two years
of opening, the facility was fully operational
with nearly 2,000 employees and a payroll
near $8 million ($87.4 million today). By the
end of the decade, GE would be the valley's
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The Roanoker March/April 2024
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Roanoker March/April 2024
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - Cover1
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - Cover2
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 3
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 4
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 5
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 6
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 7
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 8
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 9
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 10
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 11
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 12
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 13
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 14
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 15
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The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 17
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 18
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 19
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 20
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 21
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The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 24
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 25
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 26
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The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 28
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The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 30
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 31
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The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 33
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 34
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 35
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 36
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 37
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The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 43
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The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 46
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 47
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 48
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 49
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 50
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The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 52
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 53
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 54
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 55
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 56
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 57
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 58
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The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 60
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 61
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 62
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 63
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 64
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 65
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 66
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 67
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The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 69
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 70
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 71
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 72
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 73
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The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 75
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 76
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The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 78
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The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 89
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 90
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 91
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The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 97
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 98
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - Cover3
The Roanoker March/April 2024 - Cover4
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