William Woods University set to honor Ronald Reagan's 1952 commencement speech

ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - Before Ronald Reagan became the 40th President of the United States, he was still an Hollywood actor.

While still an actor, Reagan was in Fulton, Missouri (about 90 miles away from St. Louis) to film a movie called Kings Row back in 1942 .

10 years later in 1952, Reagan, who was president of the Screens Actors Guild, was invited back to Fulton by a former college friend who a chair of the board at William Woods University to give a Commencement Speech at the school titled America the Beautiful.

"You could imagine what it was like to have a celebrity like Reagan on campus at the time right?" said Dr. Jeremy Moreland, President of William Woods University on Total Information A.M. Tuesday.

The speech has not seen the light of day by the public yet, but Tuesday night, William Woods University will publicly reveal the speech for the first time with a event called Reagan at The Woods.

The speech was recorded on two Vinyl 45 records and it sat in the University archives for over seven decades, but in the late 2010s they originally had plans to release it, until COVID-19 pandemic happened.

"The school was able to work with the now-Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and attempted to do a similar event like this," said Moreland. "I been at the University for not quite three-years yet, and as I looked at plans for the event, I said 'oh my gosh, this is a terrific opportunity for us to celebrate this historic connection between the university and former president."

Moreland, who has listened to the speech, says what while the speech has some political notes in it, it will still be a speech that is inspiring to people.

"While there is so language in there and some ideas that are decidedly of the early-1950s, with people still existed in the context of World War II" said Moreland. "I think people will be really struck by how pertinent what now-President Reagan has to say to what we are dealing with today."

The event is will also include a speech from Moreland and Jim Talent, Chair of the National Leadership Council for the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. Seating was RSVP and no technology use is permitted during the event.