When Did Ronald Reagan Have Alzheimer's? The Debate Goes On

In a difficult footnote to the Reagan Centennial celebration, questions persist about Ronald Reagan's mental status during his White House days.

When did the Alzheimer's disease start? The debate has provoked the latest Reagan family feud. In his new book "My Father at 100," Ron Reagan contends his father showed signs of Alzheimer's Disease three years into his first term. He said he noticed it in the president's performance in the Oct.7, 1984, campaign debate with Democratic challenger Walter Mondale.

He writes, "My heart sank as he floundered his way through his responses, fumbling with his notes, uncharacteristically lost for words. He looked tired and bewildered."

"Knowing what we know now, about the nature of Alzheimer's disease, we know that, decades before symptoms begin arriving, changes are happening in the brain," Ron Reagan adds.

More Memories of Reagan from Peter Maer

The late president's eldest son, Michael Reagan, had an angry reaction to Ron's assertions. In a Twitter post, Michael fired back: "Ron, my brother was an embarrassment to his father when he was alive and today he became an embarrassment to his mother."

Michael Reagan elaborated during a January 17th appearance on the CBS' "The Early Show." He said: "So now for one of his sons to come out and in fact say, 'Yeah, he might have had Alzheimer's or he had Alzheimer's during that time,' just gives credence to people like Bill Maher and others. It absolutely offends me that somebody would say that when there's no evidence anywhere on the planet to back it up." (Watch the interview here)

Early Show co-anchor Erica Hill asked, "Could it be possible there may have been something else? Could he have had dementia?"

"No, he didn't have dementia," Reagan proclaimed.

Presidential scholar Douglas Brinkley has a unique perspective from his analysis of President Reagan's writings. Brinkley told CBS Radio News that as editor of "The Reagan Diaries," he "saw no sign of Alzheimer's."

(At left, Peter Maer and other CBS News correspondents and producers tell their best stories about Reagan)

Noting he is not a physician, Brinkley said he found that Reagan's writings "never changed in format or tone" during eight years of daily journal inscriptions. Brinkley found just one Reagan reflection on mental alertness. Toward the end of is second term, the president noted he was unable to identify a once-familiar canyon as he flew over Southern California. Brinkley said Reagan "recognized his mind was not as sharp as it once was" but he did ultimately remember Topanga Canyon.

Brinkley chalks it up to "senioritis" and concludes, "I'm under the impression he did not have any signs of Alzheimer's as president. Until somebody puts up definitive medical evidence, we have to go with that."

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Over the years, White House reporters often wondered about Reagan's alertness, especially toward the end of his second term. At times, he paused and appeared to look into the distance as he formulated answers to questions or responded to situations. Journalists were unsure whether it was part of his hearing impairment or something else. When asked a question that he could not or would not answer, Reagan would sometimes say, "they [his staff] haven't told me what I'm doing yet."

At a photo-op, reporters asked about the perceived the lack of progress on arms control talks with the Soviet Union. As the president pondered the query, Nancy Reagan whispered, "Doing the best we can." Taking the cue, Ronald Reagan repeated, "We're doing the best we can."

Reagan also once mistook his housing secretary Samuel R. Pierce Jr. for a city mayor. "Hello Mr. Mayor," he said to the only cabinet secretary to serve through both Reagan terms.

Several years after Reagan left office, I asked a former White House staffer who frequently saw the president if he (Reagan) always recognized him. The man said, "He knew my face and he knew my name but not always at the same time."

Physicians diagnosed Reagan with Alzheimer's approximately five years after he left office but the date of the onset will likely be pondered by political historians and medical experts for years to come.

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Watch interviews with Reagan on "60 Minutes" through the years below:

Watch CBS News Senior White House Correspondent Bill Plante's impression of Reagan below:

Peter Maer is a CBS News White House correspondent. You can read more of his posts in Hotsheet here. You can also follow him on Twitter.

[moderatelee]

Here is my recollection of a Barbara Walters TV interview with President and Mrs. Reagan. This was at the beginning of his second term, as I recall:

Walters: Did your father's distance and alcohol problems have an effect on your life?

President Reagan: ( a somewhat confused smile and no response).

Walters: (to Mrs. Reagan). He really doesn't understand what I'm asking him, does he?

Mrs. Reagan: He really doesn't. He isn't good at answering questions like that. (Turns to her husband, holding his hand). Don't worry, honey, I'll explain it to you later.

This, obviously, is an inexact replication of the dialogue, but it does capture the confusion President Reagan was experiencing with a question requiring simple analysis. This interview, again, was during his Presidency. (Does anyone recall this?) I am, by the way, of sound mind ... but recalling something I saw once about 25 years ago.

[viewupclose]

Michael Reagan never misses an opportunity to remind us he is one Reagan's children. He was adopted by Reagan and dumped wife number one, and he wasn't Nancy's so he didn't really count to daddy and step-mommy. His jealousy of Reagan's "real" children just won't go away, and that's despite Reagan not paying them that much attention either.

Well plenty of us had selfish parents but we manage to be balanced grownups. Grow-up Michael and get over it so the rest of the country doesn't have to be damaged by your playing out your unloved child problems. Between you and little Bush trying to impress his daddy only to make pop dislike him even more, we've all suffered enough.

Who are the others kidding? Staffers said they were covering for him before his first term was over! But what's a little history rewrite among countrymen and women.

[noloyalisti]

Reagan's brain was corrupted by Ayn Rand and Milton Friedman and the rest of the anti-government, pro-corporate greed freaks. The Reagan type policies have caused financial havoc all over the world including the destruction of the American middle class and economy.

To think there is anyone who would respect a corporate puppet. I guess the fact Palin keeps bringing up his name shows just how ridiculous and stupid she is. As if there was any doubt.

[koko98-2009]

Edumnd Morris the T.Roosevelt biographer who worked at the Reagan White House says he noticed something different about Reagan immediately after the assassination attempt in 1981. He believes the President's decline may have begun with that trama.

[JavMD]

sounds like the last few paragraphs of this first page sounds like he sure did. I'm 58 and many times have been at a loss for words or remember people (names)... my dad just died of AZ...

So what are we suppose to do? floss our teeth more... what a joke... pop more fish oil.. get real... this has been going on since time was recorded... it's called old age.. affecting different people in different ways and different ages... its sucks.. live with it...

Pay taxes and die

[jxknowles]

He had trouble and I'm sure a lot of people can share their experiences first-hand. I don't think it really matters though. Move on.

[viewupclose]

It does matter, because we deserve to know accurate American history, and because his staff and wife covered it up through part of his first term and all of his second. The world has a right to know when the elected leader of the most powerful country isn't lucid all the time anymore and progressively growing worse.

[kenhamlett]

This just shows that when one is labeled with some affliction, it does not mean your life is over. I believe that our system of labeling every physical problem is detrimental to the person. Some will let the definition control their reality yet if they had not heard of the affliction, they would be fine.
Reagan might have had some indicators of disease even prior to his election but he was fine for all intents and purposes. He might never have had the courage to run for office if he had been held back by false beliefs.
Don't let any label or opinion limit your life. The medical world is better know for their lack of knowledge than for their accomplishments so their labels should not be your limitations.

[kenhamlett]

I think this should be the mantra for amny of the news articles I read here.

"Their labels should not be your limitations."

Life is so much easier without words becoming anchors.

[noloyalisti]

It does not matter when he actually had it. He started out as a clueless, brainless corporate puppet. He was the perfect puppet for the giant corporations and the greedy and evil rich that run them. They and their puppet Reagan destroyed the middle class and the unions and ran us into third world status.

America may be the only country on earth that went BACKWARDS into the 3rd world based on the failed and tragic foreign economic policies of the Reagan Puppeteers.

[ludvig1-2009]

If I could vote, I'd say he had Alzheimer's when he first ran for Governor of California.

[mick7744]

When did Reagan go senile?

I remember on, "Death Valley Days," back in the 50s...that he didn't always seem to have all 40 mules in his team haulin' that Borax.

[mick7744]

HEY...It was only a TWENTY mule team...not forty...

MY GOD...I CAUGHT IT FROM REAGAN...

Or maybe that's the normal rate of inflation...

WHEW!