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Local man met Reagan in ‘50s

By MONROE ROARK
mroark@TheCitizenNews.com

Since Ronald Reagan’s death June 5, most Americans who were fortunate enough to meet him did so while he was governor of California or president of the United States. One Peachtree City resident, however, crossed paths with Reagan nearly 50 years ago, long before those offices were attained.

Elton Whitmore is now approaching his 91st birthday and has resided at Southland Nursing Home in Peachtree City since May of 2001. He retired from General Electric after 36 years of service, including more than 20 years as manager of the company’s plant in Lexington, Kentucky. That facility made all of the glass portions for GE light bulbs at that time.

While hosting the “GE Theater” television program from 1954 to 1962, Reagan toured the country at the behest of GE chairman Ralph Cordiner, visiting most of the 139 GE plants in 39 states as a goodwill ambassador from the company’s New York office. That tour took him to the Lexington plant March 26, 1955, where Whitmore and his wife Miriam, who passed away in 2001, hosted the actor at a dinner for GE employees.

Reagan was “the most friendly and down-to-earth ‘big shot’ I have ever met,” Whitmore later said of their encounter.

Whitmore’s eldest son Jim and wife Pat have lived in Fayette County since 1991 and in Peachtree City since 1995. Their daughter Donna Ishmael and husband Sonny own Beef O’Brady’s restaurant in Peachtree City and another Beef O’Brady’s in Henry County, living in Peachtree City with their two children. Jim and Pat’s son Rick lives with his family in Madison, Ga.

Whitmore’s younger son, Bob, and wife Sherry live in Georgetown, Ky., as do their two daughters, their husbands and three grandchildren.