Ronald Reagan materials found in the Paul Laxalt U.S. Senatorial Papers, housed in Special Collections & University Archives at the UNR Library, showcase the friendship between the two politicians.

By Sandra Chereb, Las Vegas Review-Journal

CARSON CITY — Newly released mementos from revered native Nevada son Paul Laxalt offers a glimpse into presidential politics of a bygone era and the close bond the former governor and U.S. senator forged with former President Ronald Reagan.

A collection of letters, handwritten notes, photographs, audio/visual resources and scrapbooks were made available last week to the public through the University of Nevada, Reno’s Special Collections and Archives.

The collection, called “ ‘The First Friend’ of Ronald Reagan,” is an extraction of personal materials donated by Laxalt to the university. The snippets span the years from 1975 through 1987, a time when Laxalt, the son of an immigrant Basque sheepherder, was national chairman of Reagan’s 1976, 1980 and 1984 presidential campaigns.

Jacquelyn Sundstrand, special collections manuscript and archives librarian, said the materials are a time capsule into the politics and issues of the day.

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