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A fundamentalist mother and an alcoholic father raised Ronald Reagan. These and other early biographical facts about this former U.S. president are presented in this first segment of this PBS series. Reagan later attended college and became a radio sportscaster. While many disagree as to the level of success he achieved in Hollywood, Reagan did develop a strong following among many. While in Hollywood, he became seriously interested in political issues. His belief that communism was a major threat to the Hollywood community convinced him to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1947. Though this part of the series seeks just to provide information about Reagan's early life, most Americans know that Reagan went on to successfully run for governor of California before winning the 1980 and 1984 presidential elections.