She has a great influence on her husband's career

Opening the topic of interesting facts about Nancy Reagan, The New York Times obituary of Nancy Reagan paints a fascinating portrait of a woman whose main goal in life seemed to be being a good wife and supporting her husband.

However, in Mrs. Reagan's case, "supporting her husband" also included crucial advice on staffing and strategy. "There would have been no Governor Reagan, no President Reagan," said Michael K. Deaver, a longtime Reagan aide and close friend. She was involved in the early stages of Mr. Reagan's successful campaign for governor of California. She wielded considerable power over the staff of her husband's presidential campaigns, first for the Republican nomination in 1976 and then for the presidency in 1980. She recommended, then fired, John P. Sears as Reagan's presidential campaign manager, and had a hand in selecting Sears' replacements — first William J. Casey, then Stuart Spencer, who led the campaign to victory.

Her most important role was most likely in the aftermath of the Iran-Contra scandal. She assisted in the removal of the White House chief of staff, whom she blamed for incompetence during the scandal, and persuaded her husband to apologize to the nation. That speech in March 1987 was credited with turning around Mr. Reagan's low approval ratings.