EUREKA – Eureka College will debut its Visiting Reagan Scholars program with a course about Ronald Reagan’s presidential campaigns taught by bestselling author Craig Shirley.

The course titled “Reagan 101” will be offered from 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 22-25 in Burgess Memorial Hall. It is open to the public at a cost of $101 in recognition of the 101st anniversary of the birth of Ronald Reagan last year. To attend or for more information, call (309) 467-6319.

The course will offer an in-depth look at Reagan’s presidential campaigns, how the campaigns impacted American politics at the time and what endures from the innovations, perspectives and practices that emerged.
“‘Reagan 101’ is the first college course of its kind offered by Craig Shirley, the leading author on Ronald Reagan’s presidential campaigns,” said Eureka College President J. David Arnold. “Hosted on the historic campus of Eureka College, this is a once-in-a-lifetime educational experience for students and the general public.”
The course will include lectures, class discussions and live video conferencing with people who were integral to the campaigns.
Shirley’s 2009 book Rendezvous with Destiny: Ronald Reagan and the Campaign That Changed America discussed Reagan’s 1980 run to the White House and his victory over incumbent Jimmy Carter. His 2005 book Reagan’s Revolution: The Untold Story of the Campaign That Started It All details Reagan’s 1976 challenge to President Gerald Ford in the Republican primaries. The book reached No. 8 on The Washington Post’s bestseller list.
Shirley’s most recent book, December 1941: 31 Days That Changed America and Saved the World, was released last December. It chronicles the day-by-day shifts in American culture, politics and national identity that occurred in December 1941 following the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

“Reagan 101” is made possible in part by contributors to the Ronald W. Reagan Society at Eureka College.