Thirty years ago tomorrow, Ronald Reagan left the White House for the last time as president of the United States. On that relatively mild January morning he was, as usual, in a good mood — for the most part. Although proud of what he had accomplished and looking forward to being back home in California, Reagan did not like saying goodbye to the people who had become so important to him and Mrs. Reagan during their eight years in Washington.

But making things easier was the fact that Reagan was being succeeded in office by his hand-picked successor, George H.W. Bush, whom he liked and respected, and who he knew would be a great president in his own right.