Once he got to college, Dutch faced a number of challenges, not the least was getting together enough money every month to stay in college. He pledged a fraternity, Tau Kappa Epsilon. Sleeping and eating at the TEKE house helped lower his housing costs. When Reagan moved into the Teke house, the kitchen, dining room and living room were crowded into a small space on the first floor. He and two friends decided that the house needed a new dining area. They ripped out the old basement so it could be remodeled into a dining room and kitchen. "We mainly tore things down and someone who had the skill put things back," said his friend Enos (Bud) Cole.

Dutch coached swimming, did odd jobs, cleaned up in the women's dormitories. He found endless numbers of odd-jobs to keep himself at Eureka.

Classroom performance, except as a prerequisite for athletic eligibility, was not the center of his attentions (as it had not been in high school).

The student who was going into pre-law was going to have to work harder for a good grade than I was because the professor knew that all I wanted was a diploma, that there wasn't a chance in the world that the actual subject matter was going to be vital to me, that I would have to remember it, so he wouldn't be as strict with me.

Later, an older Reagan would reflect on this attitude:

I was so busy with these other things that I apportioned only a certain amount of time to study. A C average was required for eligibility for outside activities. I set my goals at maintaining eligibility. I know that wasn't right, but it also made room and time for other things that I think were valuable.

Instead, Dutch focussed his attentions in college on a number of activities and involvements. He reported for the student paper, The Pegasus. One year he was the feature editor for the school's yearbook. That first year at Eureka, he was on the Freshman debate team. Dutch was a cheerleader during basketball season. Later, he was president of the student senate and elected three times president of the Booster Club.

Following up on his training from his mother and his high school experience, Dutch acted in campus plays, develop what later became his profession.[anecdote]

Finally, Dutch would graduate in 1932 with a bachelor's degree in sociology and economics.

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At Eureka, Dutch became seriously interested in acting. With others in the Eureka drama group, he traveled to Northwestern University for an annual one-act play contest. The Eureka players made the finals, but did not win first place.

There was a bit on unexpected glory for Dutch, however, something he would remember when he wondered what to do with his life. He received an individual acting award. Taken by surprise, Dutch literally bounded out of his seat. He hurried down the aisle with a big smile to receive his award. Later, he would reflect, "The fact was, I suppose, that I just liked showing off."




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