Osborne, Kathy: Files, 1981-1989

Biography

Kathleen “Kathy” Osborne was born Kathleen Edwards in Sacramento on December 4, 1943. She attended Glendale Junior College in southern California, while working as a secretary. In 1965 she completed airline stewardess training in Dallas, and moved to the northeastern United States to work as a stewardess for American Airlines. She left this job when she married William Osborne in 1966. The couple had two children before divorcing in early 1981.

Ms. Osborne moved back to Sacramento with her husband in 1967. She was hired as an assistant to Helene von Damm, Governor Reagan’s personal secretary. Osborne also served as Nancy’s Reagan’s secretary beginning in 1972. In 1973, she left the Governor’s Office to work for Californians for Lower Taxes, an organization formed to promote the tax-lowering initiative Proposition 1. In 1975 she co-founded Sacks Howe Avenue, a juniors’ apparel store in Sacramento. She remained involved with the store until it closed in 1984.

Osborne did volunteer work for the Reagan-Bush 1980 presidential campaign. The following July, she visited President Reagan at the White House. During the visit Michael Deaver, the White House Deputy Chief of Staff who knew Osborne from Reagan’s governorship, approached her about becoming Reagan’s new personal secretary. Osborne became Reagan’s secretary on October 1, succeeding von Damm who moved to the Office of Presidential Personnel. Osborne remained the President’s personal secretary until he left office in January 1989. She was named a Special Assistant to the President in 1985, a Deputy Assistant in 1987, and a full Assistant to the President in December 1988.

Osborne worked in Reagan’s post-presidential office in Los Angeles until 1990. She later served as Executive Assistant to Warren Christopher, while he was a senior partner with the Los Angeles law firm O’Melveny & Myers.